My steering wheel no longer locks in place - which isn't that big of a deal to me but I need it to lock up when I install my gear box that way I don't torque against it. It would be nice to have that feature of it locking anyways. It intermittently worked but I can't remember the last time it locked in place. From searching on here and NAXJA I'm pretty sure It can be fix it by replacing the ignition lock but just wanted to throw this thread out there in case anyone else has encountered this and has fixed it.

Thanks!

SOLVED - SCROLL TO SECOND PAGE FOR FIX

 

No help here. Almost 400 posts and you didn't fill out your info?

 

Rats. Just got back from vacation. Was hoping I'd come back to several replies lol. Hopefully I'll get to tackle it this week or next and fix it. Which info are you referring to? I've had my "About Me" section filled out for quite some time.

 

i doubt that the lock is designed to handle any real torque or pressure.
i broke one yrs ago by turning hard,ford probe..

 

The info which tells us which Cherokee you are driving. There are different steering column's in different years.

Wait now, hold on. Just noticed. They stopped showing the year! (for everyone). That sucks. Maybe because the new, improved, "smart" gadgets couldn't handle it

At this rate, some day everything will be improved enough that nothing works at all.

 

Lol, ya it seems like everytime they make something "smarter" something gets lost/forgotten along the way. Then they can turn around and charge you to get those features back as an "upgrade".

It's a 90 BTW. Off to Napa to pick up a new echlin cylinder - hopefully the cylinder is all that needs replacing.

 

Hopefully it will be enough, other posts and videos say to engage the lock so you can torque to spec. If I can't get it fixed till just have to turn my wheels all the way to one side while tightening the pitman arm not, I've just read that it's not ideal to do it that way because your putting a lot of pressure on the internals of the gearbox.

 

This here might help with a 90.

>> http://www.elcaminocentral.com/showthread.php?t=27192 <<

 

Good info in that link, thanks! Gonna keep it open on the laptop and in the Jeep when I get around to replacing it. Thanks!!!

 

There's a glitch here on CF now so our info doesn't always show like it did.

 

Yer very welcome, and you can thank Crusier as well, who gave it to me.

Thanks Pete, that was a head scratcher. Wondered how many others I had bugged about it with mine not there!

 

LOL. Me, too.

 

Cant help with the lock, but if your year doesnt show up in your profile or wherever, just add a signature to your posts. That should take care of things. A backup, if you will.

 

Well, replacing the ignition didn't fix my steering wheel from locking. Still spins freely with the keys removed. When I took apart the column I was missing a piece inside though. Bleepinjeep has the piece shown in the video clip below I tried to link it to the point where the part is mentioned but It didn't link correctly the piece I'm talking about starts at 6:40 and 9:00


Here are some pics if you're not a video fan.







It looks like a little plastic piece with a metal clip attached to it.

I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the steering wheel locking with the key removed or not but all of my other internal pieces look okay. Curious if anyone has an extra one laying around they wanna sell or if anyone has a part number. My local junkyards only have 1 Cherokee on their lots that are for years 87-90 so I'm not sure If when I go there if the column will still be attached where I can pull the piece from.

Also - This might be a dumb question but the steering wheel should still lock up with the key removed even if the steering shaft is disconnected from the gearbox right?

 

Don't know for sure but I'd bet it should lock, even out of the car. It's unlikely, but you don't have much to loose calling a Chevy dealership about column parts. No doubt they have some of them, they might even have that too!