Steering wheel and Key LOCK UP!!!

Just a question, are you sure that you have the correct key for the ignition?

Kevin in Iowa

99XJ

I see that others have posted on the first post, so I guess that you can ignore this one.......

Kevin in Iowa

What you need is a puller. Its a fairly inexspenive item you should be able to get one at any auto parts store. The puller has two (or three) bolts that screw into the threaded holes on iether side of the lock nut, theres a large bolt in the center that pushes on the centre post and pulls the stearing wheel off. Its kinda like a big cork screw.

Poe

p.s. I have run into this problem many times (drove tow truck for a couple years) try turning the wheel hard to the left, put you weight into it, while jiggling the key. This usually works.

Ditto ..... HARD force trying to turn the wheel to the LEFT or RIGHT will sometimes free the pin the Star shaped locking dog. Lifting the front of the car off the ground will help when you try to turn the wheel back and forth as you attempt to turn.

I use this 'feature' to bomproof 'lock' my stering wheel to prevent vehicle Theft ...... I rotate the steering wheel with 'force' as far as it will go and then turn the key .... the 'spring-back' inherent in the steering system holds that damn locking mechanism so hard that it would take 15 gorillas to turn the key to release the locking mechanism ...... Try turning the steering wheel HARD as you try to turn the key - dont force the KEY.

If all else fails and you have to remove the steering wheel .... BE CAREFUL when the wheel is finally off. There is a plastic plate that covers the 'locking plate' .... a disc with perforations along the outter circumference which accepts a sliding 'pin' from underneath when you turn the key. The locking plate is held in place to the splines of the steering wheel shaft with a C-clip and a SPRING. Unless you make a 'jig' to compress the locking plate into the spring to put back the C-clip you will find it a 'bear' to do without at least 2-3 helpers to help compress the locking plate down far enough onto the spring so that you can insert the C-clip. FIRST, try rotating the steering very hard HARD left to release the friction from the pin and the locking plate .... 99% of the time this will free the pin. 1% of the time you need to shoot a little WD40 into the pin collar and with a flat ~3/16: dia punch 'tap' the pin back down as you release the friction of the pin/plate by turning the steering wheel, etc. (... and without removing that damn locking plate! ) 0.05% of the time you have to remove that damn locking plate. If the pin is stuck, try to free it up (WD40, teflon lube, etc.) .... and leave the locking plate removal for the very last attempt.

hope this helps.

, Poe wrote:

Hey Guys thanks for all your Help. The problem was the Ignitio

cylinder. Had to take the sterring Wheel off, but no big deal with th steering wheel puller. All and all it was pretty easy and only about 1 bucks. Thanks again for your help

-- Shiza

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Shizam's Profile:

this thread:

You folks do know that there was a known problem with the shifter-brake-ignition safety interlock in circa 1989 Cherokees with automatics, right?

All this talk about pulling the wheel and all he might need to do is wiggle the shifter a bit.

Of course, he hasn't told us if he's got an auto or a manual gearbox.

Rich Hampel wrote:

Bill, up here in the Great White North, the 'parking' brake is only an 'emergency' brake because the cables get coated with road slush and freeze solid overnight, so I for one have gotten used to 'properly' parking by cutting the downhill side of the front wheels to the curb.

On my steep driveway I grew up with, I set a brick to hold the front wheel in the winter, so did my Dad. We would just drive up past the bricks and roll slowly back on to them before we put it in gear or park.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote: