Tips to prevent car wheel theft

Car theft of any kind is not a pleasant experience. Whether it’s a smashed window to steal goods left on the seat, stealing the car itself or stealing wheels off the car – which happens more than you think – theft isn’t something you want to experience.

A car with things on display is especially tempting to thieves. Wallet, phone, cash, laptop, even just a pair of sunglasses. Thieves will be thieves, and these goods come with the added bonuses of a free ride home if they take the car too. But sometimes all a thief needs is a set of wheels they can grab. Here are some ways to prevent the threat of wheel theft.

1. Park your car in a closed garage whenever possible. The garage acts as a barrier that must be bypassed, and it is enough to deter thieves most of the time.
2. Install a car alarm with sensors that attach to the wheels. The alarm detects when the car is tilted and the wheel sensors also detect when the wheels are being tampered with.
3. Park in a busy area when in a public place. The more cars and pedestrians pass by where you park, the less likely it is that thieves will want to risk being caught stealing wheels or tires in the area. If possible, park where there are surveillance cameras.
4. Lock the wheels when parking. This makes it more difficult to remove the wheels as it prevents thieves from turning the wheels forward again without a key in the ignition.
5. Use wheel chocks on each wheel, including the spare. The locks fit each wheel and make it very difficult to remove the wing nuts without a wrench. It is important that you never lose your key as you will need it in the event of a flat tire. However, the lock greatly reduces the risk of losing wheels and tires. Wing nut blocks are also useful as they require a specially sized wrench to remove. However, nut locks can be melted quickly with a blowtorch to fit a normal wrench, so they are not as effective as wheel locks.

In general, to reduce the chances of your car being stolen, you need to make the thief nervous about the time it will take them to steal. The longer it takes to get into the car, the more likely the thief will be caught. First, take common-sense precautions to deter theft. Make sure you lock your car at all times, especially if it’s parked unattended. Do not open the windows or roof when you are not in the vehicle.

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