Steering wheel boss

[Iain T]

Photos of my 14 inch dished wheel, looks OK but the horn isn't and was never connected! It's a 6 hole fitting and the current boss says Astrali but they are all 9 hole?!? So to make it all work (the PO had a instrument panel horn push for the navigator) I need to find a boss or try and fit the Motolita(?) plunger on the side of my existing boss. If I earth the brass ring to the steering column the horn works so it's just the boss/plunger, or some other widget, required to fix it. 

Any suggestions? 

Iain 

[Pete Lewis]

club shop probably have a 6 hole boss with  hole for the horn pencil

dont buy a pencil till you know what length you need as there  are two

Pete

[Peter Truman]

interesting boss, looks a lot more complicated to make rather than the std turned varieties.

[Iain T]

2 hours ago, Pete Lewis said:

club shop probably have a 6 hole boss with  hole for the horn pencil

Thanks I'll phone the club Monday. 

[Iain T]

17 minutes ago, Peter Truman said:

interesting boss, looks a lot more complicated to make rather than the std turned varieties.

As I said it is an Astrali but from what era I have no idea. 

[Clive]

I have bodged various bosses/wheels/horns together over the years. 

If the pencil, or even half of it (yes, I have had to cut them, repair, araldite and solder bits of wire) will fit to the side of the splined tube section and still contact the brass ring, something as simple as a light groove to seat it, some epoxy glue and a couple of cable ties or a jubilee clip etc, it would be a "fix"

However, with bosses easily available and about £25, not worth faffing about. Be warned, not all of the ali bosses are drilled for the pencil. Another job I have had to do.

[Ian Foster]

Iain

I have a six bolt Astrali wheel on my GT6. It was already on it when I bought the car in 1977.

The boss works with a standard Triumph horn push.

I can measure up the boss and take a photo for you if it helps.

Ian

[Iain T]

25 minutes ago, Ian Foster said:

can measure up the boss and take a photo for you if it helps.

Thanks Ian that would be very helpful. I phoned Astrali and they said they only make 9 hole, I said I have a 6 hole boss with Astrali name, patent stamped in it and he couldn't comment! 

 

3 hours ago, clive said:

I have bodged various bosses/wheels/horns together over the years.

Clive, I might join your club! I'm waiting for Mountney to email a drawing of their Vitesse boss which shows a 6 hole and if it has the pencil hole it could be a correct solution. 

Iain 

[Iain T]

25 minutes ago, Ian Foster said:

The boss works with a standard Triumph horn push

My horn push says Triumph Sports Six Club so I'm keeping that! 

[Ian Foster]

Hi Iain

Photos attached of wheel and boss. I can't see any markings on the boss, but the wheel is definitely Astrali.

PCD of the 6No.bolts is 100mm.

The 6mm thick aluminium part of the boss and the 2.8mm thick lip on the shroud are 113.4mm diameter.

The shroud tapers from 83.2mm at the lip to 80.3mm at the lower end.

hope this might help.

Ian

[Iain T]

20 minutes ago, Ian Foster said:

Photos attached of wheel and boss. I can't see any markings on the boss, but the wheel is definitely Astrali.

Thanks Ian, it seems both Astrali and Motolita now only make 9 hole wheels and bosses. If all fails I like Clive's glue and jubby clip idea! 

I have to say in the summer when the cabin gets over 30C and I get a bit sweaty the nice polished wood steering wheel does get a bit slippery! Your leather rim is much more functional. 

Iain 

[Pete Lewis]

mines a springalex  with a club shop 6 hole boss 

[Ian Foster]

Iain

A quick google suggests bosses might be available second hand. This is a six bolt one, although it doesn't state whether the spline is Triumph compatible (or are all wheels the same?)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384712294055?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=384712294055&targetid=1279902197659&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9045685&poi=&campaignid=14727339348&mkgroupid=127909237815&rlsatarget=pla-1279902197659&abcId=9300672&merchantid=101747245&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgP6PBhDmARIsAPWMq6lXa85aIJJWcsCjf4r_BtBekCMj17iGxFvhfL83a-eXpArT-I6aUGgaAjL5EALw_wcB

Ian

[Iain T]

48 minutes ago, Pete Lewis said:

mines a springalex  with a club shop 6 hole boss 

Very smart! I will phone the shop tomorrow as the shop website doesn't show boss images

[Pete Lewis]

page 23 of the parts brochure 

mountney bosses are drilled for 6 and 9 hole rims if thats a clue https://www.mountneyltd.com/2014-08-18-04-28-33/steering-wheels/accessories

springalex bosses use same prefix as the club ones SB and SBR    ..more clues https://springalexltd.com/products -woodrims.htm

i dont  know what the differences are 

Pete

[Iain T]

1 hour ago, Pete Lewis said:

page 23 of the parts brochure 

MB029 should be the boss for a Vitesse, the technical guy won't be back at work until Tuesday when he will email the drawing and I need to ask how the horn operates. The polished Ali centre looks smart. 

[PeteH]

6 hours ago, Ian Foster said:

although it doesn't state whether the spline is Triumph compatible (or are all wheels the same?)

The "off the peg" PAS unit I have takes the triumph wheel exactly, so it might be?.

Pete

[Iain T]

Mountney boss arrived today I need to source a contact plunger. The diameter of the hole is 10mm. The Triumph pencil doesn't have a wire for the horn push so is there an aftermarket option? I can find one from Motolita but not sure if it will fit. I suppose I could make one but I like the 'easy fix' route. 

At £21.37 including delivery from Opie Oils the boss seems a bargain! 

[Colin Lindsay]

Solder a cable from that crimped terminal to the solid (non-sliding) end of the pencil and that'll make contact. I've also done it by rivetting a metal strip from that centre rivet (you have to drill the old one out first) to where it will meet the end of the pencil.

[Josef]

I like the design of the rear of that boss. Looks like it'll not have the problem of touching the horn contact ring and shorting.

[Gully]

The Mountney boss takes the same horn pencil as the Moto-lita bosses. See here: https://www.moto-lita.co.uk/accessories/pencil-contact/

Only difference is spade connector versus a screw terminal on the back of the horn push.

Gully

[Iain T]

17 minutes ago, Josef said:

Looks like it'll not have the problem of touching the horn contact ring and shorting.

It is well made for the money and about 3mm shorter than my old boss. I now have too big a gap from the cowling to the boss! 

[Iain T]

11 minutes ago, Gully said:

Only difference is spade connector versus a screw terminal on the back of the horn push.

Thanks. I have a crimper and after playing with installing headlamp relays a lot of experience crimping! 

No can't use the crimping tool as I don't fancy drilling the rivet out so it's back to using a screwdriver and solder. 

Iain 

[Clive]

12 hours ago, Iain T said:

It is well made for the money and about 3mm shorter than my old boss. I now have too big a gap from the cowling to the boss! 

Can you not loosen the lamp on teh column (down by the pedals) and slide th einner shaft down? Or I am sure I have pulled the outer column up on cars. It is making me think....

But pretty sure that it is fixable. 

[Iain T]

3 hours ago, clive said:

But pretty sure that it is fixable

If I undo the top clamp I can slide the cowl forward but I might wait until I do the column UJ. I've ordered the Motolita plunger so I'll have a choice of two horn pushes, one on the steering wheel and one on the instrument panel.