Sir Sam Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 Installed the steering wheel off of a WJ Overland. Feels different in the hand, functionally and fit the same as the KJ wheel. Not sure I will keep it here, the wood grain just doesn't match the rest of my silver trim. Maybe if that section were silver? I'll run it for awhile but it might make its way onto the CRD MJ since I have a matching wood grain dash bezel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 That section would probably blind you if it was silver... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 6, 2018 Author Share Posted March 6, 2018 12 hours ago, DirtyComanche said: That section would probably blind you if it was silver... Yup, I considered that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Some kind of textured silver may look good. Would give you added grip and won't glare nearly as much. Thing to consider if you paint that section tho, it will probably wear off quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Dzimm said: Some kind of textured silver may look good. Would give you added grip and won't glare nearly as much. Thing to consider if you paint that section tho, it will probably wear off quickly. Would need a good standing and a good clear coat. Maybe there is a carbon fiber or silver vinyl wrap that would look good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 8 hours ago, Sir Sam said: Would need a good standing and a good clear coat. Maybe there is a carbon fiber or silver vinyl wrap that would look good? That would be an option. ChrisFix did a video where he used the chrome wrap found at most autoparts stores and it looked good when finished. They may carry some other wraps, may be worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Just because a part is changed to something different doesn't mean it's an upgrade. In this case an original with silver spokes would look better IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 11 minutes ago, HOrnbrod said: Just because a part is changed to something different doesn't mean it's an upgrade. In this case an original with silver spokes would look better IMO. Thats very nice looking. But I don't think the airbag is compatible, and the cruise control switches are not compatible with changing resistors and losing all the functionality. So speaking of not not being an upgrade............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Just a silver/chrome spoke wheel example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 9 hours ago, HOrnbrod said: Just a silver/chrome spoke wheel example. Ok, you planted a seed in my mind and I got to thinking about it today. This wouldn't work for the MJ CRD but for my KJ would.....The wheel you posted from a grand cherokee has a dual stage airbag........which the KJ does. So if I picked up a grand cherokee steering wheel with the silver trim, and the dual stage airbag, both of those should work with the KJ airbag setup. The cruise control buttons wouldn't 100% cross over but the main functions are there, and the unused switches on the left could be repurposed to the extra cruise buttons the KJ has. This is also assuming the steering wheel has the radio control on the backside. So this might be a possibility! Did you find that wheel on ebay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Good to see the seed germinated in your fertile mind. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-JEEP-LIBERTY-JET-LEATHER-WRAPPED-STEERING-WHEEL-W-CONTROLS-BLACK-IN-COLOR/112851820881?epid=5007769345&hash=item1a467e2151:g:deYAAOSwVqlZ7U3h&vxp=mtr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 1 hour ago, Sir Sam said: Ok, you planted a seed in my mind and I got to thinking about it today. This wouldn't work for the MJ CRD but for my KJ would.....The wheel you posted from a grand cherokee has a dual stage airbag........which the KJ does. So if I picked up a grand cherokee steering wheel with the silver trim, and the dual stage airbag, both of those should work with the KJ airbag setup. The cruise control buttons wouldn't 100% cross over but the main functions are there, and the unused switches on the left could be repurposed to the extra cruise buttons the KJ has. This is also assuming the steering wheel has the radio control on the backside. So this might be a possibility! Did you find that wheel on ebay? This would be cool to make it work but I would be weary with the airbags. Do your research to make sure you don't hurt yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 1 hour ago, HOrnbrod said: Good to see the seed germinated in your fertile mind. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-JEEP-LIBERTY-JET-LEATHER-WRAPPED-STEERING-WHEEL-W-CONTROLS-BLACK-IN-COLOR/112851820881?epid=5007769345&hash=item1a467e2151:g:deYAAOSwVqlZ7U3h&vxp=mtr Ok so the biggest issue is just cost. The steering wheel aint cheap and the airbag is even more expensive, hardest part of this whole endeavor is find a reasonable price airbag to go with the wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 1 hour ago, Sir Sam said: Ok so the biggest issue is just cost. The steering wheel aint cheap and the airbag is even more expensive, hardest part of this whole endeavor is find a reasonable price airbag to go with the wheel. Chump change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 Made an offer on the steering wheel. I'll get that in and check fitment before ordering an airbag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Going to look good mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 14 hours ago, Dzimm said: This would be cool to make it work but I would be weary with the airbags. Do your research to make sure you don't hurt yourself. Airbag from a KK will work out just fine. Both my KJ and the KK have dual stage inflators(which the XJ does not). The KK is just a KJ with a different outer skin, so basically I'm just installing a newer looking airbag from the same vehicle. The