Horn brush (1 Viewer)

[Pulso]

Hi all,
My latest project is to fix the horn on my '71 FJ40. Actually, the horn works great, but at the moment it's a button mounted to the side of the steering column. I want to get the original setup working and all I need is the horn brush.
Does anyone have a line on where to get one, or how to make one??
Thanks!

 

[FF LC FREAK]

Hi all,
My latest project is to fix the horn on my '71 FJ40. Actually, the horn works great, but at the moment it's a button mounted to the side of the steering column. I want to get the original setup working and all I need is the horn brush.
Does anyone have a line on where to get one, or how to make one??
Thanks!

Welcome to Mud!

First off, what all parts do you have? See photo below. If you have all the parts, but are just missing the brush, you can easily fix this by running down to the local hardware store and buying a brush. Then you just grind an edge off it and glue it to the spring. If you are in need of other parts, you can post in the classifieds here or hit up several different vendors like Mark's Off Road or SOR and get all the little bits.

Good luck!




PS Here's another good resource to help you out - http://www.globalsoftware-inc.com/coolerman/fj40/8.htm. Coolerman is a regular on here but has his own website with tons of info on it.

 

[fj404life]

Yup I just went to Ace Hardware in the small bins there is a drawer of electric motor brushes.
I had to sand it to fit but its been working better than the chunk of aluminum that was in there did!

 

[Pulso]

Thanks for the reply. I have all of the parts except the brush/spring (#11). You can buy the brush part at a hardware store?

 

[DSRTRDR]

get a 3/16 brass rod, and a spring that will fit the inner diameter of the hole in the steering wheel [3/16 is a tad wider than stock, a spring that size won't fit through the steering wheel, you'd need something narrower]

solder spring to rod, cut spring to appropriate length (factoring in about 5-10 mm to compress), solder spring to spring plate, cut rod part to length - better yet, lathe the rod so you can slide the end of the spring onto it tight - the shorter the piece of spring sticking out of the bottom of the steering wheel the better - otherwise, the spring can bend as the brush tends to slide off the horn contact ring, which will lead to an unpredictably self-honking horn (don't ask me how I know )

if you find that the spring turns out to be too narrow to hold the brush in place and it indeed slides off, PM me for the ultimate fix to this problem

 

[fj404life]

I did not get that crazy...I just used a spring from a pen, and a chunk of motor brush. No soldering etc just stuck it all in the hole. Works fine!

 

[DSRTRDR]

hey, I like my turds polished

 

[Pulso]

Well, I don't usually polish my turds, but I might get out the soldering gun for this one.
Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Pulso]

So I followed the excellent advice here and made myself a horn brush. I put the steering wheel back on and have 100% continuity to the plug sticking out of the base of the steering column.
But this is weird...I went to connect the wires and it doesn't make sense. Before there was a generic button with one wire to the fuse box and one wire to the horn. So I'm looking everywhere for the horn relay but can't find it. I think I'm missing one, but can anyone tell me where it is usually mounted? Thanks!

 

[DSRTRDR]

IIRC on the passenger side fender - at least in a '72

 

[65swb45]

IIRC on the passenger side fender - at least in a '72

That way on all the pre-72's as well. Tucked down alongside the battery. Three wires.

Best


Mark A.