Stolen spare tire....

Westlooper:

That cable in the picture is what was cut? Yikes! FYI a long U-shaped bike lock will go around the top bracket and through a lug hole. PITA and I dont know if that will slow the scum down or not. Has anyone had a tire or bike stolen while using a U-shape Krytonite lock?

I'm going to make some wood or sheet metal to fit inside the rim as mentioned very early in this thread. Does anyone really know if they let the air out and go around or can they just reach through the spokes?
 
This time It was the actual WinchLock BlackMaxx lock that they cracked off. The Cable I showed in the pic was one they cut thru on my old Explorer a few years ago.

This is what was left of the Winchlock
 

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riverider said:
I have posted many time that I use a Campbell Cable coiled and plastic Coated that I fished through my spare wheel and across the frame. I use a round type key stainless lock, and it's up high enough to be a real tough place to cut it off.

Best idea I have, and so far it's worked.:hatsoff:

http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u199/photobug4741/?action=view&current=SpareCable084Runner.jpg
Click to expand...

Yup, I've got my cable locked in a similar fashion like that. The cable's been in place since I got the 4Runner. No issues last year, 2008, when I took spare down to clean off the road salt and check the tire pressure. This year doing the same thing, I found the wear mark. Oh wells, at least my spare isn't going to make a theif's set "perfect."
 
Westlooper said:
This time It was the actual WinchLock BlackMaxx lock that they cracked off. The Cable I showed in the pic was one they cut thru on my old Explorer a few years ago.

This is what was left of the Winchlock
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this. I've always believe that there's only so much I can do in keeping honest people honest. If a theif is determined, there's no stopping them from getting what they want.

Maybe I ought to get a 17" spare steelie from a Tacoma and stick it under.

:gun6: theives.
 
Add another Chicago person to the list.

I live near Fullerton and Kedzie. Wish I had known about this site before it happened. Sounds like no one has found a 100% method to protect the spare.
 
lfaulkne said:
Add another Chicago person to the list.

I live near Fullerton and Kedzie. Wish I had known about this site before it happened. Sounds like no one has found a 100% method to protect the spare.
Click to expand...



I am actually trying to figure out a way to utilize the hitch and some extension pieces with steps on them going backwards and under the spare.
 
Well I tried to help you people living in a really poor City full of robbing thugs and killers. But I guess you just can't help some people.:vader:
 
lfaulkne said:
Sorry you feel that way. It's a great city with a lot more good people than bad.
Click to expand...

A honest law abiding person can't carry a handgun in this funny City. So it's a nice place to get killed by the gang banger,s and plain nasty thugs.
Trust me there is no better feeling, then knowing you have a high cap powerful handgun, laying under your shirt with in hands reach when thugs are close.:boink:
 
seeing this made me think of last summer when i was traveling home from Atlanta...i was heading north on I-85 coming through Greenville, SC in the left lane...there was a dip in the road, nothing terrible, for some reason i looked in the rear view mirror and saw my spare tire in the middle of the lane behind me...there were concrete barriers to the inside and i had a trunk full of luggage so no where to put the tire even if i was to go back and attempt to run across 4 lanes of traffic to get it...
 
Westlooper said:
Its not the cable that will get cut - its the lock that will get cut - thats the weak link in the system.
Click to expand...

If you had looked at my cable picture, you would have noticed the lock was located very high and where it would be really tough to cut the locks shank. Motor cycle people have found this trick out over the years, putting the lock up high where it makes getting a bolt cutter leverage tough, really helps keeping it from happening.
They also make a small lock that looks like a fat bolt, it screws together using a round type key, I have used them also and there is no way to get a bolt cutter at them.

In over 10 years of selling hardened chains and aircraft quality cable products, I never had a chain or cable cut. I did replace a few locks that were drilled trying to defeat them but no cut shanks. Maybe the buyers were just lucky.

