96 Ranger Ignition Actuator Rod Replacement

[Rangerin96]

Trying to save my daughter's hard earned dollars and repair her ignition.

There is a plastic and toothed rod between the ignition lock(key switch) and the actual ignition switch. This plastic actuator rod is broken and will not move the ignition switch to the start position to allow the engine to crank over or run. My question is: can this rod be replaced without removing the steering wheel. If the wheel has to come off is it sufficient to disconnect both battery terminals in order to disable the air bag? Any advice or suggestions from someone in the know would be most appreciated. Thanks.

 

[dabigddabigd]

Same Problem

I have the same problem and would love to know how to remove the rod. I do know you'll want to wait a couple of minutes after disconnecting the battery before you remove the air bag. The rod appears to be a beast to get to.