Some kind of lock

[The Badger]

Ideas really on how it make the truck more secure

[Litch]

There are loads of things you can do but it depends on whether you want mechanical, electronic or a mixture of both.

At the end of the day a serious thief could just bypass any device and simply take the vehicle away on a low-loader (in which case you are looking at something like a Tracker to help you get it back) so I think we have to limit ourselves to items that will stop both the opportunist who sees your vehicle on the side of the road and takes a fancy to it and the more serious one who watches your vehicle over a period of time plans his theft in advance.

When parking at home you can't beat a serious security post, the Centinal C1 is fantastic (made by the same peope who make the Clutch Claw) and will prevent all but the most determined thief taking away your pride & joy. Not cheap at nearly £200 but quality counts. Put it like this, I was so impressed I bought one, my father protects his £80K motorcaravan with one and several car dealers & garages in this area use them.

On a similar line you could consider a wheel-clamp but LR wheels are large and most clamps are a bit lightweight to resist a serious attack. Heavy duty clamps are available but they are just that, big & heavy to use!

For the vehicle itself there are plenty of options, some of mine I have listed below.

1. Alarm & imobilisor, there are plenty of options so if you decide to go down this route you will have to do your homework well. An approved one should give you a discount on your insurance.

2. An FIA master switch. Not just a safety feature but also a very simple security device, likewise a simple switch somewhere in the cab which isolates the ignition or fuel-solenoid would have a similar effect.

3. Clutch Claw or other peddle-lock device. I have used a Clutch-Claw for several years now and it is very effective while being easy to fit & remove. If you don't have the key I can see that you would spend some time with an angle-grinder cutting through the thing and while you are doing this you are making a lot of noise.

4. Steering wheel lock / removeable steering-wheel. Unless you get a bulky device which covers the whole wheel, a LR steering-wheel is actually very easy to remove with the aid of a simple puller. I decided to go the whole hog and fit a Snap-Off adapter as this allows the wheel to be removed and taken away with you. Ah you say, what stops them just fitting another wheel (if they have one that is!) or just using Mole-Grips on the top of the column? The Snap-Off adapter is fitted to the boss using security screws and the size & shape of the mounting prevents 'Moles getting a purchase. Given enough time they could bypass this (if they have the tools that is) but you can say that about anything.

5. Improved door-locks. I am not aware of aftermarket door-locks that fit neatly into the door itself so all you can do is shield the mechanism with an alloy sheet and disconnect the rod that connects the mechanism from the pop-up latch. This means they have to force the lock to open the door but in my case it is a soft-top so they could just climb through from the back anyway. If your locks are worn then it is common knowledge that almost any key will open them but new barrels are very cheap and easy to replace.

[western]

clutch claw info

[The Badger]

ok, cool

I have

1. Alarm & imobilisor.

And will add the:

2. An FIA master switch. What is the best way to keep the alarm going if I fit this.

3. Clutch Claw, can fit this.

thanks for the info.

[Trevor Wright]

Anyone know of any retailers for the Clutch Claw ?

I have asked Centinel for this info and will post an update when they come back to me.

Thanks

[Porny]

Anyone know of any retailers for the Clutch Claw ?

I have asked Centinel for this info and will post an update when they come back to me.

Thanks

Clutch claw... how does that stop your driving the car??

Drive clutchless and use the handbrake to slow down.

I prefer a full metal jacket - as it covers the accelerator pedal too - http://www.rs-laser-cutting.co.uk/fullmetaljacket.htm

Ian

[Trevor Wright]

Anyone know of any retailers for the Clutch Claw ?

I have asked Centinel for this info and will post an update when they come back to me.

Thanks

UPDATE:

Centinel replied to my enquiry regarding suppliers:

"Rogers of Bedford, Bedfordshire

White Arches Caravans, Northamptonshire

Alternatively, you can buy direct from us with a credit card over the phone on the

number below (0161-652-7080).

The clutch claw costs £89.95 which includes VAT.

Postage will be £5" (to UK addresses)

[Holyzeus]

Does anyone else have experience of the Full Metal Jacket?

[mike4444244]

one of my vapour security projects is going to be a simple plate piano hinged to the floor in the dirvers footwell, when you park just hinge it up to a waiting padlock and hasp on the bulkhead and hey presto all the pedals locked away, probably easy to bypass but iit will be cheap and it adds another layer to the 'onion of security'.... yes i did just make that up

mike

[Litch]

Clutch Claw is also available from Screwfix but I personally went the firms owner and bought direct from him (he lives about 1/2 mile from Billing).

