My service advisor once told me to put the rear door handle on the front driver side to avoid a break in, now i just saw this on the news

Thieves Pop Locks, Break Into Trucks - Automotive News Story - WPLG Miami

Watch the video... I am sure this may be old news to some.. But what are your thoughts?

 

Wow, thanks. I had not heard of this. I'm going out right now and switch the back and the front. Once more FTE serves to help me when I didn't even know I need help. Again, thanks for that very useful piece of info.

 

Subscribing. What is the easiest way to remove them?

 

I think the thing to remember here is that though the report may be accurate, the solution means nothing. If a thief wants in he'll pop the lock. If he can't do that he'll bust a window. Point being fixing the lock won't stop even a petty thief who wants to just steal whats convenient. A serious thief that wants the whole truck will be stopped by very little at all.

 

That's a very good point and I agree. But we can try and remove the low hanging fruit.

 

I worked at a gym that had break-ins every day. Literally. Thieves love any Ford Truck. Those were number one. Number two were Chevy's then Dodge. Every time it was because the owner had something in view, or hid it while parked and they were being watched. Don't leave anything in plain site, it's that simple.

My 1999 F250 was broken into by simply popping the lock. I've seen where they go in right under the door handle and pierce the door panel. Or as tgreening stated, they'll just break the window. With the auto tint that many people use, it makes it easy for them to shatter the window and roll it back because the tint keeps the pieces together. And it's virtually silent.

 

Pick your fruit. It dpends on the thief I guess. One might walk up and his favorite method is popping. His buddy might be just as happy to smack the window woth a hammer. Messier but almost certainly faster. So unless you have some Batman-esque doo dah attached to your remote that slides armor plate over the windows you haven't really accomplished much.

If someone wants to make those changes I see no reason why they shouldn't, it's their truck, just don't delude yourself into thinking you've really upped the security level of your ride.

I'm not trying to pick at people, I think it might be a cool little mod more for the way it would confuse the uninformed rather than any security benefit is all.

Think in practical terms.

 

Common sense don't leave anything valuable in plain view. Nothing to steal why bother breaking into the truck

 

Now that I think a little about it you guys may have a good point. I never lock the doors on my vette because all that does is get the top cut. I just don't leave anything valuable in it. My problem is the way the gun laws are in some states you can't concealed carry where they serve alcohol, which includes many restuarants. So, I leave the gun in the truck. I can't imagine how much paper work I'd have if it got stolen. Not to mention of course how I would feel if some lame brain got it and turned into Jesse James. Sometimes I lock it in the tool box but security wise that is not much better than the truck cab.

 

I put JimmiJammers on my 350, disconnected the key rod on the drivers side, added an auto lock to the tailgate, and put a lock collar on the right hand tailgate hinge. (I have a cover)

if they break in, it will be because the really want to.

Sam

 

Yes it is very easy to break into most any vehicle. On my '97 Chevy I did that myself one evening when I accidentally locked the keys in the truck. It took me 37 seconds (friend timing) to break in without any damage.

On the Ford, pretty much just as easy. What replacing the keyed front handle assembly with a rear one buys you is deterrence. If the thief is looking at the truck and sees that there is no lock cylinder, unless you have something clearly valuable in sight, they will probably just move to a different target, not knowing what else you may have done to make their theft more difficult.

Obviously the first level of deterrence is to not leave anything valuable in sight in the truck, and I would also argue not putting any stickers on the truck that would imply there might be something of value hidden in the truck.

 

Yes, this is true....

I happen to go to a gym about 4 times a week, and there so many break ins every day.... I always just feel its a matter if time till it happens to me. I know some people that had their car broken into, and they did not leave anything valuable in sight, and they stole nothing! So this means there are some thieves that will just risk going for nothing.

I may buy a rear door handle and put it on the front, seems like it wont hurt anything....

 

Kinda like the old joke about the two guys and the bear. You don't have to outrun the bear, just the other guy. Most thieves are not very industrious, if they were they wouldn't be thieves. So, I guess given the choice they would pass the hard target by to get the soft one.

 

I glued a plastic plug over my key slot--after noticing it was damaged, but no entry. My previous '04 and '07s were both broken into--one was on a Cracker Barrel video but couldn't ID anyone. Takes less than 3 seconds to get in...
I have the key fob and the keyless to get me in, so no keyslot needed.
Joe

 

Will that work? I'm thinkin it could be pryed off with a screw driver. What kind of glue would withstand a hard hit with a screw driver?