Air bag replacement?

The air bag connectors will usually be melted from the burning rocket fuel. On the steering wheel, we would replace the clock spring. That's a wound-up ribbon cable in a plastic housing right under the steering wheel. It includes the connector. On the passenger side, most shops replace just the connector for that air bag. An important consideration here is the new clock spring comes locked in the centered position. Installing the steering wheel releases the lock. It's required for the steering system to be centered / tires straight ahead when the clock spring is installed.

For liability reasons, most shops also replace the Air Bag Computer and the front crash sensors. In the sensors, a small weight causes a metal strip to unfold and make an electrical connection during the crash. The fear is a small arced spot could develop right where the contact needs to be made in the next crash, and that arcing may prevent that sensor from working properly. Those sensors have an internal resistor that makes it possible for the computer to constantly monitor the circuit for proper operation. That electrical test will still pass, but the arced contacts still are in there.

There's two reasons for replacing the computer. First is they have another internal crash sensor that can develop the same arced spots as do the front sensors. Second reason is while diagnostic fault codes can be erased, those computers store crash data such as road speed, braking force, and things like that which can be used to analyze the crash and to prove fault or innocence. That data can only be read by certain people. Mechanics can't delete that information. The computers can only store data from one to three crashes before the fault code for "memory full" is set. What I would suggest is to budget for a replacement computer, but don't spend the money for it yet until the new air bags and connectors are installed. If you can erase any fault codes and the computer passes its self test, you may get away without replacing the computer. The self test takes place when you turn on the ignition switch. The red "Air Bag" or "SRS" warning light turns on for six seconds, then turns off and stays off. If it stays off, the self test has passed and the system is working properly.

Yes, clock spring first because you need the new connector it has, and the air bag and steering wheel have to come off to get to the clock spring. My experience is more with crashed Chrysler products. For a Ford, inspect that connector first. There's no need to replace the clock spring if that connector is not damaged.

The internal sensor I mentioned is inside the Air Bag Computer. That's why shops replace the computer. Chrysler calls that the "safing" sensor. I don't know if that's a standardized term. Two sensors must activate at exactly the same time for the computer to deploy the air bags. It takes either one, (or both) front sensor, AND the safing sensor to activate simultaneously. This is timed to the microseconds.

Clock springs are one of the few items I prefer to buy new, but if you can find a good one in a salvage yard, be sure to look at how the front wheels are turned. Place them centered straight ahead if you can. If they're turned to one side and you can't change that, put the wheels on your truck the same way, then install that clock spring.

The reason for this caution is the ribbon cable is just long enough to accommodate turning the steering wheel lock to lock, and little more. If the clock spring is not centered when the wheels are, turning fully one way will cause the ribbon cable to wind up too tight and pull apart on one end, or it will be too long, unwind all the way, then fold over on itself. The first way it breaks instantly the first time you turn fully that way. If it's off-center the other way, it has to fold over repeatedly over days or weeks before it cracks and breaks.