Should you start investing in a steering lock?

mondeo

These days with thieves using software to steal cars, maybe the mechanical old skool after market steering lock is something everyone should be using again. Remember in the 80's everyone with a half decent car was using one ? When the 90's came in with high end alarms and factory immobilizers, people stopped using steering locks. Today you rarely see anyone with them at all. I used chains and padlocks for years to secure steering wheels. They look robust but all you have to cut the steering wheel and they are off yet no one attempted to do that on any of my cars and I have driven alot of jap imports when I was younger.

I have a new car on the way, a 420d coupe and I want to buy a proper steering lock that cannot be removed from the car easily at all.

Whats your opinion on after market steering locks ?

biko

If you think it will help, sure why not.

Wibbs

If it covers the entire wheel then it's a very good deterrent and will likely make the scum look for the easier pickings.



I went full nutter years ago with a removable steering wheel. Not an option with modern wheels mind you.

mondeo

^^I was looking at this one actually.

bronkobilly

two chain and locks should do the job it does for my car

punisher5112

bronkobilly wrote: »

two chain and locks should do the job it does for my car

Cut through the steering wheel and away they go.

Crock Rock

My mam and dad used to have a clamp that wrapped around the gears and handbrake

Back in the 90's when I was a wee'un.

Hotblack Desiato

Wibbs wrote: »

I went full nutter years ago with a removable steering wheel. Not an option with modern wheels mind you.

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-23/driver-charged-over-car-with-no-steering-wheel/4837680?pfmredir=sm

mondeo

Crock Rock wrote: »

My mam and dad used to have a clamp that wrapped around the gears and handbrake

So 1992 ! I use to see these a lot back then. All you had to do was unscrew the gear knob and it came off. Useless

jmreire

Wibbs wrote: »

If it covers the entire wheel then it's a very good deterrent and will likely make the scum look for the easier pickings.



I went full nutter years ago with a removable steering wheel. Not an option with modern wheels mind you.

I used to do the same in a Ford Mondeo Diesel, park with steering straight ahead, used the wheel brace to remove the retaining nut, wheel off and into a plastic bag, job done. and no problem replacing it either..it was on a hexagonal steering shaft.
For the Fiesta ( petrol engine ) it was even easier, lift the distributor cap, rotor off and into the pocket.
All of these precaution's became necessary after the car ( Orion) was stolen from outside my Daughters house in Dublin. Stolen during the night. So usual action taken...reported to the Guards, who basically said " Don't hold your breath". So I asked the Son-in- law to drive around the local, "hot" spots, and sure enough, I spotted it in an estate. So I walked to the car, reached through the broken window, opened the door, got in hot wired the ignition ( was easy..wires were hanging down ) and drove out of the estate. Went back to the Guarda Station to inform them that I had recovered the car. Guard looked at me with disbelief, and said " You recovered it from where??? " We kinda avoid that estate when ever we can, he said. But then he shook his head, and said more to himself than any one else...." you can always tell the one's straight up from the Country......"

Flesh Gorden

I had one of those DiskLok covers and found it very stiff to open on cold mornings and the key cylinder often wasn't in the mood to play nice, feeling stuck and taking a few mins to open.

Still a lot better than the older bar types, as they were often used to break the steering lock with a well aimed kick. Plus they can destroy the material of the wheel.

Doctors room ghost

With the invention of the battery angle grinder if someone wants something they will bring it

pablo128

All of that sh1te used to be made from cast alloy which would break in a second with a well aimed blow. The gearstick and handbrake ones were crap too. You just pulled the handbrake higher and they came off.

The chain and lock was a lot better, if not undefeatable. Think about it. Some lad walking through a housing estate at 3 in the morning with a hacksaw or cordless grinder is waiting to be nicked.

If you can prevent the car from being started, that's number one. If you can keep the keys away from the hall door, that's number 2. And if you put your keyless entry key in one of the special pouches AS SOON as you get home, that's number 3.

punisher5112

pablo128 wrote: »

All of that sh1te used to be made from cast alloy which would break in a second with a well aimed blow. The gearstick and handbrake ones were crap too. You just pulled the handbrake higher and they came off.

The chain and lock was a lot better, if not undefeatable. Think about it. Some lad walking through a housing estate at 3 in the morning with a hacksaw or cordless grinder is waiting to be nicked.

