Steering Wheel Column Help

[gordyzx9r]

1970 C10...but not original.

At some point, someone swapped out the stock steering wheel for one from an '88 to '90 ('94?) Chevrolet truck. I think it's called a sport-steering wheel.

When I first got the truck, the horn didn't work but we didn't really care at the time as the truck was pretty rough and we just used it to run errands.

I recently had bodywork and paint done to the truck as well as some other things to bring it back. And while it was there, they said they could fix the horn for me.

They got it working. Great.

Got the truck back, been driving it. And then I notice the turn signal isn't canceling after a right turn. I seem to remember changing out the turn signal canceling cam at one point and/or the turn signal switch but I might be confusing it with another vehicle.

Anyways, I went to take off the steering wheel to see if one of the springs popped off on the turn signal switch or if the turn signal cam broke. And neither of those things happened. For some reason, I have a few different turn signal-cancelling cams in a parts box for the truck. But the one that was in it (the white one in the middle pic) seems to be the correct one for it but those cams on it seem small compared to the other ones. I put it back, and now sometimes it cancels the signal on the right-hand turn, sometimes it doesn't.

I was surprised though. There is no lock plate and spring? Is there supposed to be? I see it on some C10s in different youtube videos but when I look at a parts diagram I don't see that one is called for.

Also, not really sure how the horn is actually working here. The wire from the horn button goes through the black sleeve and that slides down into the turn signal canceling cam. But it's just sitting down in there, it's not actually seated or held in place by anything other than the friction from the wire pushing it down I think. There is a notch in the canceling cam sleeve and a peg on the black sleeve...but they don't line up at all.

And when I put the steering wheel back on...how tight is that nut supposed to be? If I go too tight, the wheel won't turn...but if I loosen it up there is quite a bit of play in the wheel (pushing/pulling it towards you).

Anyways, from the pics...what is the best way to get that steering wheel to work properly with the column to make sure everything functions as it should?

[gordyzx9r]

The other pics.

[RustyPile]

The reason there is no lock plate and spring is because that column is a "pre-lock plate" design.. The ignition switch and locking mechanism are operated by a column mounted ignition key. The steering wheel you have is designed for a locking column,, Also there is a difference the components between the turn signal switch and horn button. The spring under the lock plate provided the preload for the upper column bearing.. The "pre-lock plate" has the spring on the column at the bottom of the column just above the boot on the u-joint.

I'm not familiar with making the late model wheel fit an early model column.. There may be an adaptor for doing so.. I am helping a friend build his truck.. He is using a manual transmission and wants a late model GM column.. We obtained a complete column from an '81 Camaro. I removed the locking mechanism, ignition switch, and key lock cylinder but left the lock plate and spring in place so the upper bearing could be "pre-loaded". I shaved the key lock cylinder area using fiber glass to cover the hole. and will install it in the truck at a later date..

[gordyzx9r]

Originally Posted by RustyPile

The reason there is no lock plate and spring is because that column is a "pre-lock plate" design.. The ignition switch and locking mechanism are operated by a column mounted ignition key. The steering wheel you have is designed for a locking column,, Also there is a difference the components between the turn signal switch and horn button. The spring under the lock plate provided the preload for the upper column bearing.. The "pre-lock plate" has the spring on the column at the bottom of the column just above the boot on the u-joint.

I'm not familiar with making the late model wheel fit an early model column.. There may be an adaptor for doing so.. I am helping a friend build his truck.. He is using a manual transmission and wants a late model GM column.. We obtained a complete column from an '81 Camaro. I removed the locking mechanism, ignition switch, and key lock cylinder but left the lock plate and spring in place so the upper bearing could be "pre-loaded". I shaved the key lock cylinder area using fiber glass to cover the hole. and will install it in the truck at a later date..

That figures...a lot of stuff on this truck was jury-rigged.

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by gordyzx9r

That figures...a lot of stuff on this truck was jury-rigged.

Welcome to the club.. These 50+ year old trucks have had a fan base for many years.. It seems the more owners a truck has had through the years, the more jury rigging it has been done to it..

[HO455]

Your intermittent turn signal canceling might be caused by a cracked turn signal switch. I had that issue on my Burban. You should be able to test the cancelation function before you reinstall the wheel.

Good luck

[gordyzx9r]

Originally Posted by HO455

Your intermittent turn signal canceling might be caused by a cracked turn signal switch. I had that issue on my Burban. You should be able to test the cancelation function before you reinstall the wheel.

Good luck

Yeah, it works fine. No cracks. I took it out and cleaned all that gunk off of it. I think it was white lithium grease. I put dielectric grease on it. Put it all back together. Left hand turn, cancels the blinker just find..right hand turn, maybe once in four turns.

I'm thinking the horn is working when that metal "spring/tab" makes contact with the steering wheel shaft when I press down on the horn (I don't even need to press hard, I can just tap it)...that's the only thing that makes sense to me for the horn to be working like that.

But it's driving me nuts that the r/h turn cancel isn't working...it was working before.

[HO455]

If the cancel cam is sloppy and flops around it can be the culprit.

I've had aftermarket springs cause this problem on my S10. The cam just has to bump the springs to make the signal cancel. The aftermarket ones I put on my S10 had a slightly smaller wire guage that didn't come in contact with the cam properly and that prevented it from canceling.

If you've still got it apart turn the signals on amd rotate the cam. You should see the springs get bumped and turn the signal off. Try swapping the springs and see if the failure to cancel changes sides. When I'm at the wrecking yard and I see some OE cancel springs I will grab them. Like door handle retainer springs the aftermarket ones are junk.