Horn.......ye embarrassment! Horn shorting out & loose tilt column

[Skully]

So I have the wife,my boy, and the other kid in the jeep going to big o tire for the wife's truck looking into tires and all of a sudden my horn starts going off every time I put pressure/turn on the steering wheel. (for the last couple months I notice the tilt steering is getting looser and looser.) now parked, it won't stop going off. Glad the horn don't work with the ignition off, and the horns are exposed and easy to disconnect, but everyone is looking at us now, wife all embarrassed.

So I suspect that the tilt steering joint is so loose that somehow shorted out the horn.

Who has taken apart a '90 tilt steering column, how easy is it, and is there a way to tighten the joint?

I saw Ranger Rick had some problems with his heep but not sure of the year?

[chris0619]

most likly you will have to replace the whole column. usually everything is broken apart inside.

[XJEEPER]

Did this a few years ago on my 89. Grab a loaner steering wheel puller from Checker and work you way in......there are 3 screws in the tilt head that work themselves loose. Pull them one at a time, apply a little Loc-tite and carefully reinstall. Extension magnet is your friend here.

[Kiefer316]

Did this a few years ago on my 89. Grab a loaner steering wheel puller from Checker and work you way in......there are 3 screws in the tilt head that work themselves loose. Pull them one at a time, apply a little Loc-tite and carefully reinstall. Extension magnet is your friend here.

^^right there i was gonna say that haha its acutally not that hard just a little time consuming make sure you have snap ring pliers also

[JohnJohn]

Skully I have a steering wheel puller I used on my 88. You can get it from me tomorrow at the M&G

[Skully]

Some say you can tighten the joint but others say can not, so I will sneak myself in there tomorrow and check it out. I am familiar with GM style steering columns from my old CJ-7 but the XJ column is a Chrysler product and is unfamiliar territory to me. I have a steering wheel puller that I used on my CJ, wonder if it will work with the XJ?

I am just wondering why the horn shorted out though? It is a rod going down to a contact switch and wire going the rest of the way. I guess I will find out tomorrow.

[YELLAHEEP]

Nah, your '90 column is still the same inside as the GM. The only real difference is the lock cylinder design. Should look real familiar to ya.

I imagine that if you've been driving around with the column loose for a while, you may very well have chaffed that wire - IIRC, the only place that wire is shielded is where it runs into the plastic horn contact ring, held in place by the copper contact and spring, othrwise, it runs loose down the column to the harness.

[Skully]

Skully I have a steering wheel puller I used on my 88. You can get it from me tomorrow at the M&G

Thanks for the offer! Didn't see you put that post before mine. I have a wheel puller and will look into it tomorrow. Not sure if I am going the meet anyway, the wife doesn't want to be the only adult female there :greensmok


Thanks Yella, I hate digging in those things. Does anyone know if I have to remove the whole upper column case to get to the joint?

[Hypoid]

Yep, GM style. Do you have the compression tool for the lock ring?

[Skully]

Yep, GM style. Do you have the compression tool for the lock ring?


Yep..............had to buy one cause all I ever owned is Jeeps with GM style steering columns. :confused1

[RangerRick]

My column was a problem because of the time between when I took it apart and got back to putting it together again. There's lots of little parts, so just stay organized. Plus pulling steering column bracket and brace, lower dashboard panel and wiring is time consuming. Lub all the little dodas when you reassemble. I have the pullers including the pivot pin puller (to get to all the torx socket bolts, not torx driver head bolts). I also have 2 printout instructions on how to tighten the joint and the factory manual. Your welcome to barrow them. I'll help you if you'd like. With a little luck, the job will take under 4 hours.

[Skully]

My column was a problem because of the time between when I took it apart and got back to putting it together again. There's lots of little parts, so just stay organized. Plus pulling steering column bracket and brace, lower dashboard panel and wiring is time consuming. Lub all the little dodas when you reassemble. I have the pullers including the pivot pin puller (to get to all the torx socket bolts, not torx driver head bolts). I also have 2 printout instructions on how to tighten the joint and the factory manual. Your welcome to barrow them. I'll help you if you'd like. With a little luck, the job will take under 4 hours.

