How to Prevent Wheel Theft
Wheel theft is a common crime and one that can be easily prevented with a little bit of effort. This guide will show you how to secure your wheels so that they cannot be stolen. As someone who likes to take their bike out for a spin, you’re probably aware of the importance of keeping your wheels safe.
Unfortunately, wheel thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, so it’s important to be proactive in ensuring that your wheels don’t get stolen. Here are a few tips on how to prevent wheel theft. Read on to know more!
Five Reasons Why Car-Wheel Theft Happens
1. Easy To Steal:
Most cars are reduced in size. Cars are usually taken apart, moved, and reassembled somewhere else. The tires are left on the vehicle, making it easier for them to be stolen. Most cars are taken apart, moved, and reassembled somewhere else. The tires are left on the vehicle, making it easier for them to be stolen. They aren’t usually secure. Cars aren’t really secured.
2. Not Trackable:
There are no markings on the tires to distinguish them from other similar-looking vehicles. This makes it difficult for thieves to track down the vehicle’s owner.
3. Not Reported:
Even if they are reported, it is usually in a routine police report that doesn’t prioritize being solved quickly because of more important cases that need immediate attention. This is usually why the number of reported rapes is lower than the actual number of people raped. Until we make reporting rape more accessible and give the police more information about these cases, there will continue to be a very low rate of convictions for rape in this country.
4. Easy To Sell:
Tires have a high resale value. This means that thieves do not even have to sell the tires to get back their money from stealing them in the first place. Most tires that are stolen are sold to a tire recycling company. These companies will pay between $5 and $20 for each tire that they purchase. They then sell the metal from the tires to metal recycling companies, who pay much more than what the tire recycling company paid for them.
5. Parts Value:
The tire can be broken down into its parts. These parts have a high value on the market, meaning that thieves won’t go through a lot of trouble to take the wheel off a car if it is not bolted down properly. “The problem is that these parts are often stolen from the parking lot of an apartment complex or a shopping center,” said Lt. Darin Rasmussen, a spokesman for the Sandy Police Department. “There have been cases where people have had all four tires and rims stolen off their car.”
6. Personal Use:
Before selling the parts, it is also possible that they can be repurposed for use on other vehicles. In many cases, they can be used on other vehicles if the right model and year of the vehicle is selected. This could provide the owner with some money to help offset the cost of buying a new part.
8 Effective Ways on How To Prevent Wheel Theft
1. Park in High-Traffic Areas:
Always park your vehicle in areas that are highly trafficked. Places like gas stations, 24-hour convenience stores, public transportation locations, etc., are typically safe places to leave your vehicle for an extended period.
2. Use Wheel Locks:
Make sure you always place wheel locks on every one of the wheels if they don’t already come with them. This way, if someone decides to jack your car up and take the tires off, they won’t be able to drive away without those locks being destroyed.
3. Park In Your Driveway:
If you don’t have a garage, park in your driveway at night instead of out on the street. Someone could come along and hop your curb, take your wheels, and drive off before you even know what’s going on.
4. Park Your Vehicle On The Lawn:
If you have a very large yard with nothing to secure it with but a fence, consider parking your vehicle in the middle of the lawn, locked or unlocked. Then, if someone wanted to get in and drive away, they would have a much harder time doing so without the tires being ruined.
5. Park In Your Garage:
If you have access to a garage, make sure you use it every chance. No one can come along with some plyers and take off with your wheel locks.
6. Use Security Alarms:
Do it if you can get the wiring for security alarms installed in your vehicle. This will make would-be thieves think twice before even getting close to your car.
7. Secure Your Tires:
Use a good set of locking lug nuts to secure every one of your wheels in place. This way, if someone tries to jack up your vehicle for whatever reason, they won’t be able to take the tires with them unless they buy their locks as well.
8. Use a Detachable Spare Tire:
If you have a car that uses a detachable spare tire, invest in one of those wheel locks and make sure it stays attached to the vehicle at all times. If not, attach it before leaving the vehicle or park somewhere overnight.
Some Helpful Tips and Suggestions
1. Always secure your car as hard as possible, as some thieves will move on if they cannot find an easy target.
2. When at home or in a garage, always keep the wheels locked and secured to the vehicle with chains, etc., even if it’s just for a few hours of sleep.
3. Always park the car inside a secure garage if possible.
4. Ensure all lugs are safely tightened before each drive and ensure that the locking wheel nuts cannot be removed by a thief who might want to steal your vehicle and sell off the parts for profit.
5. Invest in high-quality locks and high-security wheel nuts. The more expensive it is, the harder for a thief to produce the tools and equipment required for theft.
6. When traveling, where possible, avoid leaving your car in unsecured public areas such as in the street or the local shopping center; that way you reduce the risk of having your wheels stolen when away from home.
How Do I Know if My Wheels Have Been Stolen
If you come back to your car and find that all your wheels are gone, it is a good indication that they have been stolen. However, sometimes thieves are clever enough to only take one or two wheels before fleeing the scene. It may be hard to tell if only some of your wheels are missing, but there are still ways you can tell.
If one or both of your lug nuts are missing, this is a good indication that they have been stolen. Likewise, if you find damage to the area where your wheels are attached, such as broken studs or bolts, this might be another sign that they have been taken.
Lastly, it’s always a good idea to look at all of your tires. If there is a large area of the tire where the tread has been worn down, this might also indicate that they have been stolen.
You Can Check It Out to: Attach Casters to Angle Iron
Conclusion
Wheel theft is a common problem, but there are ways to help prevent it. Using a wheel lock and taking other precautions can make it more difficult for thieves to steal your wheels. The best prevention for wheel theft is to invest in a high-quality lock and security system.
Talk with your mechanic about the right type of locking mechanism for your vehicle, and ask them for advice on keeping it safe from thieves.
Lock up when you’re not using it, take care of their tire pressure so they can’t be easily slashed or punctured by an attacker, and always park in well-lit areas. If you have any questions about how to prevent wheel theft or would like more information on wheel locks, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We would be happy to help!
Louis Wein
Louis has always been fascinated by cars. He loves the way they look, the sound of the engine, and how they make him feel when he's driving. He is always keen to learn more about different mechanics of cars and how the engine contributes to other aspects of the car. As an automotive technician with over 10 years of experience, he knew how they worked and loved taking them apart to see how they went back together. He was especially interested in the mechanics of combustion engines and loved finding ways to make them more efficient. He loves to work on cars and help people keep their vehicles running smoothly. As a senior editor, he enjoys contributing to Diy quickly because it allows him to share his knowledge and expertise with others.
