Curious About the Horn Rod

[pjdeb]

Anyone know why Henry came up with the horn rod design? Would it not have been easier to put a rotary contact switch and a horn contact switch at the top of the column?

Steel rod cheaper than copper wire?

[burner31]

Simplicity

[nkaminar]

In that time it was common for the controls to be located at the steering wheel. So the light switch is there. The horn rod turns the light switch. The horn button (switch) is actually at the top and a wire runs through the rod to the contact at the bottom. In my opinion it would have been easier to put the light switch on the dash, but there is no dash because the gas tank is there. And the gas tank is there because Ford did not want to use a fuel pump. It all connects if you think about it.

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by pjdeb

Anyone know why Henry came up with the horn rod design? Would it not have been easier to put a rotary contact switch and a horn contact switch at the top of the column?

Steel rod cheaper than copper wire?

Would take a fairly large hole in the shaft to run all the wires plus
how do you keep the wires from getting tangled as you turn the wheel.

[pjdeb]

Wires on the outside of the shaft? I am just saying that with all the trouble of removing the rod in say a closed cab pickup and with the sometimes trouble with the contact disc, the cover, the clasp, especially on those old bumpy roads, wondered if he ever considered a different mousetrap. He did make other running changes.

What was used in the 32 flathead or the V-8?

[Bob C]

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Ford used the same light switch setup 1928-39.

[pjdeb]

Thank you, Bob C.