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Removing steering wheel with airbag????????

X

XJpoopbrown

NAXJA Forum User
Location
palmer, Massachusetts
i own a 1996 xj with driverside air bag an the steering wheel, i upgraded my steering and the only thing left in my path now is that hittious steering wheel, i do not have much knowledge on airbags, i was wondering if it is possible for myself to remove the steering wheel and replace it with a grant???????????
i have removed other sterring wheels but not ever one with an air bag ???
 
This is convenient, I just went to Chrysler training for Passive Restraints a couple weeks ago. With most airbags you can just disconnect the battery and wait up to 20 minutes for the capacitors in the SRS module to discharge. But with a 96 (I have one too) you got the unlucky one, this is the only year (in the XJ and minivans) that Chrysler used a mechanical airbag which is a self contained system with no wiring or controlers. These mechanical airbags are essentially a shotgun shell, there are 2 firing pins, 2 primer caps, some solid fuel (similar to gun powder) a large weight inside and a bag to fill with gas instead of a projectile. You should be fine if you remove the little plastic plug on the top of the steering wheel and back out the 10mm bolt, this is a safety. Then remove the 2 nuts on the back of the steering wheel and pull off the airbag. With the bolt removed this airbag should be safe to handle but do so carefully. I am not trying to deter you from removing this yourself, just giving some caution.
You probably won't be able to have a dealership or other shop remove it, for liability reasons.
But, like I said after you remove the safety bolt on top of the airbag it is inactive just handle with care, don't go throwing it around the garage or anything.

I usually remove the safety bolt when I go off road
. . . if you want I can pull mine and take some pics for you this weekend
 
i would be interested in some pictures if you wouldnt mind. i was thinking about replacing mine with an older style non airbag xj steering wheel. thanks.
 
XJtattoo said:
This is convenient, I just went to Chrysler training for Passive Restraints a couple weeks ago. With most airbags you can just disconnect the battery and wait up to 20 minutes for the capacitors in the SRS module to discharge. But with a 96 (I have one too) you got the unlucky one, this is the only year (in the XJ and minivans) that Chrysler used a mechanical airbag which is a self contained system with no wiring or controlers. These mechanical airbags are essentially a shotgun shell, there are 2 firing pins, 2 primer caps, some solid fuel (similar to gun powder) a large weight inside and a bag to fill with gas instead of a projectile. You should be fine if you remove the little plastic plug on the top of the steering wheel and back out the 10mm bolt, this is a safety. Then remove the 2 nuts on the back of the steering wheel and pull off the airbag. With the bolt removed this airbag should be safe to handle but do so carefully. I am not trying to deter you from removing this yourself, just giving some caution.
You probably won't be able to have a dealership or other shop remove it, for liability reasons.
But, like I said after you remove the safety bolt on top of the airbag it is inactive just handle with care, don't go throwing it around the garage or anything.

I usually remove the safety bolt when I go off road
. . . if you want I can pull mine and take some pics for you this weekend
Click to expand...



thank you soo much for the info, very formal. i would greatly appreciate if you could take some pics for me thiss weekend it would greatly help me in knowing what percisely need to be done.

also do you know if a a grant sterring wheel will fit on this after the old one is removed??????? or what adapter kit will work???
thanks!
 
I took the pictures in the parking lot at lunch today. My camera really sucks, so I apologize about the glare. To start with the tools that I used were . . .
small screwdriver
ratchet 1/4 "
1/4" extension
8mm deep socket
10mm deep socket

The plug covering the safety screw is on top of the steering wheel, kinda where the arrow is. remove plug with small screwdriver or a trim pry tool

trimplug.jpg


Draw out the 8mm safety screw from the top of the steering wheel. It will come up a ways but don't try to remove it completely (there is a stop on it)

safetybolt.jpg


There are 4 large holes and 2 small holes on the back of the wheel, the 4 larger ones are the nut locations for the airbag, the 2 smaller hold the cruise buttons or the trim strip don't worry about those two. Remove the four 10mm nuts that hold the airbag to the steering wheel, you will probably need a deep socket for these, the studs are kinda long.

airbagnuts.jpg


After you remove the four nuts, pull the airbag straight away from the steering wheel. If you are removing the wheel after this, just disconnect the horn wiring and cruise wiring (if equipped) then the steering wheel nut and pull the wheel off with an apropriate puller.

airbagremoved.jpg


Here is the back of the airbag, dont put anything into the opening where the arrow is that is where the safety bolt screws into to activate/arm the airbag.

airbagback.jpg



only takes a few minutes to remove the airbag. Again sorry about the glare, hope the pictures help anyway.

As for an aftermarket steering wheel or adapter, I have no experience with those. I'm sure someone must make a wheel or kit for the XJ though, is is a pretty standard spline shaft with a nut.
 
Veeb0rg said:
my 95 has this same bolt, does that mean that my airbag is also of this "mechanical" type?
Click to expand...
Yes, if your 95 steering wheel looks like the pictures, you have the same airbag. I pulled one of these out of a 96 I parted out. Follow this proceedure and you'll be fine.
 




Totally doable with a 95 or 96 as they are mechanical. You'll have to remove your clockspring, meaning your signals will no longer be self cancelling and you will need to run a new horn button. Mine is on the left side under the signal stick. (Pic 1) HTH -B
 
boomhauer said:




Totally doable with a 95 or 96 as they are mechanical. You'll have to remove your clockspring, meaning your signals will no longer be self cancelling and you will need to run a new horn button. Mine is on the left side under the signal stick. (Pic 1) HTH -B
Click to expand...




what steering wheel kit did you get to cover up all the nonsense under the wheel??? also where did you get that guage mounting cluster on window framing?
nice job keeping everything clean looks good!!
 
Thanks for the compliment! The Gauge pod on the A-pillar is actually a dual and a single mated. I got those from SummitRacing.com
As for the steering wheel kit, i'll have to look through my records and i'll get you exact part numbers. Grant doesn't make a hub kit for the XJ in the 95/96 years as you've probably already figured. Grant wheels am not a fan of anyway, kinda cheap looking in my eyes. lol
 
boomhauer said:
Thanks for the compliment! The Gauge pod on the A-pillar is actually a dual and a single mated. I got those from SummitRacing.com
As for the steering wheel kit, i'll have to look through my records and i'll get you exact part numbers. Grant doesn't make a hub kit for the XJ in the 95/96 years as you've probably already figured. Grant wheels am not a fan of anyway, kinda cheap looking in my eyes. lol
Click to expand...


that would be great if you could get me these part numbers, i was looking into a grant wheel but, they do not make a kit for the 96-96 models as u previously stated. what brand of wheel did you use???
 
what about taking an intact steering wheel out of an '05 wrangler and puting it in an '01 cherokee? i love the '05 steering wheel vs. the '01 in my cherokee. id like to be able get the cruise control buttons to work too. anyone have any suggestions?
 
boomhauer, why did you remove the clockspring? did the mounting kit interfere with it?


nomercy, try it, don't see how it could waste anything but time.
 
Last edited:
Veeb0rg said:
boomhauer, why did you remove the clockspring? did the mounting kit interfere with it?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you called it, interference. I tried all sorts of things to make it work with the clockspring, but it just isn't possible. You can try, but imo don't waste your time. It looks like it will fit, but it rubs bad and just won't work smoothly. I'll help you guys through the install if you have questions if you do go this route; such as the horn. that's about the hardest part, an thats ez breezy(picked that stupid saying up from Jesse Xtreme 4x4).lol

Oh yeah, found the part numbers and whatnot. For the adapter scroll to the bottom of this page... http://www.lecarra.com/domestic-hubs.shtml
I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw that back when! lol That's the adapter you need.
Then, pick your steering wheel and center cap. Also there is an adapter for a Lacarra to Grant if you so choose but i think the hubs would be getting awful long by then! lol
Any questions, feel free my friends! HTH -B
 
boomhauer said:
Yeah, you called it, interference. I tried all sorts of things to make it work with the clockspring, but it just isn't possible. You can try, but imo don't waste your time. It looks like it will fit, but it rubs bad and just won't work smoothly. I'll help you guys through the install if you have questions if you do go this route; such as the horn. that's about the hardest part, an thats ez breezy(picked that stupid saying up from Jesse Xtreme 4x4).lol

Oh yeah, found the part numbers and whatnot. For the adapter scroll to the bottom of this page... http://www.lecarra.com/domestic-hubs.shtml
I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw that back when! lol That's the adapter you need.
Then, pick your steering wheel and center cap. Also there is an adapter for a Lacarra to Grant if you so choose but i think the hubs would be getting awful long by then! lol
Any questions, feel free my friends! HTH -B
Click to expand...



whats there price range run?? how much did you endup spending on your setup??
 
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