Locking an F-250

[KrazyKarl02]

So today while I was eating my lunch at the local Taco Bell some jack ass broke into my truck. I have a 99 F-250, for those that do not know using a flat head screw driver you can push the lock down and the door pops open.

Only good thing is I had nothing in the truck, the people stole my change out of my cup holder, did not touch the radio or my little bag of tools I keep in the truck.

This is the second time my truck has been broken into, and this time it was in broad day light. Anyone know if there is a kit or something that strengthens the lock? If not I might have to get an alarm or something???

[Sharpe]

Booby trap it.

[Fredo]

Does it have a keyless entry remote?

If so, pop the door panels off and remove the mechanical linkage between the manual lock cylinder and the door latch, but not the one between the solenoid and the locking mechanism on the latch....just make sure your battery is always up on your remote.

[Reckless]

Pitbull with AIDS?

[robertf03]

Tom Shepherd’s Vehicle-Dependant Expedition Guide he talks about adding two brackets to the doors and using a padlock so the bushmen can't break into your car while on safari.

Do you think these are bushmen you are dealing with?

[rockfrawg]

it took me a little while to find this cuz i couldnt remember the manuf name even tho I used to sell them...

http://www.jimmijammer.com

fixes the problems the manufacturer leaves in

here's the link straight to the Ford section

http://www.jimmijammer.com/JJ%20description,%20103000.htm

it talks about putting rear door handles up front to eliminate the lock cylinder all together...but like Fredo said, make sure the keyless entry remote always has good batteries

[eight]

Scott's friend Jeremy did the rear door handle thing. I should be doing the same soon.

Apparently the keypad on the door has a backup battery so you can unlock the doors even with a dead battery. Of course you must roll high to have one of those.

[CheapJeep]

Man that sucks.

Since March my dad has had 2 encounters with break-ins on his new truck. First time was at subway off shepherd, someone shoved a prybar between the plastic outer door handle piece and ripped a 1/4"x3" gash in the sheetmetal but they didn't get in and his alarm didn't go off. The second time was at his office on a Monday at 7a.m. He has one of those fancy remote keyless entry things that beeps when someone tries to break in and it went off. He ran outside and saw some canadian jump in his car after trying to get the radar detector and edge module from the dash. Probably not the smartest thing but my dad got in his truck and chased the canadian in an older black ford taurus but lost him on a side street once they got in the hood near Yale... The guy had used one of those lock bump/smasher things and busted the lock and plastic around the already gashed door. I'll mention that the same technique was used on my dad's old suburban (ranch rig now) while he was staying at a motel in San Antonio one time and before that the rear side window was knocked out while at a meeting at George R. Brown.

An employee at his company had his F250 stolen in broad daylight only a couple days after my dad's truck was broken into. It was recovered in Corpus with no real damage or loss.

Dad has decided to take out the whole lock/key cylinder and replace it with a stove bolt as well as steel plate around the door handle to reinforce the sheetmetal.

[BroncoJo]

I need to look into doing something too. My best advice is drive a beat up looking truck with nothing fancy showing.

[KrazyKarl02]

I need to look into doing something too. My best advice is drive a beat up looking truck with nothing fancy showing.

Have you seen my truck, 99 F250, 206,000 miles. Dents in the front and rear bumper. Dents in the bed. Scratches on the hood from where a railroad crossing flag came down on it. Plus I have to drive about 1/2 mile on dirt roads every day, so the car is eternally dirty.....

I think the amigos drive around parking lots looking for these truck cause they are so ridiculously easy to get into.

[Seth]

For the last two years or so, I have left my vehicles unlocked 90 percent of the time. Maybe even more.

[BroncoJo]

Have you seen my truck, 99 F250, 206,000 miles. Dents in the front and rear bumper. Dents in the bed. Scratches on the hood from where a railroad crossing flag came down on it. Plus I have to drive about 1/2 mile on dirt roads every day, so the car is eternally dirty.....

I think the amigos drive around parking lots looking for these truck cause they are so ridiculously easy to get into.

Maybe you need a bigger presence in the hood? I know these trucks are rediculously easy to brake into, the door locks only keap the honest people honest.

[agjohn02]

For the last two years or so, I have left my vehicles unlocked 90 percent of the time. Maybe even more.

and you dont keep anything of value inside so you just never know when they "break" in, dont find anything then shut the door.

does it count if your vehicle was on jack stands for two years?

[uglyota]

Full Detroit...wait, what?