Replacing airbag steering wheel with non-airbag wheel, pass inspection?

Blaze

Blaze

The Jeeper Reaper
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Location
Wake Forest, NC
So does anyone know? I just bought a 96 XJ that I am going to rat rod. It was totalled and rebuilt, but the guy never replaced the airbag, just cut it out and duct taped the steering wheel. The column is also a bit messed up, so I was going to replace it with an older XJ column that doesn't have an airbag. The airbag light isn't on. I know my old Voyager passed inspection with the airbag light on, but I'm not sure if they'll fail it for having no airbag at all.

Plus the airbag wheel in a 96 XJ looks exactly like the one from my old 95 Voyager......ugly.....
 
They've never checked the airbags in anything I own when I get it inspected, whether OBDII or otherwise.
 
no idea about inspection, but just a heads up on the column swap...its not a direct boltup. The footprints on the firewall are different, and I think the spline count and length of steering shaft are different. Pre-airbag XJs use a GM column, I think its 95 and 96 are mechanical Chrysler airbags, 97+ are electrical. I discovered all this trying to put a 95 in my 91. If you're ratrodding your XJ, this might not be an issue, carry on :D
 
Gotcha, thanks for the heads up on the columns. Maybe I'll just replace the steering wheel and leave the column as-is. It isn't in terrible shape, just doesn't really lock and the key is a little wonky. Just looks terrible with the duct-taped wheel. :lol:
 
Yes it will pass w/o regard for the airbag.
As Tony said, the airbag is mechanical on 95-96. You CANNOT just unbolt the column like a typical one. There is a disarm screw on the bottom of the steering wheel that you need to use to disable the airbag. Just an FYI
 
As others have said, airbags are not required to pass inspection. I had mine go off in the TJ and I drove it for a couple years with the split open steering wheel and the light on and had no problems passing inspection.
 
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