Steering Column Refresh Oddities

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Bruce Wingate

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So, after some success with getting my reverse lights to turn on, I got cocky and decided to take off the little aftermarket steering wheel and put a stock replacement on. Now my truck does not have a steering wheel.

First, I wrecked the spring clip and have to try to get another one. I'm hoping they have one at the local dealership (I struck out at Advance and the local hardware store)

Next, I'm trying to figure out where the horn contact is - this is the one that I think is part of the turn signal switch. If it is broken off, it looks like I'm going to have to replace the switch. For some odd reason, the PO slathered the whole mechanism with grease, so its a damn mess trying to investigate.

The locking stud doesn't come up when the key is locked either, but I'm not so worried about that.

Finally - I have to fish the cruise control wire back down the column and figure out where it plugs in. So that's my real question - where does the that wire plug in?

Also, the dust cap that is supposed to go over the notched lock ring is missing - is this needed?
 

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Goldie Driver

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So, after some success with getting my reverse lights to turn on, I got cocky and decided to take off the little aftermarket steering wheel and put a stock replacement on. Now my truck does not have a steering wheel.

First, I wrecked the spring clip and have to try to get another one. I'm hoping they have one at the local dealership (I struck out at Advance and the local hardware store)

Next, I'm trying to figure out where the horn contact is - this is the one that I think is part of the turn signal switch. If it is broken off, it looks like I'm going to have to replace the switch. For some odd reason, the PO slathered the whole mechanism with grease, so its a damn mess trying to investigate.

The locking stud doesn't come up when the key is locked either, but I'm not so worried about that.

Finally - I have to fish the cruise control wire back down the column and figure out where it plugs in. So that's my real question - where does the that wire plug in?

Also, the dust cap that is supposed to go over the notched lock ring is missing - is this needed?

The horn contact is part of the plastic piece that goes behind the lockplate. Should be a black plastic piece, a metal piece, and a spring.

I cannot remember, but believe the spring is on the bottom of the plastic piece, the metal piece goes inside the black piece, and the black piece twists to lock into the plastic horn ring piece.

The dust cap is more for beauty - not required.

The cruise wire plugs in on the bottom of the column under the LH side, IIRC. There is a mating female connector.
 

Goldie Driver

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hard to find a good pic, but like this.

You can see the horn cam aka "the plastic piece " mentioned above, assembled with the "black plastic piece" & the "metal piece".

As well as the little concave metal spring washer & the horn button plate & the 3 screws with their plastic holder.

You must be registered for see images attach
 

Rickf

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If you're talking about the spring clip that kinda holds the locking ring and you need the special tool to make removal easier, try LMC, I think that where mine came from.
 

Bruce Wingate

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So, after some success with getting my reverse lights to turn on, I got cocky and decided to take off the little aftermarket steering wheel and put a stock replacement on. Now my truck does not have a steering wheel.

First, I wrecked the spring clip and have to try to get another one. I'm hoping they have one at the local dealership (I struck out at Advance and the local hardware store)

Next, I'm trying to figure out where the horn contact is - this is the one that I think is part of the turn signal switch. If it is broken off, it looks like I'm going to have to replace the switch. For some odd reason, the PO slathered the whole mechanism with grease, so its a damn mess trying to investigate.

The locking stud doesn't come up when the key is locked either, but I'm not so worried about that.

Finally - I have to fish the cruise control wire back down the column and figure out where it plugs in. So that's my real question - where does the that wire plug in?

Also, the dust cap that is supposed to go over the notched lock ring is missing - is this needed?
Replying to my own post -

1) There is a brass stud on the turn signal switch which contacts the back of the turn signal cancel cam. This is missing on the old switch. 30 minutes of cussing and disassembly and the old switch is out. @Goldie Driver -- thanks for the parts but the bit that I have that is broken is one layer down on the turn signal switch itself.
2) The cruise control wire was cut on the old switch, I guess so the PO could get the old stalk out. Luckily, he cut it and just left it there, I will track this back and take some pictures for anyone interested.
3) The locking stud is totally *****'ed. There are bits missing - from what I can tell the cam and maybe an arm/lever that moves fore-and-aft along with the cam. I'm going to remove the spring and the locking pin so that nothing goes wrong unexpectedly.
4) The high beam lever/actuator is a bear to get lined up correctly and back in. I'll take some pix of this for those who might be interested.
5) I am still waiting on the circular spring clip from eBay.

The PO slathered everything in grease like this was a wheel bearing. After figuring out how everything went back together, I have to take it apart and clean it again. Every time I touch something I am leaving a no so thin layer of grease on it.
 

Camar068

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Bruce Wingate

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@Camar068 thanks for the link the document was really helpful. I watched a lot of Youtube videos, and this was one of the better ones:
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Good enough that the pictures i took now look pretty awful

I got the column reassembled and a reproduction wheel on, which is now crooked.

The wheel locking stud was actually complete, but covered in so much grease that i couldn't see everything. My problem was that the spring was not connected to the gear.

Now i just have to track down why my horn honks when i turn with my turn signal on (left or right). i might need a spacer to lift the cam cancel ring up just a bit. Otherwise it is going tobe fun trying to track this one down.
 

Bruce Wingate

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@Camar068 thanks for the link the document was really helpful. I watched a lot of Youtube videos, and this was one of the better ones:
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
Good enough that the pictures i took now look pretty awful

I got the column reassembled and a reproduction wheel on, which is now crooked.

The wheel locking stud was actually complete, but covered in so much grease that i couldn't see everything. My problem was that the spring was not connected to the gear.

Now i just have to track down why my horn honks when i turn with my turn signal on (left or right). i might need a spacer to lift the cam cancel ring up just a bit. Otherwise it is going tobe fun trying to track this one down.
Found the horn honking issue: The brass ring on the back of the cancel cam is hitting the screw that holds the turn signal stalk to the switch. I tried filing the ring down, but that didn't work. Next step is to get a different, thinner screw and a different cancel cam. I'm open to suggestions.
 

Bruce Wingate

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Engine Size
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Fixed. The switch was sitting up higher than it should have been because I missed that the pivot of the switch has a cup that it fits in. I basically went back and re did the switch install and saw the cup sitting in the column
 
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