I suppose it might be possible to drive a vehicle with the brake & clutch peddles locked into position but just how do you do it?

Engaging gear is probably going to stall the thing and starting it in gear would have you kangerooing down the road while the engine trys to catch. Disengaging the gears to slow down (while fiddling with the handbrake at the same time!) is going to be equally exciting and I don't really think that anyone would try to drive the vehicle off with one in place.

Removing the Clutch Claw isn't as simple as you may think either, a single cut with an angle grinder will not free it from the peddles, multiple cuts would be required and while all this is going on you are making one hell of a noise.

Like I said in my earlier post, you can do so much but at the end of the day they might just carry the vehicle away bypassing all security devices.

Use a perminant fused supply to feed the alarm & immobiliser. It only has to be able to support a very low current so a small fuse is used and it can be taken from either the battery or from the perm +VE side of the FIA switch.

[BigMac1]

At the minute i'm looking for some sort of security devices aswell.

Alarm is one of the main ones i'd suggest as its noise i an attraction many people making a potential thief think twice. Ideally you need many little things you can think of just to slow a thief down either so they give up or until someone has a chance to see them.

The Clutch Claw is a great idea, but unfortuanltly for anyone who knows what their doing it really isn't hard to drive without a clutch. As for the brake, the roads arent that busy at the times vehicles normally go missing or it could just be driven onto a trailer or low loader around the corner.

I was thinking along the lines of a line locker to lock the brakes on but this isn't ideal keeping the brakes under pressure for long periods of time.

Some people have used a heavy duty chain and padlock fron the steering wheel to a pedal but bolt croppers would make short work or a poor chain/lock. Removing the steering wheel with a pop ofd steering wheel is a good idea as you cant drive easily without one of those!

Any futher suggestions i'd like to hear as i think vehilce theft is becoming more common these days.......

Regards

Mick

[Porny]

Clutch Claw is also available from Screwfix but I personally went the firms owner and bought direct from him (he lives about 1/2 mile from Billing).

I suppose it might be possible to drive a vehicle with the brake & clutch peddles locked into position but just how do you do it?

Engaging gear is probably going to stall the thing and starting it in gear would have you kangerooing down the road while the engine trys to catch. Disengaging the gears to slow down (while fiddling with the handbrake at the same time!) is going to be equally exciting and I don't really think that anyone would try to drive the vehicle off with one in place.

Removing the Clutch Claw isn't as simple as you may think either, a single cut with an angle grinder will not free it from the peddles, multiple cuts would be required and while all this is going on you are making one hell of a noise.

Like I said in my earlier post, you can do so much but at the end of the day they might just carry the vehicle away bypassing all security devices.

Use a perminant fused supply to feed the alarm & immobiliser. It only has to be able to support a very low current so a small fuse is used and it can be taken from either the battery or from the perm +VE side of the FIA switch.

Sorry.... But I disagree...

I have driven numerous Land Rovers when the clutch as failed, and it is far from impossible... infact if you want to show off, you can even use high and low.

With the engine off, simply engage first gear and turn the key - with an application of the throttle you will soon be moving with very little kangerooring.

The you just need to get the revs/speed right to go into second etc etc... and then using the correct revs and speed you can easily come back down the gearbox.

With a little bit of practice all of this can be done very smoothly... not that anyone would really care if they were nicking your Land Rover.

As for the immobilser/alarm...

Regardless of what immobilser you have any pre Td5 (and that isn't too hard to get round) is very easy to get started with just a length of wire or two lengths if you don't want to jump start it.

And to anyone who says.. well I have a battery cut off. Well.. try connecting a 9v PP9 battery, or better still, a nice little motorcylcle battery to the fuel cut solenoid and listen for the click.

Although if you have an aftermarket alarm the siren will be going off... in theory... and if you have a Td5 setup with just the two horns (and not the battery backup) then they may or may not be going off ... it depends if someone has slashed your plastic wheel spat.

You can only do so much and make it awkward for people to pinch. But if someone wants your Land Rover, they will take it. Just go for the best mechanical and electronic security you can.

And before anyone states that I've given information away etc etc... what I've stated is nothing new... and is based on basic mechancial knowledge, and buying bits from stolen recovered Land Rovers from various breakers. (I always try and work out how the LR has been pinched - which is pretty sad I know!!!)

