Anti theft 1986 K5

[campfire]

For yours, I like the coil-on-steering-wheel idea.

Plus, I'd install a hidden tracking device to aid in recovery. It's a cheap form of extra insurance.

 

[4x4blaze]

Nobody likes to think about theft until it's too late. But it is something I unfortunately catch myself thinking about quite often since I have friends who have had there vehicles stolen (And one of them was a K5 of course). Plus, these trucks are constantly getting more and more popular so people are getting more desperate for donors and whatnot.

So, I agree with the previous post.. A column lock, kill switches, and possibly a gps are all good options. If someone is good enough that they can deter all of those, they can have the truck... The no good b@st@rds deserve it

 

[vandelay industries]

i don't have a whole lot of time, so i'm thinking of getting some boots for now.

 

[vandelay industries]

Don't have time to research, but:

http://info.expertmarket.com/brilli...MI4I-AiK6h3QIV77SzCh1Lqw3NEAEYASAAEgI2fvD_BwE

 

[diesel4me]

Wait...some people worry about vehicle theft?

I have a worthless vehicle with an engine that is famously difficult to start, and a third pedal with no clutch safety switch.

If someone tries to steal my vehicle, it'll lurch forward when he tries cranking it, and it'll crank for hours without starting if you don't know the starting sequence. Plus it's noisy. So I'd be fairly impressed if a random thief successfully drove it away under its own power.

I consider my 6.2 an anti-theft device in itself....
I'm fortunate to get it to start myself ,especially on a cold morning..

It would take someone with experience with diesels to figure out how to activate the glow plugs with it wired manually,plus it would never start without them unless they stole it right after it had been driven..
I also have my electric assist lift pump wired to a switch ,with that off it may still start and run,but would likely act like its running out of fuel if you tried driving it hard..

Also its unlikely anyone would be successful at outrunning the law in it in the event they did get it to start and were spotted driving it....hard to be "stealthy" in a 6.2 powered truck too...it would not be a great choice for a getaway vehicle,that's for sure..

Around here the "Lo-Jack" system worked very well to catch thieves who managed to get away with stealing a vehicle..once activated,it sends the location via a GPS type device and local police can track it down in a matter of minutes..back in the 80's chop shops and stolen cars & trucks were a common thing until people started installing the Lo-Jack in their vehicles..it led the law right to the chop shops and resulted in many arrests..eventually the rate of stolen vehicles came way down..

 

[6872xtc]

I bought one of the column guards and discovered that it is possible to pop it open very easily due to a lip that is overhanging the latch side. I am planning on trimming that off, maybe even try to make it more secure somehow.
It wasn't as good as they want you to believe. However, it may be a good visual deterrent, even if it isn't secure.

 

[6872xtc]

Pictures of what I am talking about.

 

[4x4blaze]

@6872xtc That is the same exact column lock I have for my K5. Definitely is a visual deterrent, but let me know how modifying it goes if you decide to do so!

 

[dyeager535]

They've changed the design a bit since I got mine apparently, but pretty similar operation. I used the screwdriver and sure enough, came apart.

Always looking at alternatives, I unscrewed the lock cylinder (two screws on the underside, maybe 8-32), used a 10-24 nut and a 10-24 washer under the lock cylinder mounting plate, then blue loc-tite (one of the screws was backed out a bit when I inspected it initially), and reassemble. There is a large gap between the two halves where the lock plunger engages, spacing the lock cylinder assembly this far still allows the halves to mate up without interference.

The lock cylinder now sits a fair bit deeper in the guard, but the plunger also extends significantly further into the other half, which doesn't let the screwdriver trick work. Maybe a crowbar.

They should have used a small steel tongue that fit into a slot on the reinforced piece for the lock cylinder where the two halves meet up. Big flat surface is already there, I think that would work. It appears cutting off the lip will work too, as suggested above.

 

[nvrenuf]

It all depends on how much you want to work on it but welding a 1/2" tall vertical "wall" to the half of the guard on the under side of the screwdriver would prevent you from being able to get a tool in the gap.

 

[6872xtc]

It all depends on how much you want to work on it but welding a 1/2" tall vertical "wall" to the half of the guard on the under side of the screwdriver would prevent you from being able to get a tool in the gap.

My thoughts were to put a piece of metal over it in an overlapping "lip" style. If it was just a wall, I could see a cotter pin tool being used to pop it.
I like the simplicity of just removing the existing lip, but I would have to play around to see if there is a way to pop it open after that.

 

[diesel4me]

On my pickup,the shift lever on the colum has gotten a bit sloppy over the years,and I can pull the rivet pin that holds it in the colum out with my fingers,and remove the shift lever..
--if I park in a seedy area ,I take it off and lock it in the glove compartment or hide it under the seat,etc--that way even if they manage to get in the truck and get it started (highly unlikely if its a cold start),they cant shift it out of park or drive it..