Anti-Theft Recommendations
- Thread starter TMac
- Start date
alpineovernappa
Member
I taped a $25 apple AirTag under mine as cheap insurance. They may steal it, but it increases my odds of finding it if they do
STICK SHIFT most of the fucking idiots society is turning out nowadays cant drive one!
Yes, lots of things can be easily stolen but that has nothing to do with how fast a hacksaw will cut through the cast aluminum base hoop of a TJ steering wheel.
Hmm.... is that why there were so many shady characters buying our old mattresses at our recent garage sale? We sold a CA King.... somebody got a Gold Wing out that that....
The way my wife slowed down the theft of her cherry 87 Cherokee was it never had any gas in it and it was recovered about a half mile from the house parked on the side of the road, she spotted it on the way to the grocery store, she called me and I went over armed and she drove it home. The cops called three days later and asked her again where she had seen it, she told them don’t bother we picked it up about 20 minutes after she called it in. They advised her to let them handle it next time. WTF!
I just use a motion activated light at night and a sign under it. 
TheGanzman
TJ Enthusiast
Cordless power tools - virtually ubiquitous now - have made "theft" SO much easier! Not just entire vehicles, but components (can you say "Where's my catalytic convertor?"). I grew up in New Jersey in the '60's & '70's, where vehicle/component theft was a virtual "art form". I can't EVEN count the # of times I would see a vehicle "up on blocks" - either cinder blocks, cut chunks of railroad ties, or if the vehicle owner was REALLY unlucky - his vehicle sitting directly on its axles/brake drums/rotors on the asphalt - wheels and tires prolly already resold. Locking steering columns? BFD! A can of freon and a slide hammer made THAT anti-theft "protection" go by the wayside in ~60 seconds; maybe 120 seconds on a Mercedes or BMW that used stronger alloys in their respective steering columns. One of my grade school/high school hoodlum classmates had a 20+ "career" in high-end "Special Order" vehicle thefts - he and his crew virtually "invented" a brilliant method for stealing/stripping vehicles; to wit: He bought a rollback wrecker, then had a box truck body built all around the rollback portion. This made it appear to be a simple box truck delivery/service vehicle. The Cherry on the Sundae was the dozen or so magnetic signs he had made for the doors (and of course a half dozen different license tags to complement same). He was finally caught when a perceptive toll booth attendant noticed antifreeze dripping from the backside of one of his rollback/box trucks - FINALLY busted after a very successful run...
No one is gonna protect themselves from THAT kind of theft by anything but blind luck. Having said that, the factory SKIM system should stop most amateur thieves (snatch & grabber's, meth-heads, etc.). A tracking device - even a burner phone buried w/in the bowels of a vehicle - is a great add-on. And it's prolly not too paranoid to get one of those multi-cabled catalytic convertor "guards" to rest a little easier. After that, perhaps "prayer" might get you a "bye" on YOUR vehicle being stolen...N'ah!
No one is gonna protect themselves from THAT kind of theft by anything but blind luck. Having said that, the factory SKIM system should stop most amateur thieves (snatch & grabber's, meth-heads, etc.). A tracking device - even a burner phone buried w/in the bowels of a vehicle - is a great add-on. And it's prolly not too paranoid to get one of those multi-cabled catalytic convertor "guards" to rest a little easier. After that, perhaps "prayer" might get you a "bye" on YOUR vehicle being stolen...N'ah!
With my wrangler, I pull the fuel pump relay in the fuse box under the hood and drop it into a slot next to it that is an open circuit, or I put it in my pocket when we leave it in a ginky place for any length of time. It’s not as easy as a kill switch but is very effective. I was out of town and my wife decided she was gong to take my Jeep for a few errands and “No Bueno” she called me sheepishly and said she thinks she hurt the Jeep cause it won’t start, I let her wiggle a bit before I let her off the hook. Not as easy as other methods but a damn lot easier then replacing the old girl. After reading of all the issues others have had with theirs, I must say I was really lucky and got one that just hasn’t given me any reason to regret the purchase, we have bonded and I would really hate to lose her at this point. My family has instructions to bury me in her.
Would agree that a seasoned professional who really wants your ride, is going to get it under most circumstances. So I think it probably is more about “deter” than completely “prevent”. And then the question of how convenient or inconvenient. I think one deterrent that wouldn’t be too inconvenient is the hidden kill switch option (and not too pricey) or possibly run a battery cut-off switch (the smaller types used on boats with just on/off setting like https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Car-SU...d=link&campid=5337789113&toolid=20001&mkevt=1 ) and mount it were its hidden but accessible (possibly under or on the back side of the front bumper). Of course someone with some mechanical sense could figure that out, but would take more time to trace wire, etc. which a thief in a hurry wouldn’t like. The electronic tracker would be a good Plan B for a quicker recovery also.
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Maybe a better version of one of these would work. I doubt something under $100 would put up a good enough fight. But maybe?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MK1ZZYJ/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MK1ZZYJ/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Time is the enemy of any thief. One of the best things you can do is make someone else would be a better target.
The other day I had to leave my trailer out front for a couple days.
So I installed a lock on the hitch. And chained 2 tires.....any one is a quick cut but with 3 different things it makes people think of bob down the street that only has 1
While I have no doubt that someone who wanted my trailer was going to steal it. It does stop the guy who was not prepared.
The same goes for my jeep. I always use a club. It won't stop someone who is planning for it. But it will stop the guy who only has a screw driver.
The other day I had to leave my trailer out front for a couple days.
So I installed a lock on the hitch. And chained 2 tires.....any one is a quick cut but with 3 different things it makes people think of bob down the street that only has 1
While I have no doubt that someone who wanted my trailer was going to steal it. It does stop the guy who was not prepared.
The same goes for my jeep. I always use a club. It won't stop someone who is planning for it. But it will stop the guy who only has a screw driver.
Battery isolator switch is the easiest way to go, all our work machinery and vehicle's have them, most new employees cant find them even though ours are big silver switches and show an on off position lol.
If its not a random opportunistic theft then you wont stop the thief with any type of security.
Funny how TJ,s always start for thieves lol.
If its not a random opportunistic theft then you wont stop the thief with any type of security.
Funny how TJ,s always start for thieves lol.
Electric fence transformer connected to the body...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W43XZHH/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W43XZHH/?tag=wranglerorg-20
I've always thought this would be pretty effective....
The way they work is every iPhone is a relay. So if they drive through any populated area the network is already there.
That said, if I was going to put these types of measures in my Jeep - I'd do a bunch of redundant systems hoping that the their would feel smart after they found the first one and give up then.