Ian

[Mo Murphy]

Whilst fitting the pedal lock one day, the good lady asked me why I bothered, who'd want to nick THAT Let's hope everyone else thinks like her

Mo

[Top90]

Does anyone else have experience of the Full Metal Jacket?

I used to have something similar. You really need one where the mechanism engages at both ends, otherwise you can lever the end away from the lock open enough to get the pedals out.... I lost my key one day and it took me a minute to do it with a crowbar.

I don't personally know if the Full Metal Jacket does this or is stronger metal to compensate, but worth baring in mind.

[Night Train]

I mentioned in another thread about some of the security I had on my S3.

The gear lever snapped off at the base one day so I welded on a twist lock byonett socket and made a 20mm diameter hardened steel gear lever that was removable. When I parked up I removed the gear lever and inserted it into a welded socket in the foot well that allowed me to bar the three pedals and then pad lock it in place. The gear lever went under the clutch, over the depressed brake and under the accelerator.

The transfer box lever was then shifted to neutral and padlocked onto a 6mm plate welded to the side of the bulkhead.

I had a keypad isolator under the seat where it could be felt but the numbers not seen, a hidden keyswitch inside the dash panel and a keyswitch inside the front wing. The key switches and keypad didn't just isolate the electrics to the engine but also cross wired all the lights and horn so nothing functioned.

There was also a very loud and penetrating bull horn on its own battery in the dash so once it was sounded it was complicated to switch off and deafening to the driver.

I did similar to an MGB and included a fuel pipe shut off valve. I also pushed the seat fully forward and padlocked the seat runner under the seat and then fliped the seatback onto the steering wheel and U locked the head rest to the steering wheel. The head rest on an MGB is really difficult to remove.

Where we parked the company vans at night we also chained the axles to the road and chained the vans back to back.

Things we thought of but didn't do as it would have been illegal was razor wire in the dash to deter hotwiring and, the best untried idea, the noose of piano wire fitted around the foot well with the loose end passed through a hole in the floor and attached to a drive shaft. As the thief drives away the noose tightens around their ankles...

...then you just have to identify the feet and trainers left in the footwell as you follow the trail of blood down the road.

[Night Train]

The Full Metal Jacket sounds like a pedal box I used to have in the late 70's early 80's. It was just a steel box that with slots for the pedals on one side that could be placed under the pedals. The lid was another overlapping box that went over the first box trapping the pedals with two layers of steel. The corners were rounded so that it couldn't be easily attacked.

The top and bottom sections were held together with a bar that went from the base of the bottom box through the top of the lid. The top and bottom were held apart by a coil spring and there was a knob attached to the bar where it came through the lid. The lock was a slam shut latch inside the box.

It was simple to use single handed. Slip the box over the pedals, place both feet over the lid of the box and pull on the knob drawing the bottom of the box up and locking it. The lock was in a position that made it difficult to attack with a drill when it was fitted.

[SteveG]

I'm glad no one has suggested a tracker, they usually do , as they are a complete waste of money on a Defender.

For me personally, I know I couldn't be bothered to fit a clutch claw, full metal jacket everytime. Maybe when I'm parking it up at night or in a car park all day, but when I pop into sainsbury's etc, probably not.

So my suggestion is going to be a mechlock from MudStuff - It's key operated, so it's easy to set all the time, and it engages the clutch so there is no drive. You can also get it in a 4 port version and plumb it into brakes and clutch lines. You could cut the lines but you'd be driving it with no clutch and no brakes. It's not foolproof as you could stick it on a trailer but then what is?

It's more expensive, but it's easy to use and very secure and only has to work once to pay for itself.

Cheers

Steve

[The Badger]

Hello

Thanks for all the info, tis true with the full metal jacket I could also not be that arsed to fit is every time, nipping to shop etc etc.

That mud stuff lock looks nice and simple as a solution and easily set. Every lock is breakable, every system is bi-passable, the trick here is to stop semi-pros. As pro's would have a HiAb...

thanks for the tips.

[Night Train]

The pedal lock I used to have fitted in a second and removed in a second as it was so well designed. The removable gear stick was something I took with me if I was only stopped for a while.

Ultimately, when I was working in London it was less trouble to use the security everytime then it was to locate a stolen vehicle and replace all the missing gear.

[Litch]

This thread has gone the way of all the similar threads that have run over the years and someone not in the know could just read this and think 'what's the point of fitting any security device?' as there is always a way around it if you have the time, tools & experience. For that reason I think it might be a good time to re-post the first paragraph of my initial reply at the top of the thread to try and keep some kind of perspective.

