1998 4WD, tilt, no smart key or electric anything. Looked through the usual million hits from a carefully targeted search, some very detailed excpt they don't say what VEHICLE they're talking about ! or are obviously not for this model (taking the steering column apart to remove the ignition switch, etc)......Anyway, I can figure out an airbag capacitor and how to use a steering wheel puller. Does that leave me right at the lock plate or is there more stuff in the way? ......More to the point, after compressing & removing the lock plate, can it & the spring just go in the scrap bucket or does it have to stay in there as a spacer or whatever? If so, how do you go about disabling it? Like the "clutch safety switch" just another way to leave you stranded....

 

Once you get the steering wheel out of the way, there may or may not be a plastic cover over the lock plate.... it just sorta 'peels' off..... If it's there.

Before you do ANYTHING with the air bag. Disconnect the vehicle battery, and WAIT for AT LEAST ten minutes. (time for the derm to discharge.) Air Bags can KILL. (and they have.)

Lock plate and spring need to go back in there. They help hold things in place. If you have the proper tool, which you should be able to rent at the local parts store, they are pretty easy to put back on. Getting the snap-ring off to remove them is the really fun part. Patience, and a couple small screwdrivers are a requirement.

 

Now back after medical interlude.... Thanks for the info, still leaves the question of disabling the lock. I assume there are holes/notches that some pin or pawl drops into, so if this has to stay in there how about just roughing them up and brazing or filling them with JB Weld etc? Otherwise, just cut off the locking pin? Thanks for any further throughts on this.

 

My take on it would be just cut the end off the locking pin. Either that, or, once you have the locking ring in your hand, it'll be patently obvious how it works. Just cut the locking ring down so there aren't any notches for the lock pin to engage.

Question is though, why wouldn't you want the steering to lock??

 

flat towing behind RV i bet

 

Flat towing isn't my reason, but one a lot of people have. Like a clutch safety switch (as originally sneered about), just another thing that's never done anything for me except leave me stranded ... actually a steering lock hasn't, but on this & other vehicles there's certainly been times where it jammed up and took something approaching brute force to release. Anyway, if someone wants to steal the truck power to them, but not gonna happen.
I'll see how accessible the locking pin is, but if the plate is one of those with notches instead of holes and only the center of it is needed as a spacer, it wouldn't be all that difficult to just grind it down. Thanks for all replies.