Another recent truck theft thread has renewed my interest, along with a few others, on security options for our trucks. Many of our trucks are irreplaceable to those of us who want the reliability of the 7.3 and don't have deep enough pockets to buy new ones. My truck isn't near as nice as tigwelder's and I'd really be pissed if I lost it to a thief. I presently use a steering wheel club, Cyclops, factory alarm and Jimmi Jammers. I am looking at options for an alarm with 2 way paging, the Viper 5906V Also interested in a good tracking device like this: Sure these things cost a chunk of change but think about how losing your PSD would affect your life and livelihood and it doesn't seem that bad.

Hopefully we can exchange some ideas here to fit everyone's pocketbooks and skill levels, and please lets not turn it into a "If they want it they will get it" attitude, we all know that but we also know that more layers of security cost the thief time which they don't have.

 

 

That's why I want 2 way paging. Plus, even if nobody runs outside to check an alarm it will scare most thieves off.

 

The thing about Lojack is our local police are ridiculously under staffed. They no longer show up for non injury traffic accidents, burglaries, car theft and just about any crime that is not life threatening. There is no way in he!! they are going to waste time looking for a stolen vehicle. I dread even calling them because it always means a response time of between 4 and 8 hours. Two weeks ago we had a tenant's boyfriend that was freaking out and threatening people, screaming profanities and hollering the "N" word and how he was going to kill the "N". It got very tense and one tenant in a neighboring unit left in fear of being harmed. I called police at 3:00 PM. Between that time and 6:30 PM five more calls were made and they finally showed up at 6:45 PM. We are pretty much on our own here, and it's getting worse by the day because the thieves know it.

 

SpringerPop created his own theftsafe concoction..its on his website

http://springerpop.com/F350/disabler.html

 

I mentioned in the other thread; It does not take much to start one of these without a key.

I use the "No Start" feature on my Hydra tuner, I recommend everyone else do the same. The chances of someone pulling the PCM to bypass that are slim. Also, Jimmy-Jammers, aren't too bad of an install. These will keep would-be theives away who are afraid to break glass.

I'd also advise getting good insurance. Be sure your policy will allow for a 3rd-party appraisal to determine value if there is a conflict, which I'd almost guarantee there will be. Not all insurances will do this. I recently had this issue on my 4Runner. Some dingus ran into it; $5k worth of damage. State Farm tried to total it but I haggled, and proved to them that they sell for way more than that. They sent a third party appraiser out, and I got a third party appraiser myself. Our two appraisals averaged $10,500 final value after State Farm said it was only worth $3,900... "because NADA says so." The appraisal cost me $300 but now the truck will be fixed and not totaled. Yes, that is a 1987 with 240k miles.

A GPS tracker isn't a bad idea, but for $700? F that. I'd sooner take my wheels off every day and park it on blocks.

 

On my 94.5 psd, I was up on the NE for a while on a job years back in the winter. If Id leave my truck running in the parking lot outside the job to warm her up before Id drive home, I kept a ratchet and socket in the cab and would pull my stick shift, its only 2 bolts, and gave me peace of mind. Of course youd have to have a stick, mines a zf-5, not sure about the 6 speeds.

 

For us handshakers, its quite simple, now that i had a few minutes to dig into it. For me, i eliminated the clutch depress switch by jumping 2 wires. All i need to do now, is install a SPST within the jumper wire

WHT/PNK to DK BLU/ORG

 

I have a "tile" in my truck...it's not a gps but they're cheap, and as long as you get one with a replaceable battery will last forever (provided you remember to keep the batteries changed)...

Obviously going to be more effective in densely populated area's ... If you've never heard of them it's a pretty neat concept...not technically a gps, more of a mesh network...

https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/blo...ycle-with-tile

 

@timmyboy76 and I spent a little while shooting text messages with wiring diagrams and ideas back and forth this morning. I had mentioned that I was going to install a SPST switch into the IDM ground circuit, but didn't really want to mess with a critical circuit of the truck and run another wire through the firewall. He mentioned that we (ZF6 owners) could accomplish the same thing as cutting the IDM ground via the clutch pedal position (CPP) circuit. By splicing a SPST switch into either the WHT/PNK or DK BLU/ORG wires off the clutch pedal switch you would be installing a kill switch into the truck without messing with the IDM circuit. This also allows wires to originate and terminate inside the cab, which is always a bonus.

