Replacing Lock Cylinders

[FireFighter32]

I just bought a 1989 Comanche that came with one single key, the ignition key. So I have no way to unlock my doors should I lock them. I have a few questions I feel this forum can answer.

-Can I take the door lock cylinders and the ignition cylinder out of a 94 Cherokee and put them in my MJ so I will have one key for both the doors and ignition?

-If so how do you remove and install the door cylinders and the ignition key cylinder?

[FireFighter32]

Or I could buy a ignition lock set and a door lock cylinder from auto zone and have two separate keys.

[jbhill]

pull the lock cylinders and have a lock smith rekey them to your key.

[Eagle]

10-4 on pulling the door cylinders, but on an early XJ or MJ (using the AMC/GM keys rather than the single Mopar key), do NOT try to key the doors and the ignition the same. It won't work, and you'll ruin something in the process.

 

I thought for a long time that this could be done. After all, the ignition key will go into the door lockes (although the door key won't go into the ignition, at least on mine). Why not just make them all the same? Well, when shopping for a new lockset for the door between the garage and the kitchen I chatted up a friendly professional locksmith (not a Home Depot key maker drone), who explained it to me.

 

The old style ignition keys are "six-bit" keys -- the locks have six tumblers, so the keys have six points that engage the pins in the lock cylinder. The door keys are five-bit keys -- they only have five pins. The keys are the same length, so the spacing of the pins is different. The guy told me there's a remote possibility he might be able to make it work, but the pins would be out of position in one lock or the other and he felt certain that something would wear out very quickly and then the key wouldn't function in either the doors OR the ignition.

 

So I still carry two keys.

[project88mj]

just get a new key made for your door locks :smart:

[Eagle]

just get a new key made for your door locks :smart:

:agree:

[FireFighter32]

So is there no way to take the ignition lock cylinder out of my 94 Cherokee parts jeep and put in my 89 MJ?

 

If so how do you remove the ignition lock cylinder?

[WahooSteeler]

So is there no way to take the ignition lock cylinder out of my 94 Cherokee parts jeep and put in my 89 MJ?

 

If so how do you remove the ignition lock cylinder?

 

this has been done by a couple of guys on here for the "one key" setup, i can't remember who though. actually, i think jeepcomj did, but, um, he's on "sabbatical" for awhile.

:dunno:

[FireFighter32]

So is there no way to take the ignition lock cylinder out of my 94 Cherokee parts jeep and put in my 89 MJ?

 

If so how do you remove the ignition lock cylinder?

 

this has been done by a couple of guys on here for the "one key" setup, i can't remember who though. actually, i think jeepcomj did, but, um, he's on "sabbatical" for awhile.

:dunno:

 

If anyone who has done this could chime in it would be much appreciated. I'm not even sure how to get the plastics off the steering column to get to the key cylinder.

[cherokee]

It's possible that the door lock cylinders from the 94 XJ will be a different size. I have a 95 XJ door on my MJ and discovered that the original lock cylinder was larger than the new hole. Took a little while to file the door so the original lock would fit.

 

So in your case it might be a little loose rather than too tight. Doesn't hurt to try though.

[Boilermaker]

If so how do you remove the ignition lock cylinder?

there was a thread or two a while back about loose steering columns. Did a search and found this one:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15259&hilit=steering+column

 

there's a link in that thread to another site with a howto on disassembling GM based columns.

[ComancheKid45]

Sorry for digging this grave up, but I have a similar problem with my 90 Eliminator...

 

I didnt recieve a door key with the truck and would like to either get a new key made for the doors (easyest id think) or swap out atleast the drivers lock cylinder. How would i go about getting a key made for the current lock cylinders? Would i have to remove 1 from the door? Also how in the heck are they even removable from the doors, the last time i looked you could bearly get your hand up to them from inside the door panel...

 

Thanks for any help :wrench:

[Automan2164]

There is just a locking tab that slides in behind them and holds them tight to the door. Look in there with a flashlight, and you can see it. Slide out the rod just like you would the door handle, and then tap the tab out, they come out from the outside. You can pull that little plastic plug on the door to see in there better.

 

Rob L.