Horn ring question

[JMO]

[JTR70]

Hi Juergen,

Yes, those are both made of bakelite material. I can get a detailed shot of them for you and I might have a few loose I can send you. I'll check on that.
Justin

[JMO]

Hi Justin
that is very kind of you!!

[213532]

Jeurgen: if you are asking about the foam/rubber insulating rings, Google "356 Porsche horn ring, Rutherford". You'll find a tutorial and pics of the process by Ed Rutherford of Klasse 356. It's on the Registry Talk List.

[JTR70]

Hi Juergen,
Couldn't get a shot of the foam ring but its just a soft rubber type ring that slips over this cup and seats under that lip.

Here are the insulators though:

Insert type bushings isolate the cup from contact with the screws

Base rings isolate the cup from the horn ring housing.

Rings snuggly fit around the bushings.
Hope this helped.
Justin

[JMO]

Thank you for all your kind help !!

[Jack Staggs]

A couple thoughts about the less than stellar design of the horn/headlight flasher set-up on early cars. The way the horn ring works is that depressing the ring in any given location causes the opposite side to rise UP, allowing the hub of the ring to make contact with the cup mounted in the center of the steering wheel. That is if the foam ring is strong enough to push it up. The better way to use the ring is to LIFT it towards the driver. Some folks may wonder why so many horn rings are broken, bent, or otherwise damaged. Imagine that you are out and about in your pride and joy and some fool attempts a risky maneuver near you. "What DO you do, what WILL you do?" (thanks, Karl!) Well, if you are like most people, you don't take the time to gently use your fragile, expensive, horn ring, you WHACK the thing and hope it works!!! Follow me so far? It's interesting to note that cars that came without a horn ring, used a sturdy horn button in the center of the steering wheel. Porsche, in their infinite wisdom, decided that on cars with a horn ring AND a horn button (thats what they call it if you need to buy one), the flimsy horn ring operates the horn, and the horn button operates the headlight flasher. Does this make sense to anyone? It doesn't to me. BTW, the only legitimate explanation ever given to me for having a headlight flasher, besides saying "hello" to a fellow enthusiast, is to signal oncoming traffic when approaching a single lane bridge. First to signal gets right of way. Anyways, I generally rectify this by reversing the wires or the contacts so that the horn BUTTON honks the horn on EVERY CAR, and the ring flashes the lights. Occasionally I will attach both wires to the button, so that BOTH horn and lights operate simultaneously, and abandon the use of the ring, if missing or otherwise nonfunctional. After all, if you want to get someone's attention, why not use both!
Thoughts anyone?

[213532]

I think your observations are right on, Jack. Porsche did the horn ring and button bass ackwards but you have an excellent solution by reversing the functions.

[roy mawbey]

Jack,

Your comments make absolute sense to me as well. Its very strange to me my BMW 3 series has a pad to press for the horn in the bottom half of the steering wheel. To operate that quickly, is much harder than you might think. You have to apply real pressure to activate it. I normally never use the horn but the flasher is much more ' to hand '.

With the 356 and my T2 having the full horn ring and central flasher after so many years driving my car I established the horn ring is as you say not that strong at all so I have always been careful using it.

For years now my thumb is usually always in contact with that ring when driving. I can depress that ring in a split second unlike the BMW when your hand has to be moved onto that pad.

The flasher is actually similar to the BMW horn I have to move my hand to it. That's okay in most cases but its slower than me using the horn.

But Jack its taken me 47 years to be content with the process of that horn ring. The slightest depression makes it work. But a full blown hard push with your fist could well ruin it. Anyone new though to 356 would I think prefer the central button as a horn push.

Roy

[Allen Henderson]

Jurgen,

I know WAY more about this than I'd like to I believe you were talking about the so-called "foam ring" that holds the horn ring off the "cup." Recently the foam ring has been "upgraded" by some suppliers, at least, by a tough rubber "O" ring. It was changed because the square cut foam ring quickly lost its elasticity causing the horn to honk at inconvenient times or at all times. I'd like to thank ED at Klasse356 who helped me with this and a more regarding my horn ring. Anyway, the "cup" height is VERY critical to the operation of the horn ring. I think..but am going to check this as I have an original "cup" coming to me soon..that the original retaining cup is SLIGHTLY shorter than the repro one. This is why with new parts you may need to bend the cup rim down some..but not too much ! to make contact when you press the ring. Also, it is highly probable that a square cut "O" ring (is that possible ) would be MUCH better as the "O" ring while durable is not the right shape to really tilt the horn ring when you press it, onto the cup and make contact. Now, I've had three 356 "A's" and this is the FIRST that I got the horn ring honking the horn and as an "added benefit" the button flashing the lights. BACK in the day my dad's '52 Ford ONLY had a horn ring and, yes, it honked the horn..as it should why it is a "horn ring!" Back then most ALL cars had horn rings and they honked the horn. The button flashing the lights? well that was a German invention ! Usually I take lots of pics but not here. Sorry. -Allen-

[JTR70]

Thanks for the input Allen and glad to see you got the photo attachment thing figured out.
Justin

[JMO]