Community Forums

JimM68 · 06-21-2010, 05:48 AM

I'm thinking about trying to disable the steering lock on my 2000 wrangler, so I didn't have to leave the key in when I tow.

Yes, it has an air bag.

Any tips?
Anyone done this?

GOLDWINGER2 · 06-21-2010, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimM68

I'm thinking about trying to disable the steering lock on my 2000 wrangler, so I didn't have to leave the key in when I tow.

Yes, it has an air bag.

Any tips?
Anyone done this?

Why would you want to disable the lock?
J

JimM68 · 06-21-2010, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLDWINGER2

Why would you want to disable the lock?
J

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimM68

so I didn't have to leave the key in when I tow.

?

but thanks for your help.

GOLDWINGER2 · 06-21-2010, 07:22 AM

I was wondering were you worried about someone making off with your key. If so you can lock the key around the column. To disable lock, obtain the repair manual for your Jeep, grind down or remove the locking rod.
J

JimM68 · 06-21-2010, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLDWINGER2

obtain the repair manual for your Jeep, grind down or remove the locking rod.
J

My haynes repair manual isn't worth a damn

GOLDWINGER2 · 06-21-2010, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimM68

My haynes repair manual isn't worth a damn

Chilton is better, we have them at our library.
J

texnet · 06-21-2010, 04:58 PM

Not sure this will help with your Wrangler, but I had a key made for my Ford Escape that does not have a computer chip. The engine will not start without a computer chip key.

DonnaB · 06-22-2010, 03:49 PM

Hi JimM,

I'm not sure many of the others responding "get it", but we do. We would like to do the same thing to our 2007 Wrangler. I have posted a similar question in the past, but never got a real definitive response so that we felt any comfort in tackling the project. I'm most interested in your learning & progress.

JimM68 · 06-23-2010, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonnaB

I'm most interested in your learning & progress.

LMAO... I really like to learn from others sometimes, too.

This weekend I'll be pulling the steering wheel off the jeep to see what I can see. Would be easier I suppose if I join a jeep forum, but most I've seen are all kids, not quite my style. It will be my first experience with an airbag. Second really I suppose, I did not enjoy the first one at all btw, and yes, the darned thing left a mark.

srx-6 · 06-23-2010, 07:27 AM

Jim
I also would like to disable the steering wheel lock on my 2008 Wrangler. I found this on the JK forum but I have not tried to do it yet.

Quote from JK Forum.com
I tow my JK a lot behind my MH. It is more of a PITA with the JK than it was with my TJ since i have to remember to pull the fuse and reconnect it every time i tow. I looked at various alternatives (battery disconnect, hot wire from MH, doing nothing, etc) but decided that the best alternative was to disconnect the steering wheel lock. That way, when i tow, i hook up, lock the doors and tow away - no key in the ignition and no fuses to pull.

My friend did it a week ago and I just completed my project this afternoon.

It is a half day project and requires some drilling and nimble fingers. Here are the steps - i have some photos if there is interest.

1. Pull out the lower kick panel pulling from the bottom.
2. Pull out the next kick panel pulling from the top - this one is hinged on the bottom.
3. Use a torx screwdriver to remove the 3 torx bolts from under the steering wheel. The first torx is exposed and easy to remove. The other two require a torx dirver 4-5 inches long to reach up into the recessed holes.
4. pull off the lower and upper plastic protective panels over the steering wheel.
5 . disconnect the 3 wiring harnesses using the release tabs where needed.
6. disconnect the tranny cable - the release tab on this one is on top of the connector.
7. Remove the torx bolt holding in the black plastic connection box opposite the keyway (on the left hand side facing front). this is the box that the large wire harness connects to. you will need a short stubby torx to get to this bolt.
8. Gently remove this black plastic connection box. It slides out away from the aluminum housing. be careful not to break the pencil thin plastic pushrod coming out of the end of the aluminum box.
9. now comes the fun part. You have to drill out the 4 rivets holding the aluminum box in place. I used a 1/8" bit and a center punch to start the hole. Note that these are not typical rivets but rather stubs coming out of the upper cast aluminum box that have been rounded over after attaching the bottom plate. I drilled at an angle and left much of the stub in place so that i could use sheet metal screws to reattach the bottom.
10. Gently pull away the lower cover. The metal steering wheel lock and a spring will fall out. There is also a metal plunger with a plastic pushrod in it that goes from the key to the plastic junction box you removed earlier. everything is keyed so that you can only reassemble in one position.
11. After removing the metal steering wheel lock and the spring, you are ready to reassemble.
12. put the metal plunger with the plastic pushrod back onto the lock cylinder. it only goes on one way.
13. put the other end of the pushrod through the hole in the bottom plate and position it back in place.
14. I was able to use 4 sheet metal screws about 3/4" long to reattach the bottom plate. Depending on how much drilling you did, you may have to experiment.
15. carefully position the plastic junction box back on the metal case. Note that this also is keyed and than the long pencil like plastic piece must fit into the hole on this box. this is tied to a microswitch that tells the computer that you have a key in the cylinder.
16. put the torx bolt back in place.
17. reattach the harnesses.
18. Start your car to test all connections. If you did not get the keyways lined up, your car will not start and the key will not return automatically after starting.
19. reattach all plastic trim and you are good to go.

as you can see, this is not real straightforward but in my case, it was worth the effort. Use your own judgment before proceeding!

I inadvertently broke off the thin plastic pushrod. the vehicle will not start without this in place. I was able to cut and grind on a small drill bit the same diameter and install it in place of the plastic pushrod. not something i would recommend unless you have to but it does work.

tderonne · 06-23-2010, 10:20 AM

I've done this to many cars. Mostly Mazda based (Ford) stuff. But it sounds very similar to the procedure above.

One less thing to do when hooking up the toad. And no key in the car when we stop.

JimM68 · 06-24-2010, 08:47 PM

some pretty complicated directions there, thanks for posting. JK is the newest ones, right? Wonder how different my 2000 TJ is?
Darmned steering lock doesn't work real well, either, only locks about 1 time in 10. Still 1 time too many.

JimM68 · 06-26-2010, 09:54 AM

OK, this is done. Pretty easy. The directions above were VERY helpful, as was my haynes manual for getting the ignition lock cylinder out.

I took a bunch of pics, and have every intention of putting them up... later. when it's dark and I can't work on my moho and my jeep anymore...lol.

JimM68 · 06-27-2010, 05:56 AM

ok, I promised, so here are the pics. This applies to a Jeep Wrangler model TJ. Round headlights and coil springs, older than the JK detailed above.
Looks like pic1.
Pic2 is a shot of the lower dash and steering column shroud. Pretty much everything you see has to come off. The steering wheel does not, no messing with the air bag. Unlike the JK directions above, the screws holding my column shroud on were phillips head, not torx.

Step 1 as always, is to disconnect the negative battery cable.