I know that it can be a problem to get a horn to work correctly
because of the need to have the steering column grounded properly.
Today I did some investigating & here's what I think I found.
My steering column is newly painted as is the steering rack. The rack
has several wraps of tape so the rack clamps don't directly touch the
rack. Right now there is no electrical connection between the rack
and the clamps. Oh, I should mention that I haven't fastened the rack
ends to the steering arms yet. Therefore when I try the horn, nothing happens.
However, if I connect a jumper wire from anywhere on the frame to the
pinch bolt that fixes the steering column to the steering rack, the
horn will work. So what I need is a wire from the motor mount, rack
clamp bolt or some other handy bolt TO the pinch bolt. BUT the pinch
bolt goes roundy, roundy so that wiring arrangement would be tricky.
If your horn is working this means that the current path goes:
a) from the steering rack clamps to the steering rack. Then
internally from the rack gear to the pinion gear and on to the
steering column. You get this path because it just happens by
"accident" (no new paint, no new tape, etc)
b) Or your ground path is from the frame through the steering
mechanism - like from the shock to the king pin to the steering arm
to the ball joint on the end of the rack, to the rack gear, to the
pinion gear and on into the steering column.
Either path is through moving parts - rack and pinion or steering
gear ( the shock to the king pin to the steering arm, etc) . That's
20 or so amps that I would guess are sparking and arching their way
through all those moving parts.
This has worked (?) for 50 years so I guess it's OK. It would be
interesting search for evidence of arching on some of those moving parts.
Tim Collins
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12702006@N07/
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