Antitheft measures?

To prevent a key reprogram the OBD port needs to be locked. Very popular in Europe, here in North America most don't worry about it too much. But a club, a pedal to steering wheel lock and unless they tow it it would take way too much time to cut through all that or destroy the steering wheel. Or something like these:

 

It's not that hard to steal bolt cutters. They are often chained up in the stores, but there happens to be an entire aisle of tools dedicated to cutting chains and chain like materials in the same area, so...

 

Most clubs don't require cutters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU82KlRxS2w

 

no doubt the club is more or less just a middle flinger but it probably signals that I am a more alert victim and who knows maybe I have tracking devices or all kinds of other crap to get in their way or get them caught. It's a visual deterrent and to that end honestly it's probably best to leave the club on but unlocked. It's psychological. A guy with bolt cutters or whatever will think it's cute but everyone else would go kick rocks.

The brake locks though I honestly have a hard time seeing any thief will get under there hunched over for half an hour trying to saw though solid steel at that angle in the dark. They can't saw off the brake pedal itself either so it may be the best bet.

Yes it's a pain but people bend over to install bike locks on $500 bikes, a $40K tuck should be worth 30 seconds of my time per day, I figure.

Again, insurance will pay me out, but getting a replacement truck is the hard part and I am mostly trying to prevent being car-less for months on end.

 

A pair of bolt cutters is $50 and yes thieves will have a couple hundred in tools to steal your car, it's an investment for them. Few hundred in tools they will make back after the first car. They use a $200 electric pipe cutter just to steel catalytic converters around here.

If they are stealing for parts it's faster to cut through the steering wheel and take the club off that way.

A brake pedal lock is more secure. But in the end if they want it they will take it. Just make your car less appealing for for them (more work) and insure it.

 

So the solution is to make the truck so undesirable that even I won't want it? lol

 

Why not just park the truck indoors? Most apartments have garages that can be rented if you don’t own a house.

I realize that the garage could be broken into as well, but at least your truck isn’t visible when they are scouting around. They would need to know that your truck is located in a particular garage and specifically target it, seems much less likely?

 

Would if I could, but not an option sadly. Even the freestanding houses in my area have rather small garages, doubt a DCLB would fit.

 

Cut the steering wheel not the bar

 

No offense, but if I lived somewhere where I had to disable my key fob, pull a bunch of fuses, install 10 different kill switches and other security measures, I'd just move. Is crime really that bad where you live?

I don't do any of that stuff to my truck. Just lock the door when I go to work and close the garage at home.

 

yeah fair point. the brake lock seems quite a bit harder to defeat in comparison but's it's less visual than the club.

 

It's not a crime problem with local thugs or a ghetto problem, it's organized crime syndicates from Montreal who drive two hours to nice neighborhoods in other cities and steal Toyota and Lexus SUVs and trucks for export to Africa or the middle east. Literally no where to move to other than the Yukon.

 

No one that knows how to steal a car is going to be deterred by the club, anyone that doesn't know how to get the club off a steering wheel is just going to break your window looking for money or take the phone you left

 

I agree.

Though to be fair there are lots of reasons someone may not be able to move. Family/job/medical/education/whatever. But I would personally be doing anything possible to work towards the goal of relocating to a safer area.

 

This is what you're worried about but think they won't have a pair of bolt cutters?

 

In the 3-4 years this has been a problem I haven't seen many examples (or even one) where clubs were used and defeated, all I'm saying.

I've tried to find every article on this and it's almost always either relay attack with the fob or OBD manipulation.

 

Damn, that's horrible.

Come on down to Kansas! Plenty of room for more Tacos here.

 

I'm all for you securing your vehicle against theft, you should just have a realistic idea of how to do so. No one I know under 45 uses a club and the police reports won't mention if a club was used or not around here because the car is gone.

 

Right. Although, that depends where you live, too. Vehicles don't have to be rare or desirable if they're easy. The 1995 Honda Civic was one of the most stolen vehicles for a long time. It seems more recently that the trend has shifted toward vans, though.

 

Geez man buy a Dodge or a Buick or a Fiat. If someone wants your truck they will take it.
Roll up with a flatbed... a few wheel dollies and two minutes later it's gone.