compass, wrangler, and grand Cherokee all have a dual stage airbag that looks the same, but I cannot figure if the module is the exact same, so to be on the safe side I'll stick with a KK airbag since it's 1 to 1 for the same vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 late to this party, but question.....why did you swap? My KJ 'wheel looks just like the WJ one you swapped in but the woodgrain part is all wrapped like the rest of the wheel. Was your KJ wheel different, or were you actually going for the woodgrain look? Apologies if you covered this somewhere else.....I'm just curious. That top part of my wheel is getting a little soft/the wrap is starting to loosen up a bit, and it's bugging me. I want to replace it, but not sure what my options are. I've been driving this darn thing for 4+ years now and know about squat about it, LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 3 hours ago, mjeff87 said: late to this party, but question.....why did you swap? My KJ 'wheel looks just like the WJ one you swapped in but the woodgrain part is all wrapped like the rest of the wheel. Was your KJ wheel different, or were you actually going for the woodgrain look? Apologies if you covered this somewhere else.....I'm just curious. That top part of my wheel is getting a little soft/the wrap is starting to loosen up a bit, and it's bugging me. I want to replace it, but not sure what my options are. I've been driving this darn thing for 4+ years now and know about squat about it, LOL. I had the standard black leather KJ wheel in good condition, still do. This wheel is from a WJ overland, so it has perforated leather and the woodgrain. I grabbed it since they are pretty rare, and it was in decent condition, and only $20. I decided for $#!&s and giggles to run it in the KJ since it fits and took me 15 minutes to install. DigitalBman got me thinking about it for my MJ with woodgrain center when I saw this picture: The 99-00 WJs had a single inflator airbag, so you can swap in the WJ airbag to kep the airbags functional. The rear mounted radio control buttons could even be used if you swapped in a ZJ clockspring. So since it will be awhile before the MJ would need it I decided to put it in the KJ and try it out. Now I am onto the other KJ wheel project I didn't know I needed to do thanks to hornbrod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Gotcha, thanks. My humble opinion, that wheel looks good with the matching woodgrain dash pieces, but kind of sticks out against a plain dash. On a completely different note, do you know how to pop the passenger side airbag dash panel off (the one above the glovebox)? I've got the most god-awfully annoying dash squeak/rattle coming from somewhere in that area that's driving me insane and I need to peek inside the dash behind that panel, but I don't want to A) break it trying to remove it, and B) accidentally deploy the airbag and Takata my face off.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share Posted March 9, 2018 5 hours ago, mjeff87 said: Gotcha, thanks. My humble opinion, that wheel looks good with the matching woodgrain dash pieces, but kind of sticks out against a plain dash. On a completely different note, do you know how to pop the passenger side airbag dash panel off (the one above the glovebox)? I've got the most god-awfully annoying dash squeak/rattle coming from somewhere in that area that's driving me insane and I need to peek inside the dash behind that panel, but I don't want to A) break it trying to remove it, and B) accidentally deploy the airbag and Takata my face off.... I've never actually done the pass airbag on a KJ before. What year is yours? 02-03 or 04+? I have a dash sitting in the garage with the airbag in it, ought be easier to see what to remove that way, let me try and take a look this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 02, the original. Lol. no rush, I've been dealing with this damn dash rattle for a couple years now. It only happens in the fall/winter, when the temp drops. Come warm season it goes away. But it always comes back every year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 Version 2: Wheel from a 2011-2012 KK (also from WK2, JK, etc). Test fitment on the wheel looks good, splines and all work correct, clearance to the clock spring is good. Wheel fits like its meant to be there. KK airbag works the same as the KJ airbag, dual inflator. And since the KK is the same vehicle with a different skin the airbag is basically a newer skin on our same airbag system. One thing of note on the airbag is that that the inflators #1 and #2 are swapped on the latest KK airbag, these need to be swapped on the wiring to hookup correct on the newer KK airbag. Now the hard part, the switches for the cruise and radio are all messed up. I might be able to install KJ radio switches but the KK cruise switches need work. Right now two of the cruise switches raise and lower the volume. What I need to do next is work on the switches and change out some resistors to get the radio and cruise functions back to what they need to be. This will likely be the hardest part. Had to notch out the harness plug to fit the KJ clockpring, otherwise the wire harness plug is the same. Will update when I figure out more on the switches. Going for this look: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 You looking for the dash gauge polished trim rings too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sam Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 14 minutes ago, HOrnbrod said: You looking for the dash gauge polished trim rings too? Ugh. I actually had a set from a limited KJ I wanted to install. I put that cluster in in a bin with some other stuff, the ABS pump leaked out fluid and trashed the gauge cluster face with chrome rings. Bummer, but I can find another one at a junkyard, just sucks to see a good part trashed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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