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secret kill switch - security - discourage possible theft?

Recovry4x4

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My consideration was more for the guy that happened to have a key laying around. If someone is determined enough to go to the relay, they are likely to get the truck no matter what.
 

Dave Kay

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THINK like a thief: MOST are looking for quick, easy and clean getaway auto theft with minimal difficulty. And while you can configure ways to prevent a thief from starting your CUCV, an experienced and well rehearsed flatbed wrecker driver can easily snatch your truck in less than one minute, making your non-startable tricks ineffective. My neighbor is a professional wrecker driver with 20 years experiance.

So because I still have my military issue anti-theft lock-n-chain in place, my preference is the steering wheel chain-lock method as follows...

To protect from being TOWED FROM THE FRONT ALWAYS, or as much as possible, park your truck so the FRONT end is not exposed to grab-n-snatch wrecker access. Why? Because your trans can very quickly be put in neutral with just a 9/16ths wrench & Crescent at the trans-linkage under your truck.

To prevent from being TOWED FROM THE REAR, when you park ALWAYS, or as much as possible, turn your steering to near full-lock when you turn off the key while positioning one steering wheel spoke pointing DOWNWARD where you will wrap your chain. Make sure your column locks. Wrap your chain and lock it now. The position of the locked wheels makes towing your CUCV from the REAR, difficult.

What this procedure does is to double-lock the steering making the vehicle nearly impossible to draw up onto the flatbed wrecker but also keeps the grab-n-snatch types at bay as well, because the turned front wheels cause the vehicle being towed to ride half-way into another traffic lane. Really difficult.

Also, the addition of a simple motion-sensing alarm is also a good deterrent because we all know thieves hate loud noises while at work.

A couple of my low-tech solutions that are not too inconvenient for my purposes. Hope this helps.
 

chief3n1

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When the baseplate of the square fuel filter started leaking, I replaced it with a spin on filter setup. I also put a ball valve handle on the intake side. Very easy to shut off the flow of fuel. Something different that most wouldn't be looking for. I also put a new, slightly larger chain, and use that around the steering wheel. Not sure most vehicle thieves these days carry bolt cutters, but I could be wrong. As with most thievery, it's about slowing them down long enough so someone can come by and disrupt them. Given enough time, they can take anything.

1985 M1009
KE5ITM
 

Buffalobwana

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Make it difficult enough that it is unlikely that anyone will spend the time and energy to defeat all the anti-theft measures you have installed. a chain coupled with an alarm and one other anti-theft deterrent? No, I doubt anyone will stick around to defeat all of those.

It isn’t a Lamborghini after all.
 

Recovry4x4

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What this procedure does is to double-lock the steering making the vehicle nearly impossible to draw up onto the flatbed wrecker but also keeps the grab-n-snatch types at bay as well, because the turned front wheels cause the vehicle being towed to ride half-way into another traffic lane. Really difficult.

Also, the addition of a simple motion-sensing alarm is also a good deterrent because we all know thieves hate loud noises while at work.

A couple of my low-tech solutions that are not too inconvenient for my purposes. Hope this helps.
The turned and locked front wheels will only slow a flatbed driver down by a minute. The truck can be easily be sucked up on the flatbed using either a block against the side or a snatch block on the other side and liberal use of dish soap to lube the bed. Works easily and often.

Your ideas are great but there are always shortcuts.
 

Hollywuds

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As far as the ignition goes, police cars have a momentary push button under the floor carpet about the same location as the old headlight dimmers. You have to push on it while turning the key. You could run the starter circuit through something like that??? Won’t stop that tow truck though.
 

Gottlos

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I bypassed the glow plug control card with a momentary button. Press the button for about ten seconds then engage the starter. Good luck trying to start the truck without toasty glow plugs.
 

Dave Kay

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The turned and locked front wheels will only slow a flatbed driver down by a minute. The truck can be easily be sucked up on the flatbed using either a block against the side or a snatch block on the other side and liberal use of dish soap to lube the bed. Works easily and often.

Your ideas are great but there are always shortcuts.
True, a pro-tow driver, given time and cover, could defeat my theft deterrents as that is all they are--- deterrents. But, as someone else pointed out, I believe a pro-THIEF tow driver may look for another victim once they see the extra difficulty involved.

EXAMPLE: My home has a video/audio/motion-sensor-lighting security setup w/DVR. One fine summer night, between 2:30-3AM, it recorded three individuals casing my neighbor's Honda parked in his driveway. While one guy drove up and down the street in a car, two others on foot walked past and tested my motion-sensor light to see how close they could approach without triggering it. Then they altered their course by crossing the street and cutting through an empty lot looking to get closer to the Honda in the driveway next door. After a little while one guy walked up to the driver's side of the Honda and in one second opened the door of the car and ran like HECK to the empty lot across the street. Then, I presume, their getaway car drove by slowly to make sure the now open Honda had not tripped a silent alarm. In another 2o seconds or so one of them approached the Honda on foot got in and, as if they had the Honda owner's key, started the car and immediately backed out and drove off fast--- away they went.

Forgive the long story but it does show how quickly, quietly and with stealth, these car thieves work. All we can do is slow, or make more difficulty for them, and your property may be spared. Hope this helps and good luck to everyone's theft deterrent efforts.

Ciao~!
 

MarcusOReallyus

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True, a pro-tow driver, given time and cover, could defeat my theft deterrents as that is all they are--- deterrents. But, as someone else pointed out, I believe a pro-THIEF tow driver may look for another victim once they see the extra difficulty involved.

Oh, no, no, no, Dave! You don't understand this issue at all! If it's not 100% guaranteed to be completely effective against every possible thief under any possible circumstances, it's completely useless. Not worth doing at all. You might as well just leave the keys in the ignition and the windows open.


Every time the subject of security is discussed, there are always a few brainless wonders who talk that way, anyway.


Security is about making it more trouble than it's worth, and how much trouble it takes to make it too much trouble depends on the value of the item.

Not even the Hope Diamond is 100% secure against theft. The best that can be said is that, so far, they have made it more trouble than its worth to steal it.
 

cucvrus

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Quick and easy way is to just park it in with a newer chipped key vehicle. Tight against the barn and the Cadillac parked up against the CUCV. But I agree. It could still be air lifted. And with Indiantown Gap so close I am in a constant state of distress. I hear choppers day and night. I have seen sling loaded vehicles go over in the past. You are never safe. So don't worry about it. Nothing is infallible.
 

Recovry4x4

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For what it's worth, there was a nursery near me in FL that had a fleet of CUCVs. They also had a row of deadlined trucks with no front axles. Seems they were all theft recoveries where folks stole themfor the front axle.
 

Recovry4x4

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The thread that refuses to die. I think this needs to be turned into a competition of some kind.

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Everyone has opinions and a goal for their security. The goal for mine was simply to thwart anyone who has a CUCV key from taking it for a spin. I like the idea of keeping the CUCV key so this was logical.

Sidenote, anyone remember the "No wheel, no steal" campaign from Grant (steering wheel mfr)?
 

Tinstar

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As already mentioned, it’s the thief with the least resistance.
Have seen it hundreds of times.

NOTHING is guaranteed.
They will look for the easy target.
Making it more difficult for them does help, but the very determined will usually prevail.
It is what it is.
Law enforcement does a great job. Yes, could always be better.
It’s the courts that give most of these maggots a slap on the wrist and let them walk.
I’ve seen some arrested, bailed out and arrested again for committing same crime the same day.
They know there’s no real long term consequences to their actions.
It’s only getting worse.


I’ve been a victim myself in my younger days.
Much more informed and aware now.
 
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