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Camaro and Monte Carlo Steering Wheels

12K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Rick 
#1 · (Edited)
Welcome to the world of the Bellville Spring steering wheel family! These two steering wheels don't use a horn contact pad and jumper wire as do most steering wheels of this era. They use a slightly domed flat contact called a Bellville Spring. Basically, you push on the horn cap in the middle of the wheel, it pushes down on the domed spring to make it flat, that touches a horn contact rod (held down by a collar and spring) and the horn blows. Here is how it all goes together. I am assuming that whoever you are, you know how to pull a steering wheel and have some other hand tools needed.
Here is the type of wheel we are dealing with.....round center horn button.



Here are the parts that you will need. All of them are available Dixie Monte Carlo and I have read that they may be purchased from NAPA. If you have the 3 plastic screws, you don't need the packaged ones. They both do the same purpose.


Here is the assembly that may give you trouble. In the Horn Spring Kit that I purchased, the "contact rod" was too short to stick out far enough through the steering wheel to touch the Bellville Spring when it was depressed by the horn button. I needed a longer one so I took a machine screw (bolt) that would fit inside the spring and through many pullings and installs, came up with the correct length for me. Make sure to flatten and smooth down the head where it will ride on the brass cam in the column.


Here is the length that I came up with. You may need a longer or shorter length. Hopefully the packaged "rod" will work for you.....but it was too short for me.


This is the starting point for the install.


Since I ramble way too much, I will post the next part in a reply under this posting.
Craig
 
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#2 ·
Part 2 of the Installation

Here are some tools that you may need. A large hammer to smash things is not shown since hammer size depends on frustration level.....:smileyb:
Here is the "rod" and spring going down the plastic tube. Flat head down first.


Next is the small collar. If you are using a normal length one, just shorten it to this size roughly. Have a tiny screwdriver handy since you will push it in and then give it a quarter turn to lock the tab in the slot. If it pops out, hope you are lucky and can find it.


Here is the collar locked in.


Now we can start adding the rest of the parts. Install the steering wheel back on. Line up the marks on the steering shaft with the wheel. Make sure not to crush or destroy the plastic tube that comes up through the wheel. Tighten the Nut to 30 foot pounds of torque and put the keeper on for safety.


Next put the round, slightly domed Bellville Spring on. Make sure to put the domed side UP toward you.


Next put the retaining ring on with the Notch at the Top (at least for my horn cap it needed to be at the top for the emblem to face correctly). Those insulated plastic screws go through the holes of both the Bellville and the retainer. If you bought the insulated retaining ring screws from Dixie Monte Carlo, they will look like the items in the clear plastic package back up in the parts photo. They install the same way. The plastic ring keeps their metal screws from touching the Bellville or the cap retaining ring. Same thing just 2 different ways.


At this point, just push on your horn cap and hook your battery back up. If all is silent at this point.....Good. Next just push on the horn cap and you should hear a welcome honk. Congratulations if it all works! If not, then the contact "rod" is probably too short and is not making contact with the domed Bellville Spring. Make a longer one. If when you hook up the horn, it starts blowing then your "rod" is probably too long and is touching the dome without it being pushed down. Cut it down and try again.
Thanks and Good Luck!
Craig
 
#6 ·
OK, thanks to the excellent instructions in this thread I now have my Camaro steering wheel in my El Camino! You were spot on with everything including almost losing the collar, which I was fortunate to find. Now if I can just find a Chevrolet center cap to replace the Buick one that came with the wheel . . .

Anyone, anyone?
 

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#7 ·
Does it for me!

I have the same SS black wheel and the blue/grey interior. A finished pic would be nice? Thanks for the info. all of what has been posted has done every thing for me except install it! And that will be a chartered course now thanks to the help from everyone here on ECC. Cant wait till i get it from UPS! Rick
 
#10 ·
in '09 when I got my elkie, I needed that plastic ring (in the package with the metal screws), except nobody made them back then. After 1/2 a day looking, I found out that (at that time), they were an obsolete item at the GM dealer, but a friendly parts man did a national search for me, and found that there were 5 left in the country at GM dealers. I called a chevy/olds dealer in upper New York (I'm in WV), and they had 2 of them. It cost me $1.58 and $4.50 shipping, but I got it in a few days in the old green and white striped GM parts package. I still have the striped bag as a souvenir/cool thing to have on a shelf.


:rockon:
 
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