Center Console Removal Advice

[relwell]

Hey all,

So I was at the shops the other day and the key stuck in the ignition. 09 JKU Auto. Dash registered Park, but it was clear there wasn't the release so I figured the cable stop was loose or moved around. No problem, I remember the advice I got when I got my first TJ and something was 'sticky...

Anyway, long story short, I bounced it off a curb and everything works fine again.

No problems since, but I am going to peel apart the center console and make sure the shift cable is in order to keep this from happening again.

My question is for an early JK - is there anything else while I am in there that I should have a close look at? Nothing out of order except the shift cable, I just know it is a PITA to remove the console and wondered if anyone knew of anything else I should check/tighten/bless/curse while I am in there apart from the usual frayed wires.

Thanks!

[st_za]

I would suggest replacing those stupid white shift linkage clips/bushes for both the gearbox and transfer case - I am not sure if mine were from a bad batch of plastic but both of mine in the cab and the one on the transfer case end went brittle and broke in my 2015 JKU.

Depending on how much of the centre console you are going to take part, you can do something like

this

this hack to stop the handbrake from going slack so easily.

I approached it a little differently after speculation from an expert Jeep mechanic that wheel droop probably pulls on the handbrake cables and contributes to them going slack, so I replaced the underbody cable holder clip with a strip of rubber band.

[relwell]

Holy smokes. That fix and rubber banding it screams Jeep. It's perfect.

I will definitely have a look at that as the last time the console came off with usual screaming and yelling, but getting it back on was a wet, hot nightmare.

Thanks for the tip - definitely have some play in the e-brake.