What differences are there with the '90 & '91? didn't they do airbags starting '91?

I might do that,you wouldn't happen to have those in digital format would ya? :greensmok

[YELLAHEEP]

What differences are there with the '90 & '91? didn't they do airbags starting '91?

:greensmok

Nope - '95 started the driver's air bag - '97 for both.

[JohnJohn]

the wife doesn't want to be the only adult female there :greensmok does she table dance? never mind point taken...

[YELLAHEEP]

does she table dance? never mind point taken...

Jeezus......... wow. :laugh3:

[RangerRick]

No digital, just paper.

[Skully]

does she table dance? never mind point taken...


.......she is Mexican with a fiery temper and I will not repeat this to her or mention it, and I would do the same if I were you. :D

.........or you might end up :hang:

[JohnJohn]

.......she is Mexican with a fiery temper and I will not repeat this to her or mention it, and I would do the same if I were you. :D

.........or you might end up :hang:

a simple no would have done. Plus I said never mind :D

[XJEEPER]

^^right there i was gonna say that haha its acutally not that hard just a little time consuming make sure you have snap ring pliers also

Right, I should have remembered to mention that, since I now recall shooting myself in the cheek with a ricochet snap-ring.........

[Skully]

Well I fixed one thing but the other couldn't find any reason for it?

............decided to take the plunge today since I have a three day weekend. It only took me an hour and a half. Took the steering column down to the upper column and managed to see two of the three bolts. I looked at everything and could not figure out how to get the upper column off to see the top third bolt. After looking at the thing and seeing all the little tiny parts I thought to myself; "Ah hell, I'll save it for another time, I can get to two of them now."

Maybe someone can enlighten me on how to get it off? I suspect you have to take off the lower casing or something to do with the shaft bearing but I have never taken a column apart that far and I want to make sure I have some sort of instruction manual :rolleyes:

.........I did manage to tighten two of the bolts and they were loose, DAMN! Now the tilt column is super tight and feels good. The horn however I could not see any damage to the wiring or the switch plate in any way. I got everything back together and tested it out and nothing, no issue with the horn going off as I lean on the wheel or turn it lock to lock. I am thinking maybe it moved so much that the switch pate would make contact and the short out the horn? ...........who knows. I feel a little bit better now. :D

[Hypoid]

So after all that work you still have a screw loose?

But we knew that...Ba-Da-Bump!

[kujito]

Been looking into tightening the column in my '89. I found a few different write-ups and most mentioned that there is a bolt that is not worth the effort. They recommend just doing the ones you can get to. Haven't gotten a chance to dig into it yet, so it's just hearsay.

[Skully]

Been looking into tightening the column in my '89. I found a few different write-ups and most mentioned that there is a bolt that is not worth the effort. They recommend just doing the ones you can get to. Haven't gotten a chance to dig into it yet, so it's just hearsay.

It was really easy.............like I said I took my time then you figure in the pondering and harboring on trying to get to the top third bolt and it only took me 1 1/2 hours to take down, tighten, and put it all back together. Definitely need the puller and the special GM style pressure plate tool ............ :lecture:

So after all that work you still have a screw loose?

But we knew that...Ba-Da-Bump!

...........HA HA HA you so funny. ...........NOT:exclamati


............(although I won't blame you cause it is all true) :gee:

[Hypoid]

...........HA HA HA you so funny. ...........NOT:exclamati


............(although I won't blame you cause it is all true) :gee:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and if the shoe was on the other foot???

That's all I have to say about that! :guitar: :gee:

[Skully]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, and if the shoe was on the other foot???

That's all I have to say about that! :guitar: :gee:

Nope wouldn't fit..................:D