Steering Wheel Lock Service San Antonio, TX

Getting to Know Your Steering Wheel Lock San Antonio

If you are new to steering wheel locks, then you may wonder how they work and why they are essential for properly securing your car. Right now, thieves are looking at easy target cars and yours might be one of them. The steering wheel lock is an automatic turn-off for thieves, they would much prefer a car without one as they are a headache to get off for anyone who doesn’t have a key and you can’t move the car without taking it off. They see the bar across the steering wheel and just keep walking. Having one really is a good deterrent and we will talk about it a little later. In newer models of cars, you may be surprised to learn that they now come with an inbuilt steering lock system. They are not physically displayed so they may not be as much of a hindrance to the unwary thief, but they do the job in a similar way. Maybe you have noticed a clicking noise as you support yourself on the steering wheel when moving to get out of the car? If you then try to move the wheel you will see that it is almost impossible. You have effectively set a deadlock on your wheel, only to be released by entering the correct key into the ignition, leaning on the wheel in the direction it allows you to while starting the car up.

A History in Keeping You Safe

Such devices as The Club have been keeping your steering wheel locked for decades. It’s the ancestor to almost all locks for the steering wheel and it is still going strong today. Many are interested in knowing that it was not a car manufacturer that came up with this ingenious design. Manufacturers incorporate it into their cars now but that was not the case in the beginning. The idea came from a soldier in the Korean war, James E. Winner Jr., who was told to lock the vehicles’ steering wheels with a chain. The idea was simple: immobilization of the wheel stops the enemy from taking our vehicles. The manufactured version turned out to be a hardened steel bar placed in such a way over the wheel and brakes that it makes it impossible to steer the car or brake. Simple but effective. The next ideas were offshoots but based on the same principle. One design was made from two interlocking pieces that lock over the wheel with a large piece jutting out obstructing any movement of the wheel. The locks are not infallible, however, as The Club and subsequent designs can be removed by getting a hacksaw and chopping off part of the steering wheel, but that is not the most common response from car thieves. Usually, they prefer their cars intact so they are able to quickly sell the car on before it is missed.

Nothing Deters As a Steering Wheel Locked

Not just a normal inbuilt lock but a visible locking system. Yes, there is no substitute for a chunk of steel. In fact, when the steering wheel craze was ebbing away in a higher end of the UK, there were reportedly many more cars being stolen. Why? That clear message was not being given to the thieves, who had learned how to clone car keys and override new technology in the Immediate Response Locksmith Service. They could bypass all of the security systems quite easily and relatively quietly without having to hack off a chunky steering wheel lock. What did the police do? They started to encourage people to buy steering wheel locks near me again. Preferably in bright colors to send a real warning to anyone who is paying your vehicle a little too much attention. The main two deterring locks for the steering wheel include the Wrap and Club types. The Wrap creates a nice butterfly shape over the wheel, complete with an anti-turn bar protruding from the butterfly. The power tool approach is the only way to unofficially release this one. The Club type lock is mostly like the original Club design mentioned above, but some designs come without the brake locking feature. If you are looking for something more sturdy to go in a larger sized car, SUV or a pickup truck, then you are probably going to be looking for a variety of this model. There have been many made in longer and stronger designs and materials. This will add to the price but there really is no substitute for the proper protection of your hard-earned valuables and property. At Locksmith San Antonio, we hate crime and make it our business to protect our customers at all times, whether they are at home, in their place of business or on the road.

Other Ways We Can Help

If you have your steering wheel locked, have lost the keys and are looking for a qualified locksmith to remove it for you, then you have come to the right place. Immediate Response Locksmith San Antonio has a qualified technician to remove any kind of locks. Do not attempt to do it yourself as there are many wild ideas on the internet and most of them do not work. Some advice will tell you to force the lock by means of a screwdriver, others will tell you to use Freon gas to freeze the lock. These are examples of bad advice. They will result in severe damage to yourself or your steering wheel, possibly a broken windshield or a costly deployment of your airbag. If you choose the gas method, you could suffer a frozen finger as one of the better case scenarios. Good advice would tell you to call our brilliantly trained professionals that come insured so you don’t have to worry about a thing. They will come with all the right tools in under 30 minutes at the latest. As our team is trained to leave instantly and have mastered the art of dependable quality workmanship, you are in safe hands.