Sterring Wheel Swap

by Dinomyte Fri May 29, 2015 1:54 pm

I pulled my OE two spoke wheel off yesterday, left the lead with the clip that is for the horn intact and proceeded to put on a sport wheel. part way through I realized that the sport wheel's steering column had a button in it for the horn rather than it being part of the wheel. Has anyone done this change? or do I just live without a horn till I swap the steering column too?

by Mcarlo77 Fri May 29, 2015 6:33 pm

Pretty sure you can just transfer the sport wheel column's horn contact button to your existing column. However, you also need this sport wheel horn hardware kit to make it functional.

Sterring Wheel Swap Sportw10

by Dinomyte Fri May 29, 2015 7:26 pm

Thanks Steve (Mcarlo77) - I got all that, and it's intact. I actually have the whole column with the wheel just haven't gotten to it, but really wanted the wheel. It's easier to store it in the car than some place in my garage where I end up forgetting about it. Smile

My issue is that the wheel I removed has a tab that the wire in the column connects to so when you push on it the circuit closes. The one to replace it with, looks just like what you've shown, and instead of a wire poking through the column, there is what looks like a button. Unless that button is just a contact for the ring on the left in your picture.

by Mcarlo77 Fri May 29, 2015 8:45 pm

That's exactly how it works. I've been told they can be very fickle in making contact. The one in my Laguna doesn't work...even though the horn itself is Good and the relay is good. I've messed around with it a little, but I'm also going to replace the column and figuref I'd deal with it then.

by Hawk03 Fri May 29, 2015 9:05 pm

I didn't know how it worked so I cut the wire and figured I deal with it at some point if I needed a horn. Maybe I'll just put in a train horn so I can be as obnoxious and I can.

by dynchel Fri May 29, 2015 9:17 pm

http://www.g3gm.com/t7421-train-horns?highlight=train+horns.
Like these? I have Dixie horns as well as a regular horn.

by Roadcaptain S3 Sat May 30, 2015 8:08 am

I ran into the same thing when I swapped columns. Long story, but my stock wheel has ended up mounted a little off-center so the horn will work. The spokes point to like 2 and 8 o'clock instead of 3 and 9. It makes me a little crazy, but that's the only way it will line up and keep the horn working.
So swapping the column is what actually caused the problem for me in the first place.
I have a sport wheel as well that I might try to use at some point.

Grant used to make a universal mounting kit that made it easy for nearly any wheel to hit the contacts properly. Maybe they have something that would work.

by Dinomyte Sat May 30, 2015 8:17 am

dynchel wrote:http://www.g3gm.com/t7421-train-horns?highlight=train+horns.
Like these? I have Dixie horns as well as a regular horn.

That's a very cool option, I can put about a 50 gallon air tank in the trunk if I remove the spare so one or two blasts of the horn before needing to charge again. I just don't have space for those horns under the hood.

In all seriousness tho, is there an easy solution or do I just pray I don't get pulled over before replacing the steering column?

by Roadcaptain S3 Sat May 30, 2015 10:08 am

Don't bet on the column solving your problem. It caused mine. Keep in mind that the 77 column is a little different than the 74-76, which a different than the 73.

I tried to swap a 77 tilt column into mine because I thought a 77 column into a 77 car should be a no brainer. Not true at all. I ended up using parts from my stock column, the tilt column and another 74 or 75 column to get everything to line up, and still didn't get it 100%. And that was just putting the two spoke back on. I took it to a local mechanic who's been working on cars for thirty years and he couldn't get it any better than I did.

by Mcarlo77 Sat May 30, 2015 12:07 pm

Wait...I'm not following why a '77 tilt column is any different than a '77 non-tilt column in relation to how a two-spoke wheel mounts. In other words, what does the tilt mechanism have to do with mtg of said strg wheel?

by Dinomyte Sun May 31, 2015 9:08 am

Thanks guys - my tilt column that's not installed is what my wheel came from. So I'll be putting the wheel back on the original column. Might create some other issue but I'm sure the horn will work that way.

by Roadcaptain S3 Sun May 31, 2015 10:46 am

Mcarlo77 wrote:Wait...I'm not following why a '77 tilt column is any different than a '77 non-tilt column in relation to how a two-spoke wheel mounts. In other words, what does the tilt mechanism have to do with mtg of said strg wheel?

Darn good question and one I can't really answer. It's been a few weeks since It was done. It was a heckuva time getting everything to line up correctly. I was replacing a 77 non tilt /column shift with a 77 tilt/ floor shift. Went into thinking it would be an easy direct swap, which it was until mounting the wheel.
The start of the trouble was the turn signal switch. The switch from the stock non tilt column was shot (left hand turn signal), so tried using the switch from one of the other columns. That started the puzzle of combining parts and before it was over we had pieced together the column with parts from three different ones.

by 76 Malibu Sun May 31, 2015 11:18 am

Dinomyte wrote:I pulled my OE two spoke wheel off yesterday, left the lead with the clip that is for the horn intact and proceeded to put on a sport wheel. part way through I realized that the sport wheel's steering column had a button in it for the horn rather than it being part of the wheel. Has anyone done this change? or do I just live without a horn till I swap the steering column too?

