70 dart. Drove car to get aligmnent, key cylinder won't turn now and had to have it towed home. Spent hours fidgeting to get wheel to unlock to no avail. How do i remove the steering wheel trim without breaking anything in order to get to the rest of it to take the column apart?

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64 Valiant 225, 4dr

If its the one I'm thinking about (3 spoke with little horn buttons on the outside of each spoke) it pops out with a flatheaded screwdriver pretty easy, its got a pop tab that ballons out that holds the trim in. In my car I put my hand on each one of the spokes and popped the trim off, using my hand to keep it from bending too much. Hope this helps.

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Annabelle: 1970 Dodge Dart Hardtop
1991 Nissan 240sx (sileighty) Lots of mods
1974 Dodge Dart *Wrecked*

That's the one. Thanks for the info.

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64 Valiant 225, 4dr

Once you get the horn trim off, that a steering wheel puller will be needed to remove the steering wheel, and other bits housed under the wheel until one gets to a screw or lock clip that has to be removed or depressed, or pulled back, and the key may also have to be turned to remove cylinder. I don’t recall the exact procedure for removing a Chrysler column mounted lock cylinder on that vintage car.

One question first; dose the key turn in its cylinder, or not? If it dose turn, the problem is in the linkage between cylinder & switch box located several inches below key along bottom of steering shaft, or the lock pin activated by turning cylinder has broken off and no longer retracts.

If the key dose not turn; it maybe a simple mater of a stuck tumbler hanging up. Often stuck tumblers can be freed-up by a little squirt of carburetor cleaner into the key way, than running the key in and out of the lock alternating wiping on a rag, than re-lubricating with a lock lube, or silicone spray.

You will have to do some probing, and consulting Factory Manual as how all these items inter act, and are disassembled.

If this is too much for you to tackle, a locksmith may be able to get you going.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

We got it. The cylinder is going bad. Can get to everything just fine, it was just the initial trim removal. Hadn't had this one off before and was overly concerned about breaking mint trim to get to the next step. Thanks for the detailed walk through.

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64 Valiant 225, 4dr

Glad you found the problem. You can have a lock smith install new pin tumblers & springs to match your existing key and bring that cylinder back to life. I would also remove the driver’s door lock and have that one repined as well, as I suspect it also is well worn. Call a few shops first to find one that works on the old stuff, and drop the locks off to avoid any “$ervice Callâ€￾ expense.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC