VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Upper Steering bushing placement

Working on a 32 Phaeton for a friend. Complaint was the horn would sound intermittently while driving. I ground about .060 off the wires and reassembled. Tested and worked fine -- until I drove it. Horn started to sound again. Checked and found the rubber dried and hard so bought new button assembly. Same problem. Pulled the steering wheel and found the upper bushing floating freely in the tube, so have ordered a new upper bushing from FS. Their instructions tell you to "Measure the position of the old bushing carefully and install the new one at the same distance." Not an option in this case.

Can someone provide a generic measurement from the top of the tube to the top of the bushing? I know I will have to weld extensions on the new button assembly as I ground them off thinking that was the problem. Would just like to have a starting place then I will adjust the length of the wires to fit.

Thanks Ron

In your case you can install the mast jacket bushing a little closer to the top of the tube than original. The change in distance should be the amount ground off. If you measure and/or calculate the distance from the steering box to the top of the installed mast jacket, the distance from the steering box to the steering wheel, the distance the wires protrude from the steering wheel and the amount the wires move when the button is pushed you should be able to determine the distance to the top of the bushing. If you don't understand then give me a call and we can discuss the situation.

There is a tab stamped into the tube. That is intended to be the stop for the installation of the bushing. Since it is possible to push the bushing past the tab the instructions say to measure the original depth.

You can order a new horn button assembly from the Filling Station and it comes with a new "S" wire as part of the assembly, which will replace the "S" wire that you ground away. That way you won't have to compensate when installing the new mast jacket bushing for the amount of material that you ground off of the existing "S" wire.

Thanks for the responses. I have had experience in the past when it isn't really obvious where the bushing is supposed to be. It was so hard to press the new one in there was no feeling when it hit the dimple that is supposed to be the stop. I can do the math and come close enough to adjust as needed. Thanks again.

I had to "flare" the end of the steering tube slightly with a socket to start the bushing in the tube. Otherwise, it just wouldn't go in. I also used a special lubricant on the bushing make it slide easier when pushing it down to the dimple stop.

I found that with the mast jacket off a long 1/2" threaded rod used with washers and hex nuts worked quite well to install the bushing, no hammering needed. Once the bushing is flush with the top you will need a properly sized steel bushing to bring the mast jacket bushing to its correct location. Still should lubricate it though. Been discussed before on the forum, just thought I would add my 2 cents....