Posted by Mark S. (IP: 136.2.1.101) on August 14, 2000 at 15:32:14:
In Reply to: Cruise control posted by JerryP on August 12, 2000 at 01:32:10:
Jerry,
Yes I have installed cruise WITH the in-the-steering-wheel controls.
I used a Mercury Monarch as a donor car. I got all the parts out of the junkyard. Actually, you don't need to get a different steering column; the stock cruise uses the same two wires that non-cruise vehicles use. On non-cruise vehicles, one wire is +12v and the other is ground. on the cruise-equipped vehicles, one wire is +12v and the other is a data return line from the steering wheel controls. The system gets its ground through the steering shaft(what the steering wheel is actually connected to). That's the only tricky part...there is apparently some kind of "grounding brush" that goes inside the steering column to accomplish this. I didn't have this brush, so I created a ground using a copper wire. I really need to get the brush, because the wire sometimes makes a bad connection.
You can use the same Maverick steering wheel...the cruise control center pad from many 70's and early 80's cars and trucks will fit perfectly....I got mine out of an '82 van!(The one from the Monarch was trashed)
Under the hood, the vaccuum unit and brackets from a Monarch fit nearly perfectly...if I remember right, it had to come from a Monarch/Granada or it didn't fit right.
This modification is really cool...no one knows it's not stock!
E-mail me if you have any questions!
Mark