Modern Horn Push Clips that won't grip

[svenedin]

I needed to take my steering wheel off to get the drivers side glove box out and also to sort out the indicator stalk.

Unfortunately, despite being careful, the horn push fell to pieces. I was annoyed but I ordered a reproduction horn push from a well known specialist supplier. So far so good.

On installing the new horn push I could not get the clips to grip the inside of the steering wheel. I became quite irritated because the new horn push was not cheap. I remembered that I had kept the original horn push and the clips. I compared the old and new clips and I have discovered that the new clips are made incorrectly.

The old clips have 2 pairs of barbs on the SAME side of the clip that face in opposite directions. The outward facing barbs grip the inside of the steering wheel, the inward facing barbs grip the horn push and push the clip outwards to help it engage with the inside of the steering wheel.

The new clips have the barbs on OPPOSITE sides of the clip and simply do not work.I will re-use the old clips. Moral: do not throw anything away

Old clip as fitted to (broken) horn push

IMG_8657.jpeg (872.36 KiB) Viewed 670 times

The back of the clip is just flat

IMG_8658.jpeg (1.52 MiB) Viewed 670 times

New clip

IMG_8659.jpeg (874.24 KiB) Viewed 670 times

[Classiccars]

Hate to hear of people spending on repos only to find its useless.Whsts the point of making something that doesn't work.Whete is the quality checking.

[svenedin]

Hate to hear of people spending on repos only to find its useless.Whsts the point of making something that doesn't work.Whete is the quality checking.

Well exactly. All for the sake of clips. Absolutely infuriating.

I sent this e-mail to the supplier because I am really fed up with repeated problems. I find jobs on the car fun but I don't enjoy wasting my time and money on parts that are not fit for purpose.

"I am having trouble with 3 items that I ordered from you recently.

1) Horn push. The clips that came with this horn push are not correct and clearly differ from the originals. The clips do not work at all and the horn push cannot be fitted because the clips do not grip the inside of the steering wheel at all. I have taken photographs (which I can send) which show that the clips are incorrectly made to be of any use whatsoever. The old clips have 2 sets of barbs on the SAME side that face in opposite directions to help it grip the inside of the steering wheel. The other side of the original clip is plain. The new clips has 2 sets of barbs which are on OPPOSITE sides of the clip which is just wrong and of no use. I even ordered another set of clips from you but the problem is the same.

2) Indicator stalk assembly. This new Lucas part has not worked properly from day 1. I know how to set up the self-cancelling and how to align metal button on the steering column with the self-cancelling cams. The indicators will self-cancel in one direction but not the other. Off the car, the problem is the same. I tried a liberal application of spray grease which made it work for a week or 2 but my conclusion is that this part is faulty.

3) Wiper wheel boxes. The wheel boxes that you supplied have 32 teeth. The originals have 28 and a smaller wheel and different design. The result of fitting your wheel boxes is to seriously reduce the arc/sweep of the wipers to the point that the wipers have to be parked half-way up the screen to be able to reach the edges. This is a difficult job and it is very annoying to find that the wheel boxes are not fit for purpose. I have had to source new old stock original wheel boxes and do the job all over again in order to have wipers that work properly. This problem is documented on the MMOC web forum going back over 10 years but there is no warning on your website that these wheel boxes will alter the wiper sweep so I had no idea it would cause such problems when I ordered.

I would like to send back the wheel boxes and horn push for a refund as they are not fit for purpose.

I would like a replacement Lucas indicator stalk assembly and I am happy to return the faulty one.

I can provide photographs to illustrate all of these problems.

Best Wishes,

Stephen"

[svenedin]

Well with some fettling (bending the barbs out with needle nose pliers) I did manage to get the horn push clips to grip but this really shouldn't be needed if they were the original design. Likewise the indicators are behaving for now after some spray lithium grease. Sometimes a break and returning to the job is best......I had spent 4 hours replacing wiper wheel boxes and I was fed up earlier.

[svenedin]

I had a very good reply from the supplier. They have agreed to take back the wiper wheel boxes and the horn push and investigate the problem. The indicator stalk assembly is being replaced. I could not ask for a more gracious response. Mind you, I have spent a fortune with them over the years.......