horn rod delima

[larry harding]

i'm finally starting to put my speedster project together (working on it 1 1/2 years) at some point i think the steering column must have been replaced because the steering shaft was too long and the steering wheel sat about 1" inch above the spark/throttle levers. i found a shorter steering shaft at a swap meet and took care of that problem, now i find the horn rod is too long. it looks lke i need the gemmer rod at 44 31/32", that is 45 inches in my world. i have another long rod that is damaged up at the button area. has any one tried to shorten one of these rods? new repops are $100.00 + and i'm a tinkerer(and cheap ass) any suggestions?

[Joe K]

28-29 top pattern or 30-31? (29 Gemmer 2 tooth used 45" of course)

If your "longer rod" is 45-3/4 it could be either pattern. Your steering wheel may tell you which way to go (30-31 the handle escutcheon is "sunk" into the wheel.)

Probably the best way to shorten would be to cut the lower end - you can unsolder at the top and pull down the wire to remove, cut tube, and then press a "square" in the lower end and file grooves in the corners of the square thus formed to keep the spider retainer clip in place. The wire could be pushed back with the excess wire out the top for re-soldering. Last tap the bottom nub back to nearly touch the tube. (there is or should be an insulator here) Not messing with removal/reattachment of top.

This is kind of off the top of my head. Your real world experience may vary.

Joe K

[ronn]

you could also leave the rod out- dummy the button and put a button elsewhere,

such as near your foot/firewall.

[dmar836]

But that would also remove the light switches.
D

[rotorwrench]

Is this steering unit a Gemmer? If is then which type of column jacket does it have. If it is short and has the 28/29 type of control quadrant then it will use a 28/29 type steering wheel and light switch/horn rod. If it is short and has a 30/31 type quadrant then it is the rare early 1930 type that uses the 1930/31 type steering wheel and light switch/horn rod. This set up was only used for a month or so before it grew another inch.

[larry harding]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

i have the 2 tooth steering unit ( i replaced the worm and sector gear) when i put everything back together the st, wheel was sitting about 1 "' above the tube. i found a shorter shaft and wasn't thinking about the horn rod at that time. what i needed was a longer tube and the horn rod and shaft i had would have been right. i don't know much history about the car i started with, but i believe it to be an early "30. right now i need to shorten the horn rod or purchase a new one at $100.00 plus.

[nkaminar]

If it was my problem, I would try to cut the tube away from the ends to remove a section of whatever length is necessary and weld it up with my wire welder. Of course the horn wire would have to be removed first, shortened, and resoldered to the brass button at the bottom. The weld on the tube would have to be ground smooth and round so that it would not drag in the steering column.

[Bob Bidonde]

Here are the light switch rod lengths for various years of the Model "A".

[rotorwrench]

The steering box type should be checked on that first 1930 type on the chart above. I think that first one was for a 7-tooth type steering box. Ford made the 7-tooth for a long time but it was phased out in 1930. A lot of phase out stuff like this was used in commercial vehicles. All of the 7-tooth types were the same length of shaft and the columns were integral and not removable. The steering wheel and the control quadrant was changed for the 1930 model year on all of the production gearboxes as far as I know.

To the best of my knowledge, the Gemmer types were short from the initial production up till February 1930. The long type Gemmer became the common unit beginning in 1930 and running through the end of production.

[Joe K]

i have the 2 tooth steering unit ( i replaced the worm and sector gear) when i put everything back together the st, wheel was sitting about 1 "' above the tube.

The usual way this is done is to "remove" the worm. It is pressed in place - but new worms comes with instructions to "Measure the original first for total length." The worms can be pressed on at varying depths for different columns.

Removing the worm and replacing CAN result in the worm not remaining "co-linear" with the rest of the shaft. You tighten the top adjustment of the box, and everything rotates, but the top of the steering shaft "waves" and describes a circle - a condition that can result in binding. OR, if you relieve the pressure between the roller bearings, you can end up with uneven contact sector with the worm.

It is ESSENTIAL that the worm remain concentric with the shaft. I've sent back reconditioned steering shafts to Snyders because the setting of the worm was not "straight."

But for you, it may be possible to remove and re-press the worm to take up some of that 1".

Removing the worm is easy. Get a piece of 1" iron pipe longer than the steering shaft. Put the steering shaft and worm in one end. Then stoutly "bang" the extended pipe on the floor with the worm on top. Inertia will carry the shaft out of the worm.

Pressing back can be done in a press - but be careful you don't "buckle" the steering shaft or otherwise bend it. Many "tap" the worm end of the shaft and use a bolt and washer to "pull" the worm into place. Use Loctite green.

Joe K

[Joe K]

Um. You might be able to undo the clamp attaching the column shell to the upper bearing race - move the column shell (and spark/throttle rods) "up" to swallow up that 1."

Or perhaps there is not enough "meat" on the upper bearing race?

We're counting on your calibrated eye to get a read on this.


Joe K

[ronn]

But that would also remove the light switches.
D



quite true- but thought this was supposed to be a "speedster"
liberties must be taken.

[larry harding]

i guess i wasn't clear, i put a new worm on the shorter shaft and now the sw is where it should be, but the horn rod is to long. i wish i had looked for a longer steering column/tube instead of the the shorter inner shaft. if i can shorten the horn rod without ruining it
that will fix me up or bite the bullet and order the gemmer 45" inch rod. i think the car i started with is an early 30, but who knows what has been replaced over the years

[nkaminar]

Larry, See post #7. If you do not have a wire welder, you could take the tube, with the horn wire removed, to a welder with instructions as to how much to remove. To get things straight and not have any flash in the center that would keep the horn wire out, ask him to use a short length of stiff copper tube in the center. The copper can be knocked out later.

Do not bite bullets. The lead is not good for you.