What is the Sport wheel? Do you have any pics? I wouldn't mind upgrading my OEM wheel eventually.

by Roadcaptain S3 Sun May 31, 2015 11:43 am

Seen mostly on mid seventies Camaro....

Sterring Wheel Swap 190151-1000-0

by 76 Malibu Sun May 31, 2015 11:53 am

Okay, that was the wheel I was thinking of.

by Mcarlo77 Sun May 31, 2015 12:25 pm

Is there a different turn signal switch for tilt vs non-tilt? I know that used to be the case on late 60's cars. I also notice the part number for '77 turn signal switch is different vs. '75 per RockAuto (they don't specify tilt/non-tilt).

Could it have been that the switch you borrowed was from a pre-'77 column?

I'm curious as hell as I plan on switching from a non-tilt to tilt on my '75. Both columns came with the sport wheel, however. But, I'd sure like to know if there are switches specific to non-tilts.

by Roadcaptain S3 Sun May 31, 2015 6:51 pm

I had the original non tilt 77 column shift in mine, a floor shift tilt from a 75 or 76 Monte and a floor shift tilt from a 77 Gran Prix.

I assume that my problem was that there are subtle and not so subtle differences in all three, even though I thought they were all much the same.
I knew for sure going in that the wiring for the 73 and 77s are a little different than the 74/75/76s.

In my case, the tilt/no tilt didn't matter. It was the wiring and the guts of the columns themselves that differed from year to year and probably between Chevy and Pontiac. Like the difference in the signal switch between a 75/76 and a 77 Chevy. And of course, those minor differences were enough to cause problems with the horn and steering wheel alignment.

Another good example is that the levers for the tilt all look the same, but two of them screwed into the column, the third uses a hook-type lever. I don't remember for sure which was which. Probably the GP had the hook.

If I ever do it again, you can bet your bippy that I will ONLY use a replacement from the exact year and model car, regardless of how long it takes to find one.

by Mcarlo77 Sun May 31, 2015 7:10 pm

While we're on the subject of strg columns, the one currently in my '75 Laguna is a non-tilt w/sport strg wheel. The ignition switch has been altered so that a key is not necessary to turn the switch to start the car. How is that done? Can it be reversed?

by Roadcaptain S3 Sun May 31, 2015 7:52 pm

Can't answer that, but your question reminds me that the ignitions between some the columns ARE definitely different.

Again, sorry but i can't recall what the problem was exactly, but I know we were lucky to have the keys for 2 and it took some research and swapping to get the right one to work.

I think I read a thread here at G3GM that explained the differences.

by Mcarlo77 Sun May 31, 2015 8:47 pm

Would it be safe to assume that, aside from the '77's...and, perhaps the Pontiacs...that any tilt or non-tilt column could be swapped as long as you transferred the switches from your existing column?

by Mcarlo77 Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:02 pm

Mcarlo77 wrote:Is there a different turn signal switch for tilt vs non-tilt? I know that used to be the case on late 60's cars. I also notice the part number for '77 turn signal switch is different vs. '75 per RockAuto (they don't specify tilt/non-tilt).

Could it have been that the switch you borrowed was from a pre-'77 column?

I'm curious as hell as I plan on switching from a non-tilt to tilt on my '75. Both columns came with the sport wheel, however. But, I'd sure like to know if there are switches specific to non-tilts.

I was still interested in knowing if there were differences in turn signal switches for tilt vs non-tilt...and, '77 vs '73-'76 switches. Had the opportunity to pull a '77 Monte tilt column switch and compared it to one I had pulled from a '75 Malibu non-tilt column. Carefully compared them and can't see any difference between the two. So...begs the question as to why Rockauto shows a different part number for a '77?

by 77mali Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:10 pm

I would guess Steve that any "shared/reused" parts being carried over to the G body cars in 78 got new part numbers in 77.

by thatfnthing Fri Jun 19, 2015 4:27 pm

Mcarlo77 wrote:I was still interested in knowing if there were differences in turn signal switches for tilt vs non-tilt...and, '77 vs '73-'76 switches. Had the opportunity to pull a '77 Monte tilt column switch and compared it to one I had pulled from a '75 Malibu non-tilt column. Carefully compared them and can't see any difference between the two. So...begs the question as to why Rockauto shows a different part number for a '77?

My guess would be different knobs on the end, maybe? I thought I remembered once seeing photos of turn signal and column shift levers with different rubber knobs for different years. But memory could be playing tricks on me. Maybe I'm the knob.

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