...last night as i was walking to my car. right now im really ****ed and a little anxious of future occurances, but more than anything i just wanna make sure it doesnt ever happen again. so can you guys let me know what are the best options for preventing something like this, AND any other general car vandalism/theft protection options.

what do you guys think about wheel lock, and where would be the best place to hide the key in the car?

please help -

Wheel locks would definitely be a good idea, I'm not sure about where to hide the key, probably locked in the glove compartment or something...You could also get a good alarm system that senses when the car is being touched, thats what I have. Sorry to hear about the incident, that would **** me off beyond belief, did you at least go after the guy/guys??

The cheapest way are wheel locks...

Well at least they didn't get away with the wheels like they did mine a few years ago

Did you have locks?

Locks are the cheapest rim theft deterrent there is, you can get a set for $8 at Trak Auto.

ran like the wind and got away like some ninja b4 i got a chance

Wheel locks are the best. i have mine hidden behind the sunroof control switche. (cover pops out, has some space)

It's not a good idea to chase people like that.

You never know what they're packing.

Glad they didn't get your rims.....

Just occurred to me...how was he going to get off with your rims without a car? He probably had to come back for his car.....it was probably around there somewhere.

Did you call the cops?

Shee!t...if it was me I would had myself some new wheels fo free!!!

buy sh!tty rims

If you have flossy rims and park outside at wherever you live, I think your only real choice of theft deterrent is a bad-*** doberman chained up in the proximity of the car.

I personally thought the whole point of nice rims was to brag to everyone that you have enough skrilla to buy a new set when the old ones get jacked.

get a gun, he can not outrun a bullet..

If someone wants my rims they can have them, I paid less than they are insured for. I want some new rims anyways.

A 9mm and a permit. : )
Shoot a few people as an example for future punishments...that usually works well.

Erik

Its becoming more and more like the Wild West again.

I personally would use 2 lock types to protect them well..
One being the Porsche kind where you can't hammer a socket on it the other the one you buy at a auto parts store.. That should be sufficent

tell us more about the porsche locks please

thanks for telling us where to find your key! anyway i keep mine away from my car hidden at home

so what happens if you are going somewhere and happen to get a flat?


I think most wheel locks don't do squat. They might slow the theif down a few seconds, but these things are a waste of money, at a recent meet we did something, 1 guy had wheel locks on his maxima, and it so happened that the same key worked on 2 other maximas perfectly... The different variations of locks, a good thief would know about and probably has a bunch of keys for most of the more popular ones... Either that, or just hammer the socket right onto the lugnut and it comes right off.. I did this before and it worked well, didn't take long either. Best protection would be a good alarm with sensors, a more secure place to park your car, a warning sticker that says "The owner of this car is armed" or just less flashy rims.

i knew that question was coming, this is why we have cell phones to call the other person who knows where the key is, and to also get them to bring a stock wheel from the shed bc it is bigger than the spare though it does go with me when i leave town
thats not going to happen

I recommend you get a CCW licence, this allows you to have a concealed firearm leagally. You do have to pay a small fee and go to a class to get one. You will basically learn when and when not to shoot. Now Im not saying you should kill someone for trying to take your rims, but at least hold him at gunpoint until the cops come. My buddy lives in an upper middle class neighborhood and got shot at 2 months ago by a stereo thief. Good thing the bastard missed. My max is insured by a Glock 19

NOT TRUE> It was mine. They were special lugs not locks. Thats why they fit. I bought new locks which are computer generated and there is no way to match the pattern. GET LOCKS.

so if I go and buy the same lugs as you, the key I will get won't work on your car?

I doubt that would work

Get a sticker that says "Protected by Glock"

Can you tell us more about the Porsche locks? And yes, get some wheel locks and possibly and nice beretta.

definitely wheel locks ... it would slow the thief down while you go and introduce him to a louisville slugger that is quickly closing in on his cranial area ... no mercy for the fool who tries to jack my car.

ditto

get a SiG .40. then wait. when the next thief ateemmts to steal your wheels shoot him right in the a$$hole when bendsover to take off the lugnuts.

not only does he go to jail and suffer intense pain after **** GSW. also every time he takes a $hit he will remember why his a$$hole stiche/staple scars.

