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'95-96 Steering Wheel/Air Bag swap in '94-down XJ

1x1_Speed_Craig

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
I did several searches, but couldn't find an answer...

Has anyone successfully swapped a 1995-1996 XJ steering column or steering/wheel air bag into an earlier-model ('94-down) XJ? My daughter & I are building a '93 for her, and I'd like to retrofit her vehicle with a driver-side airbag.

I already have a couple '95-'96 steering columns available to me.

Suggestions regarding the best way to retrofit one in a '93 Cherokee?

Thanks,
Craig
 
I have started researching for this... as I intend to do it on my 91 MJ to get the insurance discount for the airbag, and don't like the old style column and wheel.

Electronics:
* have not checked turn signals, hazard flasher switch etc yet, but should not be difficult to get this working.
* have not checked high-beam switch yet, but should not be difficult to get this working.
* have not checked ignition switch yet, but should not be difficult... same old start/run/accessory positions.
* cruise control will be difficult to do, will require custom electronics, since the 95/96 cruise buttons are resistively multiplexed while the 94-down cruise controls are effectively a very complex slide switch, with multiple sets of contacts being pressed in different patterns depending on the control activation. I intend to get it working, though.
* horn button should be very easy, it's just a single wire. At maximum it will require a relay, and I doubt it will even need that.
* no idea how hard bolting the column up will be, but since nothing really changed about the chassis 87-96, I don't expect much difficulty. Might have to change the steering shaft but that's about the max I would expect.
* might have to change the steering column park lock cable that goes to the shifter if it's an automatic.

I'll let you know what I figure out, I need to spend another evening comparing wiring diagrams in the FSMs to determine compatibility for the remaining electronics. There is a chance you could just bolt the steering wheel on and leave the steering column original but it will look weird, and I'm not sure if the splines are the same, steering park lock, etc.
 
I have started researching for this...
* cruise control will be difficult to do, will require custom electronics, since the 95/96 cruise buttons are resistively multiplexed

Kastein,

Do you have any info so far you can share on your cruise research? The custom electronics part I mean. I want to make my '98 steering wheel control my 5.3L PCM and as you know there are two wires resistively multiplexing signals for five buttons. I need 4 separate control signals for the 5.3L PCM.

Will your insurance company really give you a discount for a retrofitted airbag system?
 
Kastein,

Do you have any info so far you can share on your cruise research? The custom electronics part I mean. I want to make my '98 steering wheel control my 5.3L PCM and as you know there are two wires resistively multiplexing signals for five buttons. I need 4 separate control signals for the 5.3L PCM.

Will your insurance company really give you a discount for a retrofitted airbag system?
It's pretty simple. There is a table in the FSM (95 through 98 there is, anyways. 99 through 01 there isn't, and the only source I have for that info is a thread I started a while ago that someone posted their measurements to. If the measurements are not precise enough for you, you can bolt in 97-98 switch panels from the JY and their resistance is specced in the FSM, but there really should be no problem.) Each button produces a different resistance reading.

My idea is to build a simple circuit to determine what range the resistance is in (to allow some leeway for wiring resistance, crappy connections, etc) and trigger some relays to control the 94-down cruise switch inputs on the ECU. This would work for the 5.3L PCM as well, it probably just requires a different set of connection patterns.

Two ways to build the circuit - the old fashioned analog way (a set of comparators and some logic gates and relay driver transistors) or the whizbang digital way, a microcontroller with an ADC input, some resistors, and relay driver transistors. I'm leaning towards the microcontroller method because all it needs is some simple assembly language code and a very simple PCB or some breadboard and soldering, instead of a bunch of soldering and extra parts, but either will work just as well.
 
It's pretty simple. There is a table in the FSM (95 through 98 there is, anyways. 99 through 01 there isn't, and the only source I have for that info is a thread I started a while ago that someone posted their measurements to. If the measurements are not precise enough for you, you can bolt in 97-98 switch panels from the JY and their resistance is specced in the FSM, but there really should be no problem.) Each button produces a different resistance reading.

My idea is to build a simple circuit to determine what range the resistance is in (to allow some leeway for wiring resistance, crappy connections, etc) and trigger some relays to control the 94-down cruise switch inputs on the ECU. This would work for the 5.3L PCM as well, it probably just requires a different set of connection patterns.

Two ways to build the circuit - the old fashioned analog way (a set of comparators and some logic gates and relay driver transistors) or the whizbang digital way, a microcontroller with an ADC input, some resistors, and relay driver transistors. I'm leaning towards the microcontroller method because all it needs is some simple assembly language code and a very simple PCB or some breadboard and soldering, instead of a bunch of soldering and extra parts, but either will work just as well.

You lost me at it's pretty simple... :D

You got me thinking it's possible now, more research indeed.

Let me know if you suddenly get inspired and work it all out. I have a bunch of stuff keeping me busy for the next couple months, but I do want to return to this idea.

Thanks
 
Thanks for the input, kastein. I'll be honest in saying that electrical work intimidates me. Bleccccckkk. I haven't started digging into this yet, but decided to go ahead and purchase a steering column from a '96 that a buddy has. My daughter is only 10 1/2 yrs. old, so we have plenty of time to work out the details before she needs to drive it on the road. :rof:

Has anyone else done this?

Craig
 
The hole in the firewall where the column goes through is different. You will need to cut that section out of the donor rig and weld it in to make it work.
 
Is that a 94 to 95 change, a 96 to 97 change, or both? I have been wondering myself. I figured it was likely a 96 to 97 change, but that is just semi educated guesswork.
 
sweet, good idea making your daughter drive a stick! That way she cant possible be text messaging her friends while driving!

I have a question. If you did install the airbag, and it went off in an accident, what would happen with insurance if the bag caused a serious injury?

My suggestion would be to pick up a cheap 97+ with duel electronic airbags. My first jeep was a 2001. I wrecked it and was pretty happy I had an airbag. Oh and so was my buddy in the passenger seat!
 
Is that a 94 to 95 change, a 96 to 97 change, or both? I have been wondering myself. I figured it was likely a 96 to 97 change, but that is just semi educated guesswork.

It was a 94 to late 95 change. The column in my buddy's 96 XJ is identical to the one out of my 94 ZJ parts rig.
 
The hole in the firewall where the column goes through is different. You will need to cut that section out of the donor rig and weld it in to make it work.

I looked at Mira's '93 XJ, and also one of the '96 XJ parts rigs we have, and the holes in the firewalls look the same on both vehicles. Any additional clarification would be appreciated. (We own a '92, '93, '96 and '99 XJ for reference)


sweet, good idea making your daughter drive a stick! That way she cant possible be text messaging her friends while driving!

I have a question. If you did install the airbag, and it went off in an accident, what would happen with insurance if the bag caused a serious injury?

My suggestion would be to pick up a cheap 97+ with duel electronic airbags. My first jeep was a 2001. I wrecked it and was pretty happy I had an airbag. Oh and so was my buddy in the passenger seat!

You know, I should call my insurance company (AAA) and ask the question about the retrofitted airbag. Good point.

As far as finding a different base vehicle for the project, it's not really an option. The '93 was given to us by a good friend, and it's a VERY solid base vehicle...much more so than most XJs we see here in Michigan.


Craig
 
Thread resurrection. Investigating the opposite of the OP on this thread. Looking at the possibility of installing a 94 pre airbag column in an airbagged 96 XJ. I really hate the Chrysler minivan steering wheel over the three spoked, leather XJ ones. Anyone have any input? I don't want to hear about the safety stuff. I drove a 92 for 12 years without one so I survived that.
 
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