I did have this one smart public service employee bring a 36" bolt cutter into a motorcycle shop, and try cutting one on my Campbell 6' chains. He put the chain on the floor and leveraged the bolt cutter off the floor.

There was a loud bang as the bolt cutter head broke. He then said what am I going to tell my boss about the bolt cutter. :fishing:

That is a real deal true story.:banana:
 
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V8Limited4wd said:
anyone buy the spare guard? it looks like it would work very well but i want to know if the site is legitimate. are there any other good options for keeping the spare secure?
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I picked up the SpareGuard last week from One Stop trucking in Lemont - super nice guys there.

I haven't installed it yet - will take a couple of picks and post them.
 
bkos said:
Westlooper...how did the installation work out? Got some pics yet?
Click to expand...

I actually tried to install this last week before heading out of town. The wing nuts are too big and do not fit in the machined out lug nut area. I could have put the wheel facing down instead of up and that would have worked I think.

The disk is a plastic composite which seems really strong but I don't think it would last very long with a cordless cutting wheel. Would be nice if it was a steel plate instead of plastic - would be really nice if there was a way to secure the wheel with this system to the actual vehicle and not just cover thw wheel opening.

My guess is if a thief came to get my wheel and saw this thing installed - he would just pry up the bottom edge of the rear door and lower the wheel down since this thing doesnt actually secure the wheel to the vehicle.

Time for a big ABUS chain maybe.
 
Add another Chicago victim to the list. I live on Diversey near Damen. Had my oil changed at White Glove on Clybourn and the guy informed me my spare was missing. He said the owner of that garage had his taken from the Menard's on Cybourn.

The cable that's left on my truck protrudes from the winch only an inch or so, indicating they had to have cut the cable on top of the wheel, and not from below. So they must have a method where they can lower the wheel enough to get something in there to cut the cable.

I have only lived in Chicago 4 years, I'm from Los Angeles. I'm 34 years old and have never heard of spare tires being stolen like this ever before. This must be a Chicago thing.

I called my insurer, i have an appointment for Thursday. I'm guessing my replacement costs will rival those others listed here previously, but i'll come back to let you know what it comes out to.

My only concern is what to do with the new tire. Seems like the only "real" solution is to leave it inside the back of the SUV. But perhaps that would only invite the thief to break out my window to unlock my car and take my tire without having to get dirty crawling on the ground.
 
Here's how they do it!

So I think i've figured out how they steal the spare.

If you investigate the path the crank takes from the rear bumper just inside the rear door, all the way to the winch, you'll see that there is a tunnel-like metal housing connected to the winch. however, this metal tunnel doesn't extend all the way from the winch to the rear bumper. There is an 8-10" gap missing. With this available space, a would-be thief could rig a socket wrench with a custom made portion of the OEM crank. All they would need would be a socket extender long enough and the right size socket. Then with their socket wrench they would be able to lower the tire with the same ease as if they had the keys to the car and the actual OEM crank. They lower a little bit and snip the cable (presumably so they don't have to sit there and take the time required to lower the tire all the way).

I'm guessing that gap in the crank "tunnel" is there in case you need your spare and your rear lift gate isn't working. But, it would seem this method can be eliminated by having a metal worker finish off the tunnel with some square tubing welded to the underbelly of the car.

Food for thought
 
Pardon the ignorance, bought my 08 three weeks ago and haven't looked up under the truck. Don't most car companies use a steel spare?? If your only going to use it as a spare, why not just put a steel wheel back in place. Who would know what rim you have up there, and other than the theif, who would care.
 
Kylebasa said:
Pardon the ignorance, bought my 08 three weeks ago and haven't looked up under the truck. Don't most car companies use a steel spare?? If your only going to use it as a spare, why not just put a steel wheel back in place. Who would know what rim you have up there, and other than the theif, who would care.
Click to expand...

I don't know about the '08, but my '03 came with a full size spare on a matching alloy wheel. I just assumed Toyota kept doing that thru the years.
 
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