Locking the spare?

S Grant and Center Ave near S Broadway/Wash Park. My pro grill was also ripped off my truck outside my house. I am starting to hate it as well, I only keep it garaged these days. I also got a compustar alarm system and a motion sensing dash cam with parking mode. Where was yours taken? I have been keeping an eye out and a solid 80% of 3rd gens around me/in Denver have missing spares. I was talking to a parts guy at groove toyota and someone got a bunch of spares off their tacomas on their sale lots overnight earlier last year.

 

Seems very odd that spares would have that much value to steal, unless they selling the steel to a metal recycler. I am in Stapleton and we have a camera on the front porch, but have no idea when it was stolen and haven’t seen any footage from the past week indicating a theif. I work at the University Hospital and the parking garage does not have cameras or security guards. A coworkers back windshield was busted out a few weeks ago but nothing was taken. We received and email with a reminder to lock up due to reports of homeless people sleeping in employees cars. So my guess is most likely the garage is where it happened. Wouldn’t surprise me if another Tacoma owner who had theirs stolen took it to replace theirs.

 

Nahh I think that’s a negative on the last part, I don’t think another tacoma owner would pull that. So many trucks have them missing too that it would almost have to be something else. I thinks it’s either someone/a few people in a ring selling them black market or selling to a metal recycler like you said then selling the tire seperate. I feel like the same people that ripped my grill off took my spare, which makes me think they are targeting new taco’s to try and resell parts. Looked like a hilift was ripped off a jeep near me too.

 

I just got a kryptonite bike lock cable for my spare. I sprayed aerosol bike chain grease into the lock to keep it from corroding.

 

Maybe everybody's been locking their tailgates and the thieves had to move on...

 

I was under my truck recently installing the cubby covers and just happened to take a pic of the lock on the wheel and chain. It’s been attached for over a year and still worked properly before I gave it a shot of spray lube.
I figured it might be a deterrent to theft.

 

Make that another one for the Denver vandals. In Cole/RiNo area and my spare is gone.

 

With so many taken in one area, my guess is they are making sets of 4 tires and selling as new take offs to not look suspicious. Probably going to scrap metal recyclers for the wheels.

 

When was the last time you checked the spare in your Tacoma. I never checked mine until I read this thread. Still there!

 

Sorry man- absolutely ridiculous. One of these days someone will have to either catch it on camera or in the act. I think they must make runs locally on weekdays anytime between 1-5 AM looking for Tacoma’s. I just noticed someone a few blocks away from me had their 2nd gen spare missing and it had been on there, so must not only be new taco’s. I have tried to write notes whenever I see 3rd gens with them still on warning people. I wrote one to an orange 3rd gen outside a coffee shop I frequent (wash perk) warning them/recommending to lock it up however possible and I saw it again a week later and the spare was gone.

TBH I am far more pissed about ripping my grille off my truck- they damaged a headlight and ripped the whole assembly (I don’t even think they could have sold it). Insurance estimated 1500 with aftermarket parts (including headlight) so I just pieced it back together myself with OEM and a bolt on DBCustomz (my deductible is way too high). They are complete POS’s. I wish someone would bait them and catch them in the act. I would but after my grille I keep it garaged exclusively.

 

Spares are valuable. The spare on my limited is actually an aluminum Limited wheel, all in black, with a Michelin tire. The tire alone would prob cost over 200 to replace. On all my current and past Tacomas, I have run a Stainless Steel cable looped through the frame and then down through the wheel and lock it to the lowering chain, and use a good quality lock and keep the lock key hidden in the truck.

 

My spare was also stolen in Denver. My chain was rolled back up. My guess, is so that it’s less conspicuous, therefore making it harder to pinpoint when the theft occurred.

 

You should check the tweaker alley where the the OP lives , might find a spare for sale there .

 

I do it this way too but don't fasten it at the hitch. The cable I have connects back to itself.

 

This is still going on in Denver (West Wash Park). Rolled under the truck this weekend to change the diff fluid and realized my spare is gone. Thanks for the locking tips....wish I found this post earlier.

 

Damn 2 years later and the spare tire bandit is still on the loose

 

Just happened to me as well... same way, chain rolled back up. In Wash Park area of Denver. Spare was a size too small after tire change and I was going to replace anyways, but still WTF.

 

Looks like one of those plastic covered fabric rope-type "cables" you're using. Can be cut with a knife.

 

Here's what I use:

https://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/accessories/toyota-spare_tire_lock.html