2ND AMEND

I need to remove the steering wheel locking pin on my 08 JK so that it can be towed without turning the key on, now I have to disconect the battery then turn the key on just wondering if any one has done this and if there are any tricks to it. Thanks

firemanmac

Don't think it is possible to remove the pin. I tow mine with the key on & battery disconnected as well. If you find out, please pass it on & I will do as well....

2ND AMEND

I got it done but not easy you need to remove the plastic cover below the steering wheel 2 sreews then it will pop apart you then need to remove the ignition assembly where the key goes in this takes a special 5 point star wrench available at some auto parts or snap on supplier once you have the assembly out you can see the locking bar about 1" long 1" high 3/8" thick you need to grind this pin down about 1/2" or more then it will not engage the steering shaft that is inside the steering column, thats it resemble and ready to tow.

Firedog73

I just installed a quick disconnect on the battery. Leave the key in the on position when I get to where I am going I flip the switch and off I go. Radio does not lose presets. Not really seeing the point of grinding down the pin. I would be scared if it happened to catch even the slightest bit of the pin it could spell disaster! Just my 2c

craigmorrison

Once I dissasembled the steering wheel lock I drilled and tapped a hole so now a screw holds the pin in a recessed position. I can always unscrew it and return it to its original state at a later date if necessary. This makes flat towing behind our motorhome a no brainer. I used to have a battery disconnect under the hood and a dummy key for the ignition. Good luck

BIG RED BUBBA

can you explain how you did this.....i am looking to do this exact thing and would like it to be temporary just incase i need to return it back to normal. i also like how your way seems to be safer than grinding the pin down because like mentioned above i wouldnt want it to catch.....i have not opened up the steering wheel yet so i dont even know what the pin looks like or where it is.

i dont want to jack this thread but i think this helps the OP with their question....thanks

Camojeep

I have a 2008 JK Unlimited Rubicon and the steering wheel does not lock. I was told after july of 2008 they stopped installing the locking mech.

pollockk

I tow my JK a lot behind my MH. It is more of a PITA with the JK than it was with my TJ since I have to remember to pull the fuse and reconnect it every time I tow. I looked at various alternatives (battery disconnect, hot wire from MH, doing nothing, etc) but decided that the best alternative was to disconnect the steering wheel lock. That way, when I tow, I hook up, lock the doors and tow away - no key in the ignition and no fuses to pull.


It is a half day project and requires some drilling and nimble fingers. You do not need to mess with the actual lock cylinder or tumblers.

1. Pull out the lower kick panel pulling from the bottom.

2. Pull out the next kick panel pulling from the top - this one is hinged on the bottom.

3. Use a torx screwdriver to remove the 3 torx bolts from under the steering wheel. The first torx is exposed and easy to remove. The other two require a torx driver 4-5 inches long to reach up into the recessed holes.

4. Pull off the lower and upper plastic protective panels over the steering wheel.

5 . Disconnect the 3 wiring harnesses using the release tabs where needed.

6. Disconnect the tranny cable - the release tab on this one is on top of the connector.

7. Remove the torx bolt holding in the black plastic connection box opposite the keyway (on the left hand side facing front). This is the box that the large wire harness connects to. You will need a short stubby torx to get to this bolt.

8. Gently remove this black plastic connection box. It slides out away from the aluminum housing. Be careful not to break the pencil thin plastic pushrod coming out of the end of the aluminum box. When you get the plastic box away from the metal ears, you should be able to rotate it 180 degrees to remove it completely.

9. Now comes the fun part. You have to drill out the 4 rivets holding the aluminum box in place. I used a 1/8" bit and a center punch to start the hole. Note that these are not typical rivets but rather stubs coming out of the upper cast aluminum box that have been rounded over after attaching the bottom plate. I drilled at an angle and left much of the stub in place so that I could use sheet metal screws to reattach the bottom.

10. Gently pull away the lower cover. The metal steering wheel lock and a spring will fall out. There is also a metal plunger with a plastic pushrod in it that goes from the key to the plastic junction box you removed earlier. Everything is keyed so that you can only reassemble in one position.

11. After removing the metal steering wheel lock and the spring, you are ready to reassemble.

12. Put the metal plunger with the plastic pushrod back onto the lock cylinder. It only goes on one way.

13. Put the other end of the pushrod through the hole in the bottom plate and position it back in place.

14. I was able to use 4 sheet metal screws about 3/4" long to reattach the bottom plate. Depending on how much drilling you did, you may different length bolts.

15. Carefully position the plastic junction box back on the metal case. Note that this also is keyed and that the long pencil like plastic piece must fit into the hole on this box. This is tied to a microswitch that tells the computer that you have a key in the cylinder.

16. Put the torx bolt back in place.

17. Reattach the harnesses.

18. Start your car to test all connections. If you did not get the keyways lined up, your car will not start and the key will not return automatically after starting.

19. Reattach all plastic trim and you are good to go.

As you can see, this is not real straightforward but in my case, it was worth the effort. Use your own judgment before proceeding! i did this mod over a year ago and have been towing it ever since with no key in the ignition.

aamkajutsu

I know this is an old thread but with the instructions posted by "pollockk" I was able to successfully remove the steering wheel lock from my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 'X'.

Thanks a million!! I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help!

Duner

I want to thank pollockk as I was able to use his posting above to get the job done. But I spent a lot of time not sure which connectors and working on the wrong “black plastic box”. So I have added photos and some statements like “You can also … ” that should help a lot.
Just got my 2008 JK 3 weeks ago and have a lot to learn and expect this forum to be a great resource.
Happy Trails,
Bill