New Clock Spring - repaired the old one

[Davood]

SO it looks like I need a new clock spring, no continuity on the four airbag wires from C8 (topside AIRBAG pigtail) to C4 bottom side... Also no continuity from C6 (topside) pin 1 should be white (ground) but is brown (weird) to ground (chassis).Im getting a LIN2 Bus error code along with none of the steering controls work. also the horn does not work.

Guessing when the airbag deploys it kills the clockspring?? a weird side effect, but I guess it could happen with the shock.

I see on this forum a lot of people customize their steering controls. I had not planned on this but this would be the time to do it. DO I need to start with a special clock spring? Example: this is a tradesman and the heated steering wheel wires are just stowed in a blank (empty socket). Dont really need the heated steering wheel, but wanted to ask you all what your favorite modifications are for the steering wheel.

Dont know why I was so hesitant to pull the steering wheel and R and R the clockspring. Here is what I learned. First although they are ingenious designs, they are low quality construction, the ribbon flex-strips are literally just friction fit with the copper strips at the mated ends. 2) there is only one way to put it back together, so dont be intimidated when you pull it apart, and find that there are 4 twisted flex lines and none are connected. 3) Take your time, all said it ws less time tht driving to the nearest junkyard and buying another (unknown pedigree) replacement. 4) the new ones are on backorder, and they are only $350, if you dont wnt to patiently wait, you need patience to fix...

Given there was a large backorder I decided to give it a try:
1) my airbag was removed already if yours is not do so now, (pull Airbag fuse first if you like)
2) unplug all your connectors too and from the clockspring,
3) Remove steering wheel (first remove 13mm bolt), then rock s.wheel side to side while pulling-use wheel puller if necessary
4) use small screw driver to pry the top half of clockspring free from the 4 tabs 9now you have the broken part ready 2 fix
5) from the inside of the white plactic circle (with gears) pry the white plastic off the 4 black tabs
6) this is where the fun begins - you get to see how a clockspring works mine got over rotated - flex cables detached from connectors - remove the connectors - they just snap onand off
7) wrap the flex lines around the hub and then double back towards the little exit that points to the connectors
8) clean the connections, solder the flex lines to the connector copper strips
9) reverse the process to ressemble, checkfor continuity with ohmmeter first to double check your work
10) take wife out in your truck with the money saved. Have Fun

 

[huntergreen]

Paddle shifters .

 

[Davood]

Oh and based on the dmgeto the clockspring - it wasnt the airbag, when the Elect Power Steering was detroyed, the sterring wheel was free to be turned past the limits

 

[Jeepwalker]

So is that a conductive 'tape' which provides a resistance reading depending on how it's sitting (location) inside the housing, depending where the wheel is turned at a given location?

Thanks for the pics!

 

[18CrewDually]

So is that a conductive 'tape' which provides a resistance reading depending on how it's sitting (location) inside the housing, depending where the wheel is turned at a given location?

Thanks for the pics!

No, it is just basic ribbon. There is a separate sensor for steering angle.

 

[Jeepwalker]

Then how does it determine if the wheel is one turn off (same orientation, plus one turn)?
I guess I could go and google it... lol

 

[Davood]

I guess I should hve mentioned to not move the steering column and replace the steering wheel in the same orientation. However to answer your question. there is a white collar on the inside of this clockspring (unfortunately I did not take a picture - sorry), but this collar protrudes strong down the shaft and into the bottom half of the clockspring (the stationary part with the turn signal, etc) if you look in this lower assembly (about 7 oclock) you will see two small white gears, the aforementioned white collar protruding out the bottom half of the top part has the mating teeth. This provide a high turns ratio maybe4 to 1 diameter or more, also it looks like there is a top (smaller gear on the same shaft) gear that is mating with whatever required to give you an accurate angle. If you want 1 degree of accuracy you would need to reduce the # of teeth a lot so that you could simple count revs of the smaller gear. I did not take the bottom half apart so I really have not clue and I am just guessing.