Removing locking lug from wheels without key.

[s20004runner]

i read somewhere that thieves over tighten other lugs until the locking lug can be easily removed. I never tried it so can't speak from experience.

 

[Spktyr]

I don't buy this line of thinking.

Call your insurance company. Ask them why they don't give discounts for wheel locks any more.

They have the stats to prove that they don't do anything, that the wheel theft rate is not statistically significantly different between wheels with locks and wheels without. If wheel locks functioned as a deterrent or made people move on to another victim, the stats would show a difference. They don't.

 

[mtbtim]

Call your insurance company. Ask them why they don't give discounts for wheel locks any more.

They have the stats to prove that they don't do anything, that the wheel theft rate is not statistically significantly different between wheels with locks and wheels without. If wheel locks functioned as a deterrent or made people move on to another victim, the stats would show a difference. They don't.

Just because insurance companies decided they wanted to put more money in their pockets by not giving discounts to their customers doesn't tell me anything. Statistically speaking, statistics aren't all that accurate.

I know spares are often stolen because the thieves don't even have to jack the vehicle up. They have a tire winch tool, lower the tire to the ground and away they go. I have a spare on my rear bumper swing out. It affixes with 3 lug nuts. Instead of using 3 regular lug nuts making it really easy for someone to steal my spare, I used 3 locking lug nuts. Why did I do this? To make it harder for them to steal. If someone wants it bad enough, yeah, they're going to get it. But, at least I made the a-hole work for it. Same goes for my jerry cans and hi-lift jack. I used a pad lock for both of them. Could somebody easily cut off the locks with a bolt cutters? Sure. But, it's going to keep them from getting stolen from some dirtbag that's walking by and seeing that all they have to do is loosen a couple wing nuts and walk away with my jerry cans and hi-lift jack.

Wheel locks will slow down the thieves and maybe that extra time it takes them increases their chances of being seen by someone, or makes them choose an easier target. Many thieves are opportunistic. Locking up your possessions might make the difference between you keeping them or losing them.

 

[I_bRAD]

Well, the way I see it is that I've got 4 21 year old beat up wheels with near 400k kms on them. For a $300 deductible, the insurance company will reimburse me for 4 new factory toyota wheels and center caps (approx retail value $3200) plus fresh rubber. Come and steal them!