Best steering coupling ?

[jonboylaw]

Who is selling the best steering coupling rubber at the moment? I need to replace mine soon but don't want the one that sets the horn off all the time.




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[67westy]

Get a genuine one:
https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/211415417/steering-coupling-t2-68-79-genuine-vw/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Out of stock at the min though. Just be careful with other suppliers as some advertise them as genuine but they arent (statusvw a couple of years ago).

 

[Trikky2]

I have seen posts on this subject before and am puzzled. Isn't there a wire that goes round the coupling to connect the column to the box, to provide an earth?

 

[gvee]

I have seen posts on this subject before and am puzzled. Isn't there a wire that goes round the coupling to connect the column to the box, to provide an earth?

I believe you are correct, Trikky.

However this relies on the opposite corner pairs being isolated from one and other, which the cheapy ones do a poor job of (due to having a metal meshing/frame within the rubber, IIRC), shorting the gap.



...or something like that :msn4:

EDIT: "one and other" or "one another" ??

 

[gvee]

I think this highlights the problem best: http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=58463&p=491607#p491607" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry for the thread hijack!
But I suppose you should run this same check on whatever new one you buy before fitting, to see if it is up to snuff

 

[Trikky2]

Sorry but that still makes no sense.

It doesent matter which "pairs" are connected by the wire since both the column and the steering box ends are single pieces of metal.

An earth has to be supplied to the column by bypassing the rubber joint otherwise there is no earth available for the horn button to connect to.

 

[dodge6x6]

not long got one from Machine 7 get the genunie one more expensive but doesnt sound the horn through it, i know from experience!!

 

[Trikky2]

There are three components.

The column A

The coupling B

The steering box C

There is a wire that connects A to C

Therefore, whether B is conductive or not, makes no difference.

 

[ozziedog]

Tricky, the problem seems to be that the horn is earth switched and the live feed is permanent. So if the horn is then earthed by pressing the horn button and we have a noise when we want it. If the rubber earths the horn which it shouldn`t do, but the crappy ones may do, then it`ll set the horn off :shock:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Lecktrickery,, slike magic innit :mrgreen:

 

[67westy]

Trikky, as I'm sure you know the column and the steering box attach to the coupling across the diagonals of the coupling so you have

A...C
C...A

The problem is the cheap ones have metal wire reinforcing them, this pokes out of the rubber and touches the metal sleeve the bolt goes through. This runs through the coupling and connects a and c completing the circuit for the horn

 

[Trikky2]

The live feed runs from the hooter up a wire, which is connected, via a spade terminal, to the outer column tube. This tube is electrically isolated with plastic bushes top and bottom.

This means the outer column is live.

If this outer column is earthed then the hooter will sound.

For instance, if the outer column has lost its paint, with the ignition keys swinging in a bunch, they can sound the horn intermittently if they come into contact

The hooter button is connected to the outer column via a swipe contact.

When the hooter button is pressed, it contacts the live feed from the hooter onto the inner steering column which is earthed.

This earth to the inner column arrives via the chassis and steering box.

The inner column would be electrically isolated by the rubber coupling and hence there is a bypass wire that connects across the rubber coupling to bridge the connection across it.

If the rubber coupling happens to be conductive it makes no difference.

The rubber coupling is mounted well below the column tube and would not come into contact with it. If it were to then the vehicle would have a problem far more serious than a hooter sounding :lol:

 

[jonboylaw]

I just want to know which one folks have bought and not had an issue with.


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[chad]

I've got the genuine one from VWH and have had no problems

 

[*Sam*]

Trikky isn't the inner column kept isolated by the fact the wire to has be on the steering box side of the coupler and not on a bolt that is attached directly to the inner column.
This means that if you use the cheeper repro coupling the inner column becomes part of the circuit causing it to sound the horn.

 

[Trikky2]

Trikky isn't the inner column kept isolated by the fact the wire to has be on the steering box side of the coupler and not on a bolt that is attached directly to the inner column.
This means that if you use the cheeper repro coupling the inner column becomes part of the circuit causing it to sound the horn.

If the wire were to be only connected to the steering box side of th coupler then where would the other end of the wire go?

If the inner column is not earthed then how would the horn button be able to connect to an earth when you press it?

Ps. It's a terrible design by the way :lol:

It would have been far better to have used twin swipe contacts instead of just one.

 

[*Sam*]

The wire on the steering box couple goes up the column to the steering wheel, this was it makes the earth switch on/off with the depression of the horn button and it rotates at the same rate as the steering wheel.

The outer collum makes the connection to the steering wheel which is why is has the spade tab riveted on the bottom of it and why the cover plate that bolts to the floor has a retaining loop for the horn wire to run through so it doesn't get caught up with the rotating inner column.
It is a strange design but works well once it's all in place correctly.
I spent weeks finding the fault when I changed my coupling, it was highlighted when I looked at it with my father working the steering, as the pressure built up with more and more load being applied to the steering the anti crush sleeve made a connection with metal mesh in the cheep coupler it made an intermittent connection a spark !

 

[jonboylaw]

Thanks Sam and all the others for the help.


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