Electrical: 1957 Golden Hawk horn steering wheel workage

[Kdancy]

Thought I'd post this separate than at it is dealing with the steering wheel end of the horn assembly/electrics
(Saginaw PS)


Ok, blue wire comes up from the Horn relay, thru steering column tube, and ends with brass spring contact insulated and held in place by bracket.
Steering wheel center is a metal plate with splines that go over the steering post/rod.
2- #1541991 brass contact plate on bottom of steering wheel, (It has a rubber insulator which prevents it from grounding against the steering column post) it makes contact with the spring contact when steering wheel is installed. This plate has a wire that feeds up thu the steering wheel and goes into the
3- #1541949 Push button switch (this is two metal plates that contact each other when the horn button is pushed down and has a 3 spring assembly to keep it up and open until forced down. When forced down, the two plates make contact and that action is what "grounds" the horn wire from the relay.
4- grounding the wire works the relay and sends power to the horns making them "honk".
Question -
How is the steering post (not column) grounded? Or do I have this all wrong?
I can touch a wire from the blue horn relay wire to the column metal and get a "Honk"
But I can't do it by touching the steering post/rod that the steering wheel is splined into.

[doofus]

Is this a power steering car? blue wire is grounding relay, triggering horn. if std steering hollow steering shaft should be grounded to frame. sounds like saginaw power steering, they have a 2 piece steering shaft that is insulated,not grounded. wifes 57 silver hawk uses this system and i rigged up a brush against upper shaft for ground. Luck Doofus

[Hallabutt]

As I remember my 55 has a carbon brush holder at the base of the column, that remains in constant contact with the center post, as it turns. I don't know if it is the same as the 57, but there is a good chance that it is the same. Is this what you are asking about? At any rate be careful with the length of the center wire. It can't be too short obviously, but leave it minutely too long and the horn ring can't be seated all the way, before the horn will sound. The result will be that you will have to remove the whole column to shorten the wire. I learned this the hard way forty years ago!

[Kdancy]

Yes, this is a Saginaw ps car.
how were they factory grounded?

[Charlie D]

There is a spring, 1305-14 on plate 13-5 of the 55-58 chassis parts catalog that goes between picture one of your post and the steering wheel itself. I left it out when I put mine back together and had to pull the steering wheel back off. Once the spring was installed the horn ring touching the steering wheel grounded the circuit and the horns would honk. This was on my '55 sedan with Saginaw power steering.

Charlie D.

[doofus]

Kerry, look on the lower right side of the column and i think that is where the contact went. there is also a ground jumper where the 2 steering shafts are joined.thats in that fat area at the PS shaft area. probably need new insulators there also. Luck Doofus

[Kdancy]

There is a spring, 1305-14 on plate 13-5 of the 55-58 chassis parts catalog that goes between picture one of your post and the steering wheel itself. I left it out when I put mine back together and had to pull the steering wheel back off. Once the spring was installed the horn ring touching the steering wheel grounded the circuit and the horns would honk. This was on my '55 sedan with Saginaw power steering.

Charlie D.

BINGO! You have got the answer!

There was no spring and washer when I pulled it out and I did not see that on the Steering Plate 13-4 (page 404), strange that Studebaker put that on the other plate 13-5 (page 417) assembly. On that illustration, the washer and spring goes below the column collar bearing.
illust number 1305-14 and 15 = #534512 spring and # 1542366 gearing spring seat.

Looking at the 08-22 Plate (page 320) in the same book (transmission-Flight-O-Matic) hand control parts
It shows a spring and seat above the upper column collar, but does not list that part for the 57 GH, only 55-56. Same idea, spring is ground from bearing to steering wheel, because the bearing is fitted to the column tube, it is grounded as a result / from column tube thru bearing thru steering post.

So far unable to find the first spring and seat. If I have to-I don't see why I couldn't do it with the second type (55-56) as long as it grounds from the bearing.

[Kdancy]

Kerry, look on the lower right side of the column and i think that is where the contact went. there is also a ground jumper where the 2 steering shafts are joined.thats in that fat area at the PS shaft area. probably need new insulators there also. Luck Doofus

Thanks for this as well. I think from what I see that Charles is right on this one, but your method will work, anything to get the steering post to ground.