New guy questions

[Rex52]

New here, I picked up a 52 Belvedere as a roller from an auction. I put a 318 and 727 in it and I been working on patching it up. My question is how does the horn ring come off this car? I Been pushing and turning, gently pulling at the center of it and I can’t figure it out. I don’t want to break it but I need to rewire the button and the turn signal switch.

[DonaldSmith]

Here's my 47 DeSoto horn ring, etc. 

A cover is held on with screws on the backside (the side facing the windshield).  

The cross bar has tubular things that go through the plastic wheel and are attached to the hornring on the backside. 

(My wheel has the third leg, attaching to the bottom of the horn ring.) 

Now, before you separate the horn ring from the cross bar, make sure that the horn is not powered.  

Behind the crossbar is the magic thing that makes the horn honk.  

 

 

 

The brass thingie behind the cross bar is connected to the ground wire that runs through the steering shaft to complete the circuit to the horn relay.  

 

The thingie contacts the spring, which is grounded to the steering column. 

The cross bar has lugs on the back that push the spring away from the thingie, keeping the horn from blowing. 

The lugs provide an even pressure, unless the horn ring is pushed.  Then the spring contacts the thingie, and the horn blows. 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[nonstop]

Put light pressure against the center button and turn counter clockwise.  It should turn about an eighth of a turn.  Then the center button should come out (might need to pry it out a little).  From there, there should then be 3 screws holding the ring on.

[LazyK]

1 hour ago, nonstop said:

Put light pressure against the center button and turn counter clockwise.  It should turn about an eighth of a turn.  Then the center button should come out (might need to pry it out a little).  From there, there should then be 3 screws holding the ring on.

Same on my 51

[vintage6t]

As mentioned above, the center is spring loaded. Push in to disengage the retaining tabs then turn CCW. It may be a tight fit due to dirt trapped around the outside of the metal retaining ring so a bit of WD40 may help

[Rex52]

Thanks for the help!!! I never would have guessed the center came out like that. It took a little while to get it to move but it eventually came out!!

[DonaldSmith]

Rex52, the innards of your steeering wheel look different than the DeSoto versions.  I wonder if you have parts missing.  (In the steering wheel, that is.) 

 

In the center, I see the horn wire sticking through a kiind of cap.  Then the hollow steering shaft, a gap, and a maroon round thing to which the horn ring is attached.   I see nothing that would contact the horn wire.  

 

We need more help from the 52 Plymouth experts. 

 

 

[Sniper]

30 minutes ago, DonaldSmith said:

Rex52, the innards of your steeering wheel look different than the DeSoto versions.  I wonder if you have parts missing.  (In the steering wheel, that is.) 

 

Dug into the parts book to see if there is any help.  I don't have the 47 DeSoto book, so can;t compare, but here's the one that should be for the OP's setup.  Not the clearest depiction.

 

 

[Rex52]

Nothing missing in my wheel that I see