steering column horn wiring

[MBF]

I bought a used steering column from Mark and installed it.  I hooked up the horn wiring today through the column (in my old column it had been disconnected and the po installed a button in the cab).  I fished the wiring down through the column, but I have a question.  Was there a swivel fitting or loops of wire left where the wiring exits the bottom of the column?  Will stranded wiring allow for the twisting of the column during turns w/o fatiquing the wire?  On the 2.5 ton the wiring was replaced by the po and it just comes out of the bottom of the box.  Sure is nice having the horn button working again.   Mike

[Dodgeb4ya]

The factory original grounding wire is of fine  multi-strand wire with a bullit conector at the end. No swivel- just a bullit double connector to connect the wires together. . About 10" of wire extends out the bottom of the gear on the 1-1/2 to and up trucks.

Using regular over the counter fewer strand copper  wire will break after time. Finer strand is best I think.

Bob

Edited November 25, 2013 by Dodgeb4ya

[TodFitch]

. . .Using regular over the counter copper strand wire will break after time. . .

True, the finer the strands of copper the longer it will stand up to flexing and twisting.

 

The stranded house wire you get at the big box home improvement stores probably won't last long. The stranded wire from an electronics supply will last longer, the wire in my steering column now is the same one I installed in the 1970s. That is a reasonable service life in my opinion.

[Desotodav]

I'm not so sure that the wire would have to flex too much. When you look at the components of both horn ring and horn button, it appears that the black plastic part (which the wire passes through prior to making contact at the steering wheel end) would appear to possibly swivel (or the wire swivel within it?) with the turning of the steering wheel.

[Dodgeb4ya]

The MoPar cars grounding horn wire probably is the one that does fail in the steering tubes if not using the factory type of wire.They generally are not free to swivel at the upper horn ring/button end. 

[MBF]

The swivel I think he is referring to is to engage the dogs to lock down the button or ring.  Thanks guys.  I used some fine stranded wire and left about 6-8" of slack below the column.  If it fails-no big deal-I'll just replace it again.  Mike

[ggdad1951]

I got a new wire from VPW I think, and just like the original, the sheathing on it was very soft and pliable....

[Dodgeb4ya]

That wire does have a very flexible kinda thick rubber sheathing. It Will not wear through and ground out inside the steering shaft.

[52b3b Joe]

I just re-wired mine two weeks ago. I didn't know any better, but I did use braided wire. Good to know I did something right for once without knowing. The plastic piece the wire goes through at the wheel on mine doesn't turn at all. I had to push it together a little. I'm not too worried about it, its easy enough to fix if something does break.