Editing the picture originally posted by Timmyboy76, I have circled the two wires that either would need to be spliced into. The WHT/PNK wire comes from the ignition and into the CPP. Leaving the CPP for a confirmation of the clutch position and for the truck the start is the DK BLU/ORG wire.

Install a SPST switch into a hidden place of your choice and you are good to go. I plan to install one before our next trip cross country in the spring.

Easy peasy for ZF6 drivers.

 

To add options.

Ravelco - pricy but would take hours to defeat and have to go in and out of the truck in the wire harness even if they know the product.

Jimmy Jammers - locks the plastic tumblers to a metal blocker plate to prevent slim jims popping the lock bar, and prevents the use of
screw driver busting out the tumbler..

I have them both, both the tumbler locks are busted from thieves trying to bust in.. So the Jimmy Jammers have worked. No test for the Ravelco
yet, but from others that have had break-ins successful, their trucks were parked where they left them even off the column is all messed up..
Folks say Ravelco is expensive, but then complain when a more simple and cheaper solution is breached and have to get a new truck.. Simple
insurance knowing they cant beat the Ravelco..

I used the Cyclops until I have to replace two remotes and then the relay was freaking out and would shut my truck down while I was driving. Cyclops
can be beat if they know it is there and just have a relay to replace it. Yea they have to open the hood so that would stop most of the quick pop
and go thefts, but if they felt secure enough it would be quick.. I would never advertise the Cyclops on the outside of the truck as it would just
say the way to get it going with a relay. Maybe Cyclops and a kill switch? Multi level is the best option I guess.. I have Ravelco on my doors as
if they know the system they would pass on the truck.

The steering wheel locks are easy for then to cut, or just cut the steering wheel to get it off, and it is known to the thief to bring a cutter to disable it. Just
10-seconds to breach.

 

DMD, what was the price of the Ravelco and did you install it yourself or does it need to be installed by a "certified" dealer?

 

If the vehicle won't crank the thief is very likely to search for a kill switch. If it cranks but won't start he might also look for one. If it starts and then dies out he'll likely think it's broken and move on to another one.

On one car I installed a switch in line with the oil pressure switch, the computer uses that to 'see' that the engine is running and power the fuel pump. With the switch off the pump will prime, engine starts, then sputters out. If you re-try it'll just keep doing the same. That might not work on a PS, I don't know what the computer uses to see that the engine is running. I assume it'll start and run for a little bit without even priming, if so you can just install a kill in the wire to the pump. If it won't you can install a timed relay in the fuel pump feed so it only runs for a couple seconds at key on then stops. You hit your hidden switch and by-pass the timer.

Might be able to install a kill in the accelerator pedal sensor so it's start but have no acceleration.

Something real simple, you can install a switch that sends ignition power or starter power to the horn, that should make him stop trying.

I've done other stuff like a switch that'll stick the trans in low, a switch that'll activate a rev limiter at idle speed, etc. that won't work on a PS.

Magnetic switches are great for hiding a switch. Install it behind a panel somewhere and the thief won't have a clue. Put your magnet to the panel and you're up & running. Before discovering them I did a four switch panel on a car with the switches mixed right side up and upside down so some had to be up and others down for them to all be closed, very unlikely for someone to know they're all kill switches in series and extremely unlikely to hit the right combination even if they know. Another hidden in plain sight idea is a microphone jack wired into the fuel pump, ignition, or starter. Insert your shorted microphone plug and it closes the circuit. At a truck shop I worked at we wired a latching relay set-up into the ECU power. To start the engine you had to turn the key on, tap the windshield washer button (or any other thing you wanna plug it into) then it would power the ECU. There's tons of easy things you can do on the cheap that raise the difficulty level.

If you can disable the vehicle, leave nothing of value in it, and leave the doors unlocked you don't even have to deal with broken glass or doors. They step in, fail, and leave.

 

Looks like it has to be installed by a certified dealer. The cost in my area was $500
https://www.ravelcooftherockies.com/pricing/

 

Yes, has to be installed by a dealer.

Any multi level system (even self made) will deter a thief if it causes enough delay. The Ravelco disables the fuel pump, starter, and I believe the IDM.