Good afternoon guys,

To my great distress, my Cherokee (1998 Cherokee Sport I6 4.0L) was stolen from the parking lot of my job last Wednesday. Thankfully it was recovered yesterday and she is now back safe at home. Unfortunately they popped the driver side lock cylinder out as well as the ignition.

This Saturday I am planning on making the necessary repairs but I am unsure as to what exactly I need for the ignition. I was hoping I could get some guidance from you fine enthusiasts. Here is a shot of the damage...

Any help on figuring out exactly what parts I will need is GREATLY appreciated! I know I need the key cylinder, but thats all I know :/...

Also! Anyone know if I can get the parts I need off a 1999 Grand Cherokee?

 

According to oreilly the switch is the same for both.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...998&vi=1315943


http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...kee&vi=1431778

 

Well...I've been searching for hours and couldn't find the answer. Your google fu is strong. Thank you very much sir.

Looking at the image I posted and what it looks like in the video, I'll need more than just that. Can you tell what?

Thanks again!

 

No image, post it again.

 

Sorry! Here it is..

 

By the looks of the pic it looks like that you may have to replace the steering column. The reason I said that is it looks like that the area that the cylinder goes into is completely broken out and the cylinder won't stay in if it is.

 

X2

 

Ah...I don't suppose I could get that off the 99 grand Cherokee...

Is that a difficult replacement?

 

I'm not sure if the column from a GC would work. You would probably be best off getting a column from an Xj close to the same year. You can hit up a few jy to see if they have any. It is much easier to replace the entire column then trying to rebuild the old one.

 

Here's a couple of shots with the lower panel off:



I guess I don't understand why the entire steering column would need to be replaced, looking at the diagram for it it looks like just that part covering the ignition switch can be replaced..

 

The part that is broken is part of the steering column casting.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeep-XJ-97-01-Cherokee-STEERING-COLUMN-Non-Tilt-Includes-Ignition-Switch-Key-/161346703101?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2591034efd&vxp=mtr

 

It has to be an XJ column from 97-01.

 

Anyone have an idea of the difficulty level of replacing the steering wheel column?

 

It's about a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. Four bolts a few electrical plugs and the steering shaft is all that it takes to get it out.

 

Doesnt sound bad. I found a online repair guide that tells step by step how to do it. Looks like something I can manage. My only concern is that it says that the bolts have to be adjusted to a certain poundage when installing the knew column...