Steering wheel after market.

[Trevor Triumph]

My wife won the steering wheel offered by Spitbits at Triumphest last fall. I finally took some time to install it. It seems the horn push is just a bit too big for the steering wheel boss. Anyone else have that problem with after market wheel? And is there another horn brush, I think it is called, in order to get the horn to sound?

Thanks,
T. T.

 

[dklawson]

There are a couple of different horn brush assemblies with different lengths. I have not seen a place where their actual lengths are mentioned. I have only seen the longer one referred to as "long".

You said you have an aftermarket wheel. Was it supplied with a hub or are you somehow adapting the wheel to the stock hub?

 

[Trevor Triumph]

The hub is part of the prize- the wheel, a hub, a ring that bolts through the wheel to the hub, and the the horn push. It might be a good idea to call Nigel at Spitbits, I suppose.

 

[dklawson]

Calling Nigel sounds like a good idea. On most aftermarket wheels I have seen the horn push is sized to fit the center hole of the wheel. On the Triumphs I have worked on the OEM horn push has been sized to fit the center of the hub instead.

Some aftermarket wheels have horn pushes that come with wires. The Spitfires horn pushes I have seen use a simple metal tang on the back of the button. The spring loaded brush pushes against that tang at the top and a slip ring on the steering column below the hub.

This may not be an option for your particular wheel. However, when I fit an aftermarket wheel to our Spitfire, rather than buy a new, longer horn brush I made a little extension piece out of brass. With the spring loaded portion of the brush pointed down against the slip ring I placed the extension cap on the top end of the brush so it would push against the tang on the horn button. Since the top end of the horn brush does not move relative to the hub or wheel, the simple cap is securely held in place and I didn't have to buy a new part.