2000 Dodge Dakota Broken intermediate steering shaft

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  • Witsend
    Banned
    • Nov 2012
    • 2942

    2000 Dodge Dakota Broken intermediate steering shaft

    Made a house call to determine if the steering shaft was broke or if it pinion shaft of the rack broke (2wd truck ) You can turn the steering wheel and feel actual resistance while turning but wheels don't turn.
    Turning the key on the airbag bulb check works, and airbag light went off and stayed off , so i figured He was in luck that the clock spring was still intact. I disconnected the battery and removed the intermediate steering shaft and found the rubber isolation part of the coupler had broken completely free of the metal circumference .
    Once the intermediate steering shaft was removed from the column ,there was zero resistance to turn steering wheel , so i I figured if i gently and slowly turned the steering wheel from center of pad clockwise to the end of the clock spring I could easily feel the end of travel without snapping the ribbon , then back it off two and a half turns. Without having to remove anything to recenter the clock spring . I never felt any thing that would indicate the clockspring reached the end of it's clockwise limit, so I figure it has to be broke , but why wouldn't the airbag light stay illuminated with the key on?
  • Joe Rappa
    Snap-on DSD
    • Aug 2007
    • 2050

    #2
    You may not have completely wound the spring, or maybe you turned it in the wrong direction. Just pop the steering wheel off, remove the clock spring and do it by hand. You'll have your answer in no time.

    Joe
    "You don't build a reputation on what you're going to do"
    Henry Ford

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    • Witsend
      Banned
      • Nov 2012
      • 2942

      #3
      I told him that the airbag clock spring should be replaced because of the broken intermediate steering shaft. I didn't have my set of torx screw drivers on me to pull the column covers. Turned the wheel with the shaft disconnected very slowly and gently about a half dozen turns clockwise from the very center of airbag -horn pad and didn't feel an increase in resistance as if the clock spring reached the travel limit, backed it off 3 turns and installed the steering shaft .Afterwards I Turned the steering wheel from stop to stop several times , horn works, no airbag light.

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      • dodge90
        Senior Member
        • Oct 2014
        • 164

        #4
        sounds like you got lucky. I check them the same Joe does when I get them from the yard 9 out of 10 I have to replace them. I think they do it on purpose. mostly swap with orignal one but if they r a pain, replace.
        I've tried and tried, but can't seem to fix stupid!

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