Theft question

[KAILUAZ]

Ok, so my PO changed from a manual trans to auto and installed a new steering column.
Question is, should the steering wheel and trans shifter lock when the ignition is turned off??
As it is right now you can jump in the truck and put it in neutral and steer it off to criminal land.
Any thoughts/help?? 1970 GMC w/TH400.

[BobbyK]

Stock auto column does NOT lock.

[pjmoreland]

I put a club on my steering wheel when I leave it in places like airport parking lots.

[matthufham]

clubs can be taken off by a pro in about 2 seconds. my auto column doesn't lock, and my floorshifter has no neutral safety switch so i can shift without a key or braking.

[Longhorn Man]

yep...pretty dern easy to steal.

[KAILUAZ]

Guess I'll have to setup a steering cable lock like the HMMWV's I drove in the Army. Thanks for the quick responses!

[pjmoreland]

If you're dealing with a professional thief, there really isn't anything you can do to stop him, right? Of course he will probably be looking for something that is worth a little more than my beat up old truck. Now some punk kid who knows how to hotwire an old vehicle and wants to take it for a joyride might consider it. Just my opinion.

[clean71]

As mentioned in a similar thread, may want to go with the removeable steering wheel.

[KAILUAZ]

Too bad the search doesnt work, any idea where that thread is?

[Longhorn Man]

You don't even need to know how to hotwire... it's quicker to plug in an ignition switch that you carry with you.

[KAILUAZ]

Yeah, thats a good thought,,,, to bad my ignition is shot and my house key will work. YIKES!!

[shifty]

Removeable steering wheel? Any reputable theif will scope out the vehicle first and bring the parts they need the next visit. That may include a steering wheel.

My advice is to lower it so much that it's laying frame and it can't be towed, then make the pump inoperable.

In addition to that, install an alarm, fuel kill and starter kill. Then add lojack. If anyone can get past all that crap, they deserve the damned truck.

[70short/step]

I have the grant steering wheel lock that removes the steering wheel and places a guard over where the steering wheel mounts. It uses a key to lock and unlock. It only takes a second to do this.

[Americanrider]

Install a floor starter out a 55 or 56.... That way you know the theif will have to be at least 45 yrs old to figure it out

[camaro__thunder]

like this lol ? read the license plate

[llegos]

is there a monthly fee on lo-jack? if so how much? i am really considering this for my truck...

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by matthufham

clubs can be taken off by a pro in about 2 seconds. my auto column doesn't lock, and my floorshifter has no neutral safety switch so i can shift without a key or braking.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANYONE REMOVE A CLUB IN TWO SECONDS. BETWEEN THE CLUB & A KILL SWITCH, IT'LL SLOW THE THEIVING B@STARDS DOWN LONG ENOUGH THAT I CAN DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. AS FAR AS NOT BEING ABLE TO TOW A LOWERED TRUCK?? WELL THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CHALLENGE TO ME. NO ONE PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO A WREAKER. I'VE TOWED CARS WITH THE ALARM BLARING, & EVEN HAD A COP STOP TRAFFIC FOR ME. JOHN

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by junkyardjohn

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANYONE REMOVE A CLUB IN TWO SECONDS.....

Ok, picture this. I break in to your truck and pull out a midsize pair of bolt cutters. I make one cut on the steering wheel rim push it down and slide the club off and throw it on the ground. How long did that take?????

[fade94]

I had a friend that put a small switch behind the dash, under the ignition switch. It was wired so that unless it was engaged, the fuel pump, starter and ignition system would not work. He had it set up so that a magnet on his key ring stuck to the dash engaging the switch and allowing the car (67 Camaro) to start. I thought it was pretty slick.

[phlegm]

Its been said before, declared value insurance is the best deturant against theft. If you pay premium to have insurance for such things, then you know it will never happen.... I think murphy said something about this somewhere.

[smokekiki]

Originally Posted by phlegm

Its been said before, declared value insurance is the best deturant against theft. If you pay premium to have insurance for such things, then you know it will never happen.... I think murphy said something about this somewhere.

That's the way it works.Drop the insurance coverage,and see how long it takes to disappear!
As far as towing goes,You can not lower it far enough not to be towed.My winch is stronger than the friction of Your frame against the ground!So I destroy a $100 bumper.And Like John said,a car alarm going off will not make anyone look at a tow truck.

[Americanrider]

Originally Posted by llegos

is there a monthly fee on lo-jack? if so how much? i am really considering this for my truck...

Nope, no monthly fee... just $750 or so and they will come and install in your driveway. I had one put in a vehicle of mine. Once installed you CANNOT remove it. It stays with that vehicle for life! They will not even let you see where they put it or observe the installation process. I thought I would get a discount on insurance but my company said NO. Most insurance companies act like they never heard of the damm thing... It's their way of playing dumb so they don't have to give you a discount on rates.

http://www.lojack.com/index.cfm

[Russell]

I made my own little theft deterrant system. I installed a small pushbutton killswitch in a place that very few people would ever consider, then went ahead and installed a bit silver toggle switch under the dash that any theif would think "Bingo" to and try and flip it. However, unbeknownst to them, when that switch is hit, it energizes a relay that stays in the on position that I hid in my fender that does not turn off if you turn the switch off. So the bugger will try and flick the switch off, or cut the wires to stop the blaring horns (they are rather loud, and this setup runs through a signal light flasher so the horns honk on and off like an alarm system). The only way to turn the relay off is to hit another switch I have hidden near by the relay which turns it off, and shuts the horns off.

However, again, its more of a deterrance that'll make people look as the horn starts blaring and the theif scrambles to shut it off. If they want to disable it, they can just pull the horn wires, but they will still need to figure out the hidden kill switch, and by that time, they probally will have given up, and if they do want it, they'll get the truck regardless

[JoetheMobster]

Originally Posted by matthufham

clubs can be taken off by a pro in about 2 seconds...

It can be taken off by anyone with a hacksaw (or bolt cutters as mentioned by n2trux) in 2 seconds! Cut the steering wheel, throw the club out the window where the vehicle sat, and call it a day!

[JoetheMobster]

Originally Posted by junkyardjohn

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANYONE REMOVE A CLUB IN TWO SECONDS. BETWEEN THE CLUB & A KILL SWITCH, IT'LL SLOW THE THEIVING B@STARDS DOWN LONG ENOUGH THAT I CAN DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. AS FAR AS NOT BEING ABLE TO TOW A LOWERED TRUCK?? WELL THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CHALLENGE TO ME. NO ONE PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO A WREAKER. I'VE TOWED CARS WITH THE ALARM BLARING, & EVEN HAD A COP STOP TRAFFIC FOR ME. JOHN

LMFAO!! Picturing you driving down the road with the alarm blaring. Sadly, you are very correct on no one paying any attention to alarms any more. I for one won't give them the time of day, well not any more.