Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-27-2026, 07:27 AM   #1
NCSUDucker
Senior Member
 
NCSUDucker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Salisbury, NC
Posts: 112
Default Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Good morning all. I had an alignment done on my 39 tonner last week. Nice to have the spokes facing the correct orientation on my steering wheel now. With diesel having been up close to $6 a gallon I've put a couple of thousand miles on the 39 in the last 2 to 3 months including a few out of town trips.

My question is my light switch and horn orientation are off and from what I can find on here in addition to the alignment issue, my light switch isn't set up correctly, as it seems that is supposed to click CC for lights and CW for park lights. Mine is CCW once for lights, and 2x CCW for park lights. Lastly, the V8 logo on the horn button is sitting sideways.

I'm assuming remove the lower half of the switch house and rotate the rod for the light issue but any help on either aligning the horn or correcting the light switch issue would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brad
NCSUDucker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2026, 12:04 PM   #2
glennpm
Senior Member
 
glennpm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Mid-Coast Maine
Posts: 3,346
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

1. You need to take off the horn-light switch canister at the bottom of the steering box.
2. Orient the horn light switch button with the V8 pointing up
3. The "spider" tabs must be pointing straight up/down as shown below
4. Slide the cannister over the spider noting the extruded tab fits into the slot of the mounting bracket. Your canister steering box bracket will be different than the 32-37 type in my photo below.





From last year, https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...ht=horn+switch
__________________
Archives of historical but relevant older articles:
-------------
Hover mouse over the links below and click!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~---------------
Rumble Seat’s Notes
Techno Source for the 1932 thru 1953 Flathead Ford

Last edited by glennpm; 04-27-2026 at 12:29 PM.
glennpm is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 04-28-2026, 05:34 AM   #3
Terry,OH
Senior Member
 
Terry,OH's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 5,394
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Yes the horn rod has 4 sides so you can be off by 90 or 180 degrees.
The light switch operation can be found in the owners manual.
Terry,OH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 07:10 AM   #4
NCSUDucker
Senior Member
 
NCSUDucker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Salisbury, NC
Posts: 112
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Thanks fellas. Are the little nubs supposed to align vertically or horizontally? If, horizontal, can the horn button itself be removed and repositioned?

Attaching a photo of what mine currently looks like with the steering wheel aligned straight.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 20260428_075315.jpg (37.6 KB, 99 views)
NCSUDucker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 07:37 AM   #5
glennpm
Senior Member
 
glennpm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Mid-Coast Maine
Posts: 3,346
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Please re-read post #2 above!
Nubs must be vertical as shown in the picture



Straight up/down for the nubs or paddles - ALL LIGHTS OFF

One click CW - PARKING LIGHTS ON

From Straight up/down, one click CCW - LOW BEAMS ON

__________________

Take the bail and switch bucket off of the bottom of the steering box and post a picture. Looks like you could be 180° off
__________________
Archives of historical but relevant older articles:
-------------
Hover mouse over the links below and click!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~---------------
Rumble Seat’s Notes
Techno Source for the 1932 thru 1953 Flathead Ford
glennpm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 10:00 AM   #6
Planojc
Senior Member
 
Planojc's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Plano, Texas
Posts: 1,121
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
looks like you will have to remove the c clip that holds the spider and with the horn rod in the off position, install the spider with the tabs in the vertical position.
Planojc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 10:40 AM   #7
petehoovie
Senior Member
 
petehoovie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 11,643
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by NCSUDucker View Post
Thanks fellas. Are the little nubs supposed to align vertically or horizontally? If, horizontal, can the horn button itself be removed and repositioned?

Attaching a photo of what mine currently looks like with the steering wheel aligned straight.
__________________


petehoovie is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 11:12 AM   #8
cas3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Beverly Kansas
Posts: 5,557
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Thats an odd position for it to sit, I'd guess the rod has a twist in it.
cas3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 11:16 AM   #9
NCSUDucker
Senior Member
 
NCSUDucker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Salisbury, NC
Posts: 112
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by glennpm View Post
Please re-read post #2 above!
Nubs must be vertical as shown in the picture



Straight up/down for the nubs or paddles - ALL LIGHTS OFF

One click CW - PARKING LIGHTS ON

From Straight up/down, one click CCW - LOW BEAMS ON

__________________

Take the bail and switch bucket off of the bottom of the steering box and post a picture. Looks like you could be 180° off
Yep got that, and thank you. I was referring to the nubs on the horn/light bezel itself.
NCSUDucker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 11:30 AM   #10
cas3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Beverly Kansas
Posts: 5,557
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

The nubs on the bezel line up with the square portion that goes into the fork at the bottom. If you had the whole rod out, you would see a seam on the tube, that should be straight, and line up with the fork. So, nubs, seam, fork all should be straight. yours...I think could be bent. They can get a twist from trying to force it. The small tabs that hold the rod onto the bezel are fragile, they break or become loose quit easily.
cas3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 12:12 PM   #11
glennpm
Senior Member
 
glennpm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Mid-Coast Maine
Posts: 3,346
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by NCSUDucker View Post
Yep got that, and thank you. I was referring to the nubs on the horn/light bezel itself.
They too must be on a vertical line just like the V8 on the button surround.
The horn button and the surround with the nubs do not rotate independently.

Please take the switch canister off of the steering box and post a picture of the horn rod spider. You can not fix this at the steering wheel end.
__________________
Archives of historical but relevant older articles:
-------------
Hover mouse over the links below and click!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~---------------
Rumble Seat’s Notes
Techno Source for the 1932 thru 1953 Flathead Ford

Last edited by glennpm; 04-28-2026 at 12:52 PM.
glennpm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 12:15 PM   #12
glennpm
Senior Member
 
glennpm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Mid-Coast Maine
Posts: 3,346
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Quote:
Originally Posted by cas3 View Post
Thats an odd position for it to sit, I'd guess the rod has a twist in it.
Looks to be in the parking light position with the horn rod crab 180 degrees off.
__________________
Archives of historical but relevant older articles:
-------------
Hover mouse over the links below and click!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~---------------
Rumble Seat’s Notes
Techno Source for the 1932 thru 1953 Flathead Ford
glennpm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 01:05 PM   #13
cas3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Beverly Kansas
Posts: 5,557
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

I'm assuming the odd position is with lights all off, so a twist in the tube.
cas3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2026, 03:28 PM   #14
Ray in La Mesa
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: La Mesa Ca
Posts: 1,328
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

I have straightened a steel horn rod twist by using two metal spacers on the square shank in a vice. The spacers eliminate the possibility of breaking the insulating ring holding the soldered tip of the wire.
Ray in La Mesa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2026, 06:22 AM   #15
Terry,OH
Senior Member
 
Terry,OH's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 5,394
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Possible your missing the index plate, on the bottom of the steering box, that holds the light switch in the correct position and prevents it from rotating or the light switch body is slightly deformed and not sitting in the index plate correctly. Have someone operate the switch inside the vehicle while you watch for any rotation or loose fit.
Terry,OH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-29-2026, 05:07 PM   #16
NCSUDucker
Senior Member
 
NCSUDucker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2024
Location: Salisbury, NC
Posts: 112
Default Re: Aligning Light/Horn Switch

Thanks fellas. I'm going to try to give it a look this weekend and see what I can find.
NCSUDucker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:28 PM.