If you can prevent the car from being started, that's number one. If you can keep the keys away from the hall door, that's number 2. And if you put your keyless entry key in one of the special pouches AS SOON as you get home, that's number 3.

Or a biscuit tin.

joujoujou

Whatever can be bought is just a bit of deterrent - thieves know how to deal with them. Custom made lock is the only option I would ever consider.

ofcork

Crock Rock wrote: »

My mam and dad used to have a clamp that wrapped around the gears and handbrake

Back in the 90's when I was a wee'un.

Had one myself covered the handbrake handle and clamped the gearstick yellow thing.

Wibbs

mondeo wrote: »

So 1992 ! I use to see these a lot back then. All you had to do was unscrew the gear knob and it came off. Useless

My dad who was an engineer made a similar thing when I was a kid in the late 70's, after his pride and joy a Ford Cortina E was nicked and burnt out. Solid steel, measured to fit the handbrake and gear knob exactly, with near zero play so almost impossible to shift. Like many of his generation he liked making things and he reckoned the shop bought ones were crap. For a guy he knew from work who lived in an area known for "joyriding" he also welded up a hinged plate that when he parked his car it would fold up and cover the three pedals and locked with a padlock. Kinda cool.

Car theft was crazy common back then. Well cars had almost zero security and third party alarms were mostly useless. Third party alarms are often mostly useless even today, but almost always down to the installation(inc "names" like Clifford). Though the increasing technology in cars over the last few years can make third party systems hard to incorporate. With few exceptions the tech is still mired in the early noughties. I suppose as so few buy them now, there doesn't seem much call to improve them. Tracking systems have come on in leaps and bounds though.

Having a 90's Jap car means I have had to be paranoid to the point of madness about security. They were about as secure as a damp teabag. So I went around the car looking at the (many) weak points in turn and trying to stop or slow down any potential scum. A removable wheel being a start point.



Told ya. Madness. :D

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-23/driver-charged-over-car-with-no-steering-wheel/4837680?pfmredir=sm

Funny enough, back in the 80's I drove a mate's Celica with two vice grips(long story). Safety first. :eek:

punisher5112

punisher5112 wrote: »

Cut through the steering wheel and away they go.

The idea is to make them move next door where they don’t need to cut at all though.

That said, if it’s your specific car they want then they’ll have it.

Duckjob

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

The idea is to make them move next door where they don’t need to cut at all though.

Reminds me of that old joke about being in the woods with your friend and you come face to face with an angry grizzly bear. You don't need to be able to outrun the bear, you just need to be able to outrun your friend �� Car security comes down to the same concept.

Duckjob

Duckjob wrote: »

Reminds me of that old joke about being in the woods with your friend and you come face to face with an angry grizzly bear. You don't need to be able to outrun the bear, you just need to be able to outrun your friend �� Car security comes down to the same concept.

Exactly. It’s like people who hide reg plates in car adverts. If someone wants to know more they will phone up and ask for the reg, grand. If someone just wants a reg to clone then they’ll just hit ‘back’ in the browser and click the next link in their search results as it’s handier.

LRNM

Is car theft a growing problem? I haven't ever felt the need to have a steering lock but I'm out rural and haven't known any car thefts to happen out here.

mondeo

LRNM wrote: »

Is car theft a growing problem? I haven't ever felt the need to have a steering lock but I'm out rural and haven't known any car thefts to happen out here.

They are getting more creative about it.

punisher5112

LRNM wrote: »

Is car theft a growing problem? I haven't ever felt the need to have a steering lock but I'm out rural and haven't known any car thefts to happen out here.

Steering lock won't stop them, more cars now are even easier to take as they have keyless entry/start and they boost the signal and drive off.

CiniO

mondeo wrote: »

Whats your opinion on after market steering locks ?

My opinion is that any security feature that is non-standard is worth investment.

Car thieves expect standard security like default manufactuerers immobileiser, factory alarm, etc... They are ready to bypass them - have appropriate knowledge and equipment.

They might be ready also for hi-end alarms or other hi-end security.

IMO best is something that is custom made - even simple - but custom made.
I.e something that cuts one of the wires powering ECU, or fuel pump, or injectors, mounted in nonstandard place with hidden button.
A thief is very limited by time, so he won't be trying to analyze car electrical system to find a hidden switch on the spot - he will just give up.

Steering lock might work well as well if not expected by thief, as he can't get rid of this witout having right equipment.