| Author |
Message |
Dead 1
Samba Member
Joined: October 31, 2005
Posts: 1374
Location: Burning shores of Lake Michigan
|
 Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:17 pm Post subject: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
 |
|
Here is a pic of my coupler. What say you, good or bad? Could this coupler cause the horn to malfunction?
_________________
"I reject your reality and replace it with my own"
"The American Dream - true enough because you gotta be asleep to believe it"
________________________________________
71, 1776 cc. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
SGKent 
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 7:18 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
bad - starting to crack. I would not expect that to suddenly start the horn honking.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kreemoweet
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2008
Posts: 3899
Location: Seattle, WA
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 8:32 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
IMO a little surface cracking is not reason to replace any rubber part, especially original VW parts.
I had surface cracking on many rubber parts when I got my bus 25 years ago, and those same parts
are still working fine today. Whether your VW coupler will allow proper horn operation would depend
on when the coupler was made: old ones are AFAIK ok, but some acquired in recent years
sometimes cause problems.
_________________
'67 bug: seized by the authorities
'68 bug: seized by the authorities
'71 kombi: not yet seized by the authorities
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16879
Location: sticksville, ct.
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:40 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| Dead 1 wrote: |
Here is a pic of my coupler. What say you, good or bad? Could this coupler cause the horn to malfunction?
|
malfunction how? the coupler has no part of the horn circuit.
the steering shaft is just grounded via a jumper wire that goes FROM the steering shaft TO the steering box.
when you push the horn button the column tube becomes grounded and the horn sounds. the column tube is insulated from the body for this reason, as it's part of that circuit. if it was not insulated, the horn would sound all the time.
you should have a short wire that jumps the T section of the steering shaft to the T section on the steering box. seeing the isolator makes them 90* apart from each other, you need the "jumper" wire to connect the 2 of them
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51149
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 10:00 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
| malfunction how? the coupler has no part of the horn circuit. |
Depends on the year, early models require the upper shaft to be isolated from the box by the coupler, the wire up the middle of the shaft is grounded to the box and the horn button grounds the wire to the upper shaft which transfers into the column tube through the bearing sounding the horn.
Later models use a dedicated contact under the steering wheel and external wire to the horn, they just need a jumper around the coupler to make sure the groundiness makes it all the way to the top, some don't even have a wire all the way up through the shaft from the bottom, just a short one with a spring clip jammed into the hole does it.
Some new couplers are conductive and mess with the early system.
In Dead's case I doubt that's the problem, it's been working OK up until now, I suspect something else that clamps to the column is making a circuit and screwing with the horn. Like the bracket, ignition switch or lower plastic bushing/grommet.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16879
Location: sticksville, ct.
|
| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 10:27 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
yes, you are correct. I was based my post off of the year posted in his sig line
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:16 am Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| kreemoweet wrote: |
| IMO a little surface cracking is not reason to replace any rubber part, especially original VW parts..... |
Ok so my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I thought these were real cracks in a device that couples the steering wheel to the steering box.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50350
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| SGKent wrote: |
| kreemoweet wrote: |
| IMO a little surface cracking is not reason to replace any rubber part, especially original VW parts..... |
Ok so my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I thought these were real cracks in a device that couples the steering wheel to the steering box.
|
Nope, nothing to worry about, just pull the covers over your head and drive on.
I would bet that if you bent that coupler really good you would see the cord giving way. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22668
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 1:43 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
replace that part immediately
_________________
.ssS! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| Quote: |
| just pull the covers over your head and drive on. |
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
hazetguy
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2001
Posts: 10773
Location: iT StiNgeD iTseLf tO dEAd
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:30 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| gee, i sure hope this steering coupler thread gets to be 20 pages long. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dead 1
Samba Member
Joined: October 31, 2005
Posts: 1374
Location: Burning shores of Lake Michigan
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
Thanks for the feedback. Here are some detailed pics.
_________________
"I reject your reality and replace it with my own"
"The American Dream - true enough because you gotta be asleep to believe it"
________________________________________
71, 1776 cc. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51149
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 4:11 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
Yeah, that one's done.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wasted youth
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2012
Posts: 5134
Location: California's Hot and Smoggy Central Valley
|
| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 8:51 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
And don’t forget the wide array of replacement couplers have wire mesh inside as strengthening material that you can’t see and are not warned of upon purchase. Of course, wire mesh conducts electricity just fine so you’re horn circuit will become a horn circus 🎪
Fast-forward past my questionable assertions of the coupler, blah, blah crap.  Just go straight to 1 minute into the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S27LszXg0O8 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kokanee
Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2007
Posts: 329
Location: Washougal WA
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2020 9:15 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| That's a safety part if in question replace it dont want to lose steering |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
RalphWiggam
Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2018
Posts: 906
Location: SouthEast
|
| Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:02 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
Here are some pics of what I just did on my 72 yesterday.
Old one. Has to be original. Bad shape.
All 4 nuts were castelated. Made it kind of a bitch. Some of the cotters weren't cooperating and I had to do minor surgery. Eventually got it out all from below.
Here is the new one I got from some guy here that people were recommending. Note the thick black washer in this pic. Also notice the steel wire I had to use until I get some more cotter pins.
The steering wheel ended up flipping 180deg while I was messing with everything. I noticed yesterday when we went on a hike that the leather steering wheel wrap seam was up top instead of the bottom. Then I noticed that the turnsignals were not cancelling as quickly as normal.
So today I went out and flipped the steering wheel 180deg instead of redoing the coupler job. That was a correct decision I think. It took me about 5 minutes to flip the sterling wheel 180deg. Now the turn signal cancel tab is back on the drivers side.
It's about to rain here so I'm not gonna go test drive it now. But everything works. Horn works perfect.
Oh yeah, I also added thick steel washers on the side of the coupler that doesn't contact anything. If that makes sense. I figured it would better spread the load on that side of the steel insert in the rubber coupler. Hopefully keeping the steel insert from wanting to wander out of its housing. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Dead 1
Samba Member
Joined: October 31, 2005
Posts: 1374
Location: Burning shores of Lake Michigan
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 10:15 am Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
Just received my new NOS coupler. 😁
_________________
"I reject your reality and replace it with my own"
"The American Dream - true enough because you gotta be asleep to believe it"
________________________________________
71, 1776 cc. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50350
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:38 am Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| Dead 1 wrote: |
| Just received my new NOS coupler. 😁 |
So where did you end up getting it from? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SGKent
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007
Posts: 41031
Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:59 am Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| Dead 1 wrote: |
Just received my new NOS coupler. 😁
|
nice job
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
alman72
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014
Posts: 2573
Location: MICHIGAN
|
| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Steering Coupler Good or Bad? |
|
|
| yes, good job. did you clean up any white residue on the surface? I have seen some NOS ones that look like they bled plasticizer, or were stored in wax or something. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
