Why is my horn rod solid in a 1936 roadster

M

mtelow

Junior Member
I thought it would be hollow with a wire running down through it, but instead its solid and it grounds to a spring loaded solid rod in the light housing. I'm trying to wire up the lights to the switch on the column and ordered the light housing repair kit, but I don't think those parts will work with my setup. The car has a 1939 steering box installed. Can anyone tell me what I need to do to get the horn and lights to work using the stock Ford switch on the steering wheel? Thanks...
 
If it is a solid rod it should be capable of working the lights, but not the horn. You could wire a separate button for the horn. Another option is to find a good horn button, light switch rod with horn wire running through center that would get everything working correctly again
 
mtelow sorry to high jack your thread. I'm getting ready to wire a horn up in a 1940 truck and I took the horn button off but my truck has a solid rod as well.

Is this common for a base model steering column or what gives? Maybe I have a later steering wheel. Would need to find a replacement steering column to run the horn to the steering wheel horn button?
 
My solid rod runs through the column and turns with the horn button. Instead of a wire running through it, a wire is attached to the short, spring loaded rod in the light housing. So the rod itself is the ground.
 
Thank you for the link. So is that the problem some steering horn rods are solid and some are not? Anyone know the reason for this? Early vs. Late?
 
All Fords from 32 to 39 had the solid rod to ground the horn or after 37 the horn relay. In 1940 Ford went to a wire to ground the horn relay. The real change was due to the early style also using the horn as a switch for the headlights. In 1940 Ford went to the light switch on the dash so the solid rod was not needed to turn on the headlights (and the wire was a cheaper solution as long as Ford used a tubular steering column and the same steering box).
 
Seems to me all the Ford horn "rods" I've come across are actually "tubes" with insulated brass contact on the tip and a wire up the middle to the button.

If you actually have a solid rod, it's probably someone's homebrew "repair' part and could be replaced by an original rod to get your horn working.
 
Here are some images of a 35/36 horn rod assembly. The rod is made of hollow tubing with an insulated wire running from the horn button to a brass tip at the opposite end of the rod. This brass tip makes contact with the horn wiring contact in the light switch wiring bundle.
 

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I removed the rod yesterday, and upon closer inspection, realized it is hollow with a button at the end. Thanks for all the help. Its appreciated...
 
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