OEM 2001 Jeep Wrangler Clock Spring

2001 Jeep Wrangler Clock Spring Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Know When to Replace a Clock Spring and What Are the Steps Involved on 2001 Jeep Wrangler?

  A: A damaged, faulty or deployed driver's air bag requires the Clock Spring to be changed, rather than repaired. Prior to working, remove the negative battery cable, wait two minutes for the capacitor in the air bag system to discharge and then isolate it. Adjust the steering wheel so the wheels are dead-straight when you look at the car from the front. Cut the air bag from the steering wheel and take it out. If you have this wire, separate the pigtail which connects the upper Clock Spring to the steering wheel wire harness near the speed control switches in the hub of the steering wheel. Make sure the screw is undone that connects the armature to the upper steering column shaft and also that your puller screws aren't touching the Clock Spring. Take off the steering wheel by putting a steering wheel puller (Special Tool C-3428-B) on the upper shaft spline and turning it. Get rid of the steering column opening cover behind the steering wheel, then remove the two screws that secure the steering column shroud to the rest of the columns. Should your steering column tilt, push it down all the way and leave the tilt release lever in the released state. Take away both the upper shroud and the lower shroud from the steering column. Separate the cross body wire harness connectors on the lower Clock Spring connector receptacles. With a small screwdriver, gently open both plastic latches holding the Clock Spring assembly and clean out any pieces that may be broken as you remove it from the upper steering column housing. Take out the Clock Spring from the steering column because it should be replaced if it isn't working properly, is damaged or if the driver air bag was deployed. Add the guide to the upper shaft then use a torque of 54 Nm (40 ft. lbs.) to attach and hold the steering wheel in place, ensuring neither the Clock Spring wires nor the wire harness for the steering wheel is pinched. Should the upper Clock Spring exist, attach the pigtail wire from the Clock Spring to the color-coded connector on the steering wheel's wire harness. Then, install the driver air bag back onto the steering wheel.