Making the horn work with a quick release hub

[Peter Bull]

Hi,

a while ago I got myself a quick release steering wheel hub from a company in England called Lifeline. It looked the business and wasn't too expensive. The downside was that the nice crested horn button didn't fit anymore, and there was no easy way of wiring it up. Not that I use it that often but I think it is illegal to not have one, and it fills up a hole in the center of the steering wheel.

After some playing with a lathe, and a series of "don't works" I found a solution that looked quite neat. In addition to the QR hub it consists of two parts. One spring loaded contact inside a plastic housing (to the left in the image) and one brass pin in an insulating plastic base fitted to the back side of the horn button (to the right in the image).



Since the QR hub bolted directly to the steering wheel there was no space left for the horn button, but that was fixed with an aluminum spacer. That spacer can be bought, but since I was already playing with the lathe I made it myself.



So now the horn works, there are no ugly wires hanging where they shouldn't, and there is no need to disconnect any wires when removing the steering wheel.



If anybody is interested I can provide drawings for the contact. It requires no destructive fitting.

/Peter

[Kroggers]

Hi Peter, looks realy good. could you PM me some more info? I had a look at the site, what type hub did you get?

[Peter Bull]

Originally Posted by Kroggers

Hi Peter, looks realy good. could you PM me some more info? I had a look at the site, what type hub did you get?

Thanks Pål,

I got the one called "Group N Touring Car" because I got the impression it was FIA approved. I am not entirely sure though, I'll have to check that.

I'll send the drawings later.

/Peter

[Kroggers]

Originally Posted by Peter Bull

Thanks Pål,

I got the one called "Group N Touring Car" because I got the impression it was FIA approved. I am not entirely sure though, I'll have to check that.

I'll send the drawings later.

/Peter

Hmmm, I will need one that is FIA approved. I will send an email and ask them. Do you think it will work with on my car?

[Peter Bull]

Originally Posted by Kroggers

Do you think it will work with on my car?

It depends. If your steering wheel is fixed to a separate hub the same way as Sparco and Momo steering wheels are, it will work. It fits the bolt pattern of at least those two brands, which is 6/70 mm.

/Peter

[Kroggers]

The steering wheel is fixed with three screws to the hub at 3,6 and 9 o'clock. So I will assume that it will not fit without some modifications?

[Peter Bull]

Originally Posted by Kroggers

The steering wheel is fixed with three screws to the hub at 3,6 and 9 o'clock. So I will assume that it will not fit without some modifications?

Below is a schematic of how it looks on my car. I guess you could use the spacer ring between the steering wheel and the detachable part of the QR hub to make the steering wheel fit. However, you would have to do something similar between the fixed part of the QR hub and the steering wheel hub.



/Peter

[Kroggers]

Yes, I can see that my fabrication skills will not be advanced enough to manage this project.

[johndglynn]

Peter, I just love your style bro, this pic below is brilliant

[Peter Bull]

Originally Posted by Kroggers

Yes, I can see that my fabrication skills will not be advanced enough to manage this project.

I know a couple of guys running a workshop in Jordbro just south of Stockholm who are very good at fabrication, and very easy to deal with. I can pm their phone number if you want.

Another option is to get a Sparco or Momo hub and steering wheel.

Originally Posted by johndglynn

Peter, I just love your style bro, this pic below is brilliant

Thanks John, in a few years I'll have a complete CAD model of my car.

/Peter

[Kroggers]

Originally Posted by Peter Bull

I know a couple of guys running a workshop in Jordbro just south of Stockholm who are very good at fabrication, and very easy to deal with. I can pm their phone number if you want.

Another option is to get a Sparco or Momo hub and steering wheel.
/Peter

Yes, please PM me the number. I will have to do this at some point...

[Cyberdennis]

You could also check http://www.snapoff.com/

[WideRide 86]

Originally Posted by Peter Bull

Below is a schematic of how it looks on my car. I guess you could use the spacer ring between the steering wheel and the detachable part of the QR hub to make the steering wheel fit. However, you would have to do something similar between the fixed part of the QR hub and the steering wheel hub.



/Peter

(dredging up an old post here...)
This is a slick solution thanks for posting. Could you share what you used as starting point for the spring loaded brass contacts and plastic case? Thanks

[jittsl]

Kroggers, do they require that your race car has a horn in Finland? That was the only way I could imagine that you need a horn and that the wheel and hub needed to be FIA approved.

[Peter Bull]

Originally Posted by WideRide 86

(dredging up an old post here...)
This is a slick solution thanks for posting. Could you share what you used as starting point for the spring loaded brass contacts and plastic case? Thanks

I used a Delrin (POM) cylinder that I turned down on a lathe to the right dimensions. I also used the lathe to drill the holes through the casing. The spring I made from a piece of wire with a tool for making springs, and the brass cylinder was taken from some brass stock I found lying around in the lab. To seal up the casing I took a nylon screw and drilled a hole through its center for the wire to fit through. In the the first image of my first post you can see the different colors of the Delrin casing and the nylon screw.

/Peter

[NY65912]

I just extended the two pigtails and put a quick connector between them that fit in the steering shaft. When you remove the wheel just pull the wire apart. Leave some slack. Worked fine for me.

[WideRide 86]

Originally Posted by Peter Bull

I used a Delrin (POM) cylinder that I turned down on a lathe to the right dimensions. I also used the lathe to drill the holes through the casing. The spring I made from a piece of wire with a tool for making springs, and the brass cylinder was taken from some brass stock I found lying around in the lab. To seal up the casing I took a nylon screw and drilled a hole through its center for the wire to fit through. In the the first image of my first post you can see the different colors of the Delrin casing and the nylon screw.

/Peter

Thanks Peter. I appreciate the detail. Although these fabrication methods are a bit beyond me, I have a buddy with delrin and brass stock, lathe and a small mill. It looks like a fun project for us this winter. Cheers!

One last question, how did you secure/mount the delrin spring assembly within the steering column?

[WideRide 86]

Originally Posted by NY65912

I just extended the two pigtails and put a quick connector between them that fit in the steering shaft. When you remove the wheel just pull the wire apart. Leave some slack. Worked fine for me.

Thanks, this will be my plan B.

[WideRide 86]

Originally Posted by WideRide 86

One last question, how did you secure/mount the delrin spring assembly within the steering column?

Oh, I see now, it just fits within the center hole of the splined quick release. Thanks.

[vansicklenmi]

Mine is less stock but still effective. Used Sparco radio buttons and wired to horns.