On my 68 Cutlass, I switched out my fixed steering column to a tilt column with a sport wheel, and I am having troubles getting the horn to work. After reviewing the CSM and other posts I have diagnosed the problem, but I am not sure of the solution.

The CSM clearly shows that for Tilt columns, the order of installation is as follows:
1) Spring
2) Cancel Cam
3) Steering Wheel

When I do this, I can see that there is a gap between the contact ring of the cancel cam and the brass plunger of the turn signal cam. If I install them in the wrong order by installing the Cancel Cam first, then Spring, and then Steering Wheel, it works, but this concerns me. Will the cancel cam work in this scenario, and more importantly, is this creating a potential issue with the steering wheel? The steering wheel does not seem to seat as far on the splines when installed Cancel Cam / Spring / Wheel as it does when installed Spring / Cancel Cam / Wheel, but there are plenty of threads showing on the column when the washer and nut are fully torqued to spec.

Here are some photos:


Turn Signal Cam

Small Gap when installed per CSM

Sport Wheel tightened but not torqued

 

Here is the image from the CSM:

 

Make sure you have the tilt cancelling cam. Different than non tilt.

 

The steering wheel hub you are using is not correct for a '68. That mey be your problem.

 

Thanks. I ordered it from The Parts Place, and it indicated that it was for Tilt columns. I will check other sites to see what else I can find.

 

Can you tell what year it is?

 

If the diameter of the hub is larger than the column, then it is a '69 & up to '72.

 

If its the 3 spoke hub, with the notch in it might it be from a Buick or Chevy? I'm pretty sure they used them in the 1969-72 cars so I'm thinking they would have had the larger diameter hub.

 

I had that larger hub on my kid's car. She was happy. Then I found the correct hub. Taada.

 

It appears to be a 70-72 hub from other photos I was able to find here. The question is, does that make a difference?

 

The gap is why there is the contact issue. If you used a standard wheel the gap would not be there.

 

Thanks! Do you happen to know if this 3 spoke wheel will bolt right up to a correct 68 hub? If so, I can look for a proper hub. If not, perhaps I will look for a new wheel.

 

These are the "wood" wheels and adapters I know of, excluding Corvettes;
1965 Chevy big cars and Chevelles , you can enlarge the pictures and see more detail. These obviously are 2 spoke so there is no overlap and no "notch" in the hub;
1965 Chevelle Sport Wood Steering Wheel Kit (ss396.com)
These 67 and 68 Camaro wheels also used "hubs" for their wood grain wheels, they had an overlap on the wheel, and a notch in the hub. They are larger diameter than the 65,
Then we go to 1969 and up, Camaro and Chevelle had wood and sport wheels which resemble the Buicks but with different grain on the wheels with the overlap and notch in the adapter
1969 Camaro Rosewood Steering Wheel Kit Without Tilt (ss396.com)
Now the Oldsmobile sport wheels came with 4 spokes and no overlap, so the columns and adapters are the same diameter as the Chevy but Olds had no notch where Chevy does. The Oldsmobile wheels were used on Cutlass and this wheel is a little larger in diameter then the Wheels used in the Starfire small cars.

Cutlass 442 Steering Wheel and Parts-Fusick Automotive Products, Inc.

So you should be thoroughly confused by now

 

Those are some good resources. Thanks for sharing.

I looked at a few of the repop shops, and while the diameter at the column is different between the 68 hub and the 70-72 hubs, the diameter at the wheel spokes looks the same. It also looks like the various 3 spoke wheels are interchangeable.

It also appears that the 68 hub is slightly deeper, but since there were no exact measurements, I went ahead and ordered a 68 hub. I will confirm this upon receipt. At a minimum, it will match the column better, but hopefully it sorts out the horn contact issue, too.

 

Yes, I forgot to go there. But all the sport wheels for all GM cars have the same holes for the mounting of the wheel on the hub, 6 of them, and the horn button mount, 3 of them, and all the extra holes in the steering wheel itself which have no screws going through them that I have ran into. This is an original 1968 Camaro wood wheel hub on my Son's blue car, I still have the Camaro steering wheel which is plastic or whatever and not wood at all, and it is in very poor condition.




This is a picture of a 65 Skylark convertible I owned a few years ago. It had a tilt column and automatic shift on the column. That is a reproduction 1965 Chevelle wood wheel hub. It fit pretty well.

 

Thanks, Mike! Those look really sharp.

 

BINGO! Ed was right. I ordered a correct hub for a 68, and it solved the issue. While the overall thickness of the 70 hub and the 68 hub are virtually the same and while the depth of the collar and splines inside the hub appear to be the same, the splines look to be deeper set within the hub. This closed the gap as needed.

Thanks, everyone, for your help.

 

Experience in this problem helped.
Ed