"priceless"

Ok the Porsche lock is not like a normal lock you all are use to seeing.. the lock is a real lock w/ a key.. It actually is a hollow titanium alloy lug nut the inside is beveled so you can slide a cylinder in and out of it.. but this cylinder that goes down into it is more like a cap.. since it is a cylinder it rotates inside the hollowed part.. the cap part is bigger then the lug.. so you can't put a tool on it. then if you hammer something onto it it would only rotate in the hollow part w/out rotating the lug.. So that being said.. if you sat there for 10 min per lock.. (I had to do this before :-( and it took 20 min but saying 10 w/ practice) you could bang off this cap w/ a really big screwdriver and hammer.. None the less anything can get beat w/ enough time spent but the goal is to make that time unreasonable.. I think the porsche lock w/ a standard Discount Auto Parts lock would be more then a sufficent deterent.

1 - if someone attempts to take your rims, they will have a car in the vecinity. Usually they don't work alone, and would do anything to get away. So I wouldn't approach them too agressively. (Unless you guys are allowed to carry a concealed - where ever that is).
2 - Locks do help, since it takes longer time, more tools and may damage the rims when the thief tries to hammer the lock. After the rim is damaged, there is a chance he may not take it, but it is still damaged.
3 - There are a number of good locks on the market, so do a research and het the best ones, even if it costs you a bit. Use 2 different sets if it makes you feel safer.
4 - Good alarm with a motion and touch sensors is always good, but either run a back-up battery or secure your hood. A lot of thiefs pop the hood and disconnect the battery. And believe me, there are a few ways to disconnect the battery or short the electrical circuits of the car.
5 - Keep your keys out of obvious places, like the glove box, ash trays, sunglasses compartement, or anything that is obvious.
Try keeping it in the fuse box, even though they may look there, they will look there last, which results in longer time = better chance of getting cought.
Even keeping the key in the trunk under the spare sometimes proves to be a failure. But the car has so many hidden places. A good one would be in the gas tank, under the main cover (NOT IN THE ACTUAL TANK!!!). 1 in a million they will look there, and if you have an expensive set of rims, it pays to take it out of the tank everytime.
Try making it into a keychain.
Put up those signs (protected by a glock), keep a doberman near, or park indoor under video surveilance, and the one that really helps, keep your car in the nest possibly lit/bright area.

Or... sell your car and use the bus
Hope this helps. Just a few stats for those who may find it useful.

Definitely use two lock per wheel. I read somewhere the if the thief gets the other four lugs off, he'll pull on the wheel until the locked lgu stud breaks. Well worth the investment.

i had locks on my wheels which needed thin wall socket to get the lug out. Two different times the locks on the wheel broke. They just cracked in half. I went crazy b/c i didn't want to damage the wheel at all while getting the lock off. I had to buy a special tool the reverses the lug as you make it tighter. Locks sux.
I'm looking into the Porsche locks now.

Or these locks. I am sure locks are better than nothing, but if you have the funds to invest, go with the best.
I was just saying from my experience, that locks do help.

ya mine requires a thin wall as well, so a normal lug wrench wouldnt cut it

Have you got a part # on these Porsche wheel locks or verified if they are even available to fit a 4th Gen Maxima? It sounds like a good idea & If they are made of titanium, they would (theoretically) be much more difficult to mess with.

Thanks.

I don't have a part number, but I will take my porsche lug and put it on my car.. if it works then they will work on the Max no problem.. I'd look on ebay for the porsche locks.. They are there sometimes..

Wheel locks are a great idea but be rest assured that they are not fool proof...for if someone really wanted your rims (and were experienced) they would have a wheel lock kit, which auto parts stores sell, that would have the wheel locks off before you can spell wheel lock...Glad to hear that they didn't get you though...

I don't think anyone here believes a theft-deterrent is anything more than that: a DETERRENT. "Fool-proofing" is not the goal, or the point. There's no such thing as making your wheels, or your car (for that matter) THEFT-PROOF. It's already been said a bazillion times. That doesn't mean deterrents aren't worth the expense, though.

If you want to full proof your car, sell it... you won't have the headache. Rim locks are not Fort Knox ( i think that's the spelling).
Nothing is full proof... we just deal with it.

Max my Max was stolen last month, and they only took the wheels and the grill. The shop that I had it repaired at said they've seen a surge in the theft of Maxima OEM wheels. I have wheel locks installed now , and since my wife drives the car more then I do she keeps the key in her purse.