Do you have access to the parts manual? They often have nice exploded views.
OP is right: no exploded views of this, in the 5-ton parts TMs...
Have any of you ever taken one of these apart?
I did - and don't recall having had any issues, at all.
The upper end of the column & all the parts are identical to the Deuces: see TM 9-2320-361-34P, Fig. 115
For the 5-ton column, after removing the horn contact (pic attached), as well as parts 17-19, the shaft comes out of the housing pipe, at the upper end.
You will then see where the wire - which goes through the hollow shaft - comes out of it and connects to the insulated brass sleeve.