disabling air bag on 96 jeep cherokee

[flinchy]

i need info on how to Permanently disable the drivers side air bag on my 96 xj as it is now a buggy and not required in wyoming any info would be very helpful

thanks

 

[kastein]

95 and 96 this is easy - it's a mechanical airbag and no electronics are involved.

Remove the trim cap from the top of the center section of the steering wheel, now get out of the vehicle (i.e. out of the line of fire of the airbag) and use an 8mm nutdriver to unscrew the bolt under that cover till it stops turning easily. The airbag is now disarmed... if you want, you can use a 10mm ratchet to remove the 4 nuts on the back of the steering wheel, pop the center section out, and remove the airbag module / guts, then reassemble. Otherwise you can simply leave the bolt unscrewed when you want the airbag off, and screw it back in when you want it enabled.

If it's street registered and you drive it on public roads I would just use the screw but if it's a dedicated offroad-only buggy, go ahead and remove it if you want :thumbup:

 

[flinchy]

thanks i figured that might be what it was but the chilton was not clear on that. but i will give that a shot :eeks1:

 

[flinchy]

i unscrewed it. am i suppose to take it all the way out? or how far out? it would not come all the way out som im not sure exactly what im suppose to do i just dont want it going off in my face

thanks

 

[Talyn]

i unscrewed it. am i suppose to take it all the way out? or how far out?

unscrew the bolt under that cover till it stops turning easily.

 

[flinchy]

is the screw cover suppose to be able to fit back on?

 

[chasdb]

No you won't be able to put the cap/cover back on with the screw sticking out an inch. It's disarmed when the screw is backed out far enough to retract the bracket which covers 2 of the 4 nuts that secure the air bag.

 

[flinchy]

thanks thats what i figured just was double checking so i didnt have the air bag going off in my face

 

[John D]

thanks thats what i figured just was double checking so i didnt have the air bag going off in my face

Why not just remove the airbag module completely? I unplugged my driver's and passenger's airbags AND removed the airbag module from under the console. No chance of it going off that way.

 

[austinaubinoe]

I wonder if an early XJ steering wheel will bolt up to a 95/96? Honestly, they only reason I wouldn't buy a 95/96 is because the steering wheel is so ugly.

 

[flinchy]

i probably will take them all the way out just for good measure thanks for the help

 

[kastein]

I actually prefer the 95/96 style over the others :dunno:

If the splines match, should work, may lose cruise buttons and perhaps autocanceling blinkers, try it out and see.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Why not just remove the airbag module completely? I unplugged my driver's and passenger's airbags AND removed the airbag module from under the console. No chance of it going off that way.

there is no airbag module in a 95-96 XJ, it's mechanically triggered and not electronic at all. Also there is no passenger side airbag.

 

[John D]

there is no airbag module in a 95-96 XJ, it's mechanically triggered and not electronic at all. Also there is no passenger side airbag.

Good reason.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

The older wheels should go right on.

 

[t-frady]

Bringing this back up
The "cover on top"
Is that the small cover that is about 3/4" dia. And only one screw underneath

Just loosen till it stops and to engage how far do I turn screw back in?

 

[RenegadeT]

Bringing this back up
The "cover on top"
Is that the small cover that is about 3/4" dia. And only one screw underneath

Just loosen till it stops and to engage how far do I turn screw back in?

thats it, pop the cover off, unscrew til it stops backing out (it will still spin, just won't move out). To re-engage, screw it back in til its "all the way in", put the cover back on.