Clock spring

RanchoRubi

RanchoRubi

Caught the Bug
So I just had my clock spring replaced after airbag light can on and stayed on. My warranty covered fortunately.
The service manager told me they've seen quite a few and attribute it to folks pulling on the steering wheel to pull themselves into their jeeps, particularly lifted ones. Which btw I have been doing:doh: His final words were stop doing that or it will happen again after your warranty runs out. I guess I need to get that roll cage with grab handles soon. ;). Thought I'd share in case anyone has experienced
 
RanchoRubi

RanchoRubi

Caught the Bug
Hobolobo said:
Dumb question alert, but clock spring?
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It's an assembly underneath the steering wheel. Has several electronic parts apparently. One of its purposes is to activate and monitor the ESP skid control. But I'm sure their are others who probably have more in depth knowledge.
 
txjeeplover

txjeeplover

Member
I don't know if I buy that. Over the years, I've read several silly or odd explanations for causes of problems offered by Jeep dealers to Jeep owners, and I think this in one. The force of a driver pulling on the steering for ingress is carried by the upper steering column bearings. The thin ribbon of tape inside the clockspring is not affected by this process. Electromagnetic interference and/or the coiling and re-coiling as a result of several thousand revolutions (turns) is what causes the ribbon to wear and fail.

Furthermore Chrysler uses the same clockspring for several Jeep products, which leads me to believe that the part just wasn't designed to handle the environmental exposure to which some JK owners expose their interiors. The interiors of the prior generation Liberty and prior generation Grand Cherokee (parts bin from which the JK clockspring was pulled) were not designed to see rain, mud, nor constant sunlight.

Anyhoo, that's my $0.02.
 
kRay.JK

kRay.JK

New member
I've replaced my own clock spring and his reason for this happening is absolute bull.

There is no way pulling on the steering wheel does anything to the clock spring assembly. It's not connected. The clock spring slips over the steering rod that the steering wheel bolts to. The clock spring assembly simply floats under the steering wheel. They go out because the electronic ribbon strip, inside the clock spring, is VERY poorly manufactured and separates during turning. This renders your horn and airbag useless and trips the airbag light to come on.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Yeah, that's a load of BS. I never pull on my steering wheel to get in my jeep but have had my clock doing go bad.
 
1yellowjk

1yellowjk

New member
Mine went out as well after I installed my lift and didn't set the drag link (drove a few times around the block with the stearing wheel upside down) The dealer said that's what caused it to go out. They replaced mine under warranty ( I love the dealership here! )
 
RanchoRubi

RanchoRubi

Caught the Bug
wayoflife said:
Yeah, that's a load of BS. I never pull on my steering wheel to get in my jeep but have had my clock doing go bad.
Click to expand...

As long as they covered it they can keep loading out their BS:crazyeyes: I'm glad I posted so I can go back to pulling on my wheel ;).:cheesy:
 
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