I've had a look and can't find the answer I am looking for.

Who here has a moto lita steering wheel with the moto lita boss for a mini? What I want to know is have you managed to hook up the centre push button to operate the horn / relocated the horn button etc?

I like their wheels but don't want to have a car without a horn for legal reasons (and for when people cut me off ). I don't feel like changing to a clubby indicator stalk either.

Cheers.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Moto-lita website gives prices for horn buttons so it must be doable

If you get an answer offline let me know as I will need to know the answer in the near future.

Cheers
Steve

I saw that the horn push buttons can be purchased but I thought that it didn't actually operate the horn. I've seen a couple for sale but it says that they don't work the horn

I will email moto lita then but I would rather trust someone on ausmini who has a moto lita wheel before I trusted someone that gets paid on commision from that company.

I will let you know what I find out steve (if it isn't mentioned in this thread).

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Hi guys,
I can't speak on Mota-lita but I have got a 60's Les Leston wheel on my car and it has a plastic bush and a little brass pushrod. The plastic bush sits in the centre of the wheel (inside the horn-push housing) and the pushrod runs in that, basically allowing an increase in distance beween the standard factory horn wire/spring and the button. Could something like that work on a Mota-Lita?

Regards
Al

Did any minis have centre horn pushes? The issue is adapting the wiring to account for turning the steering wheel. I've heard of people having a bit of slack in the wire, which works but is inelegant and sounds like a recipe for disaster, i.e. the horn earthing each time you turn the wheel, or shorting out causing a melt down or fire.

Basically, the steering column isn't designed for it.

Definitely yes

All of them up till the Mini K with the clubman style indicator stalk (with horn push on the end) had a steering wheel centre horn button.

I think what 66S said would probably work, I'd need to look at it all to make sure though.

Steve

Like the man in orthopedic shoes, I stand corrected

Steve is right. The reason I asked the question is because my car is a centre push button and NOT a indicator horn. I would just like to make sure it will work before I buy

I like Al's idea though. I think I may just bite the bullet because if I do get a wheel and it isn't designed for a centre push I might be able to rig something up as a centre push.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

The centre push has a contact on the bottom. When you push it in it closes the earth to the horn and goes "beep".

So you need a earth in from the horn and an earth tot he shell which is closed by the metal strip on the bottom of the horn push.

I did this on a Jag - but not a mini.

To clarify the Les Leston setup, it uses the standard Morris horn button and housing, so it is all earthed back through the wheel, just like the standard arrangement.

If anyone needs it, I could take some photos to give you an idea of how to proceed.

Regards
Al

Thanks Al. I'll let you know how I go. Hopefully it won't be too hard to work out.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

On the early steering columns, you will see a brass slip ring around the top of the column underneath the indicator assembly. before it disapears into the column outer. There is a brass brush that contacts the slip ring on the early indicator assemblies.
The wire from the horn,
connects to the brush,
which contacts the slip ring,
which connects to a wire,
which connects to the horn switch throught the centre of the column,
which grounds the horn.
the farmer sowing his corn,
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

My 65 has this original horn push button thing:



It is too high for the replacement wheel and horn push. As Mick says - take off the circlip, remove spring and connect wire at button to horn button. Earth is through the brass slip ring. Does that make sense?

Oh yeah and keep all the bits so you can put the original wheel back on!

Regards

_________________
Dave K.
1979 Moke Californian + 1981 'Coke' Moke

......and here i was thinking that you were a VERY busy man Mick with uni , kids, work etc.........

_________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

There's always time for Mother Goose..

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.