"There are loads of things you can do but it depends on whether you want mechanical, electronic or a mixture of both.

At the end of the day a serious thief could just bypass any device and simply take the vehicle away on a low-loader (in which case you are looking at something like a Tracker to help you get it back) so I think we have to limit ourselves to items that will stop both the opportunist who sees your vehicle on the side of the road and takes a fancy to it and the more serious one who watches your vehicle over a period of time plans his theft in advance".

Just for the record, on my own vehicle the FIA key is removed every time I remove the ignition key (even though they are not situated near each other) and the Clutch-Claw is used each time I leave the vehicle apart from when I pay for fuel or pop into the papershop for 2-minutes. The operation of these items is a matter of seconds and I don't consider it any hassle at all. The steering-wheel tends to stay on unless I am parked up overnight or if I am parked in a public area but this is not due to the fact it takes time to operate (about 5-seconds in actual fact) but carrying even a 12-inch wheel is not always practical.

Overkill? Maybe it is but it is my vehicle and I want to keep it so I take the measures I am comfortable with.

[BigMac1]

Litch,

Where did you get the removeable steering wheel kit from and how much was it, if you don't mind me asking? Does it use your original steering wheel or do you need a different one with a sperate boss?

Any details appreciated,

Cheers.

[Litch]

The adapter that allows the quick removal is called a 'Snap-Off' adapter. Many car accessory shops sell them but I found the cheapest place was the 'Raid' on-line shop on Ebay (about £60 + P&P when I bought mine).

Fitment can be a bit confusing (it took me a while to understand how it all went together) so I will try to make it as straight-forward as I can. Also understand that the combination of the boss & adapter brings the wheel closer to the driver and your fingers further away from the stalks, I am more than happy with this but some people may not like it.

You can't use your existing wheel as the Snap-Off adpater only fits wheels that have the aftermarket industry standard '6-hole' pattern. The 6-hole pattern refers to ther number of fixing holes that fix the wheel to the boss but this must not be confused with the Mountney 'Classic' range that is very popular on LR's as the 6-mounting holes on these are a different pattern (confused yet, you will be?).

Ok, you have your Snap-Off adapter and you have chosen a wheel from the vast range of wheels that have the 6-hole pattern (I bought a 12-inch 3-spoke alloy wheel with leather trim from Raid when I ordered the Snap-Off adapter) so now you need to get the boss that allows this little lot to fit the steering column. Normally the boss fits the column and the wheel attaches to that but the Snap-Off adapter fits between these two and allows them to be separated with the turn of a key. Raid don't sell the boss but once again, when you have identified which one you need you can buy it from most car accessory shops. I used a Mountney boss as like I said, the 6-hole pattern is industry standard so you can use any make of boss you like.

IMPORTANT:- You MUST identify how many splines you have on your column before you order the boss, don't try to work out how many you SHOULD have, take the wheel off and see how many you HAVE got (it will have either 36 of 48 splines), a simple puller is made in 10-minutes and you would be very unlucky indeed to find it takes more than a few minutes to remove the wheel using this.

Having identified how many splines I had, I rang the Mouney helpdesk as although they don't sell direct to the public, they worked out which boss I needed so I could just order it from the dealer.

Fit the boss to the column and attach the fixed section of the Snap-Off adapter to this (I used security screws), you attach the locking section of the Snap-Off adapter to the new wheel and hey presto, one removable wheel.

The 2-parts of the Snap-Off adapter are keyed together via lugs so you can't use mis-matched top & bottom sections. The wheel can be fitted without a key as the lock is sprung but you must use the key to remove it, there are also two sprung-loaded pins which help secure the two sections together and you pull these back with your fingers as you fit or remove the wheel (sounds awkward but believe me, it isn't).

All in all it is a very impressive set-up and a breeze to use, certainly everyone who sees it is very impressed and I think it is proving very popular (I fitted mine after seeing it on a friends LR).

[BigMac1]

Thanks for that Litch, a mod in the pipeline me thinks!

Mick

[G_Cam]

I'm glad no one has suggested a tracker, they usually do , as they are a complete waste of money on a Defender.

Steve

Why?

I have a removable steering wheel + a few other things to slow the process down in case any one tries to knick my 110. It may stop the opportunist...however....if they want it, they will get it. If they use a winch and trailer none of the 'stop you driving it' devices will work, they dont even need to open the doors, just attach a winch and drag it.

[mike4444244]

probably because defenders can be reduced to parts on ebay long before the plod get round to looking for it!

mike