steering wheel lock - worth it at all?

Van Living Forum

Help Support Van Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Morgana

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 18, 2021
Messages
1,166
Reaction score
1,295
I have a really old Club (probably bought around 2005) which I haven't used in years, and I haven't seen anyone else use them recently either. I've seen mixed advice online, leaning toward "not worth it," but I see they are still being sold. I'm thinking of dropping mine at the Goodwill. Does anyone here have an opinion on these things?

the club.jpeg
 
It might stop a teenage joy rider but not an experienced determined car thief.
 
I agree it won't stop a determined thief but I think it is still worthwhile. We always use ours. Picture of ours in use. LOL
 

Attachments

  • File_001 (1).jpeg
    File_001 (1).jpeg
    279.3 KB · Views: 25
Most people have all but forgotten about those by now. Back in the day thieves would carry a can of "Frost" which was used by electronics people to test circuits and was like a coating of dry ice on anything it was sprayed on. Thieves would spray the area around the lock with it to make the casting cold and brittle so they could strike it with a hammer and it would shatter and then they could release the lock mechanism. That was the Achilles Heel for those devices. Still, it is a deterrent just the same.
 
Most people have all but forgotten about those by now
LOL me too -- just every once in awhile I notice it under the seat and think "I ought to either start using this or give it away."
 
any security measure is nothing more than a deterrent.
You can buy the best bike lock in the world and they will have already figured out how to break it.
You can put a high tech car alarm in, and they show up with a flatbed and just winch it onboard.
If you have an electronic alarm, HD door locks and a wheel lock, they could still steal your vehicle, but more than likely they will move on to the next one.
I think most car theft happens with car jacking these days anyway. They want to get the electronic key fob.
 
Back full circle to staying alert while getting in and out of your vehicle ...

Yeah, I've thought of using it as a weapon, but with my luck that sliding piece would swing out and hit me in the nose before I could hit anyone else. :rolleyes:
 
I think they are a worthwhile addition to the overall plan. Yes, they can be defeated, and yes, they can be a deterrent. I dont know if anybody really knows the percentages of either aspect, but seeing many news bits and police comments about stolen vehicles Im going to guess most are not exactly pros or on the higher end of the intelligence spectrum. I do believe most vehicle thefts are from opportunity, not targeted thefts, unless one has nice late model stuff high on the theft list.

Ive had similar discussions about home security. One relative i asked if he had installed longer screws in his door hardware replied "Why, they'll just break a window and get in." Uh, maybe, maybe not. The info Ive seen is most home entries are kick-ins and if that doesnt go well they move on, they prefer not to either make much noise or spend much time getting in, both can attract attention. True pros are a different story but I dont believe most are done by pros.

My take on either is if you can do it, its relatively simple and provides some help and deterrence, why not? A good investment in time and energy.
 
I use my "Club" all the time on my Tracker. Like someone else mentioned , "it's another level of slowing the bad people down". At one time if your ride was stolen with a Club attached they would kick some $ your way to help defray the deductible.
It makes a great weapon as well with out any hassel from the cops if you get pulled over, looks better to them than a tire iron or ax handle under the seat.
 
While on the subject of cats. This was simple to install. The alarm a bit more work but not to bad. catstrap. net Added lots of exhaust clamps in addition.

Again, no guarantees but.......
 

Attachments

  • download.jpeg
    download.jpeg
    7.3 KB · Views: 6
The club is a visual deterrent that shows you at least think about security. While the cold spray was the club breaking method of choice back in the day, it would be the battery powered grinder today.

Thing is, anyone with a grinder is spending 2 minutes getting your catalytic converter and not risking a GTA.

Use it when you remember to. Something is usually better than nothing.
 
Due to several strokes over the years, I am unable to complete the sequence of actions needed. Just Google trunk monkey and enjoy a half hour of somebody else’s reality.
 
Top