Keyed door locks?

[WhirlingSun]

Let me preamble this with a disclaimer:

I am very well aware that there is no (legal) remedy to a determined sneak thief, and that if one wants to break into my truck he will eventually. It's not the mission impossible schemer who will bring a flat bed to steal from me that I'm worried about, but the crack head glove box rummagers and curious teenagers I am looking to deter.

You won't be able to see me, but I will be rolling my eyes if you type "if a thief wants it bad enough he will get it".

I have been looking around for a simple door lock with a key that can go in the place of the M-37's door handles. Preferably not modern looking or plastic. No chrome would be a plus, but that can be powder coated, dura-coated, or whatever.

I have seen the locks before for things like a model T ford. It's just a bolt on door handle with a locking tumbler in it.

Is there something like that available that would work with an M-37? Can something be modified to fit?

The previous owner had welded tool box hasps to the doors and would simply padlock it. I ground those off. I am looking for a more respectable solution that does the same thing.

I know the doors lock from the inside if you pull up on them, but unless I leave the windshield unlatched and crawl in to pull up on it, that's not practical. Someone will see me do it and simply reverse the process, probably scraping his novelty oversized chrome belt buckle over my hood in the process.

 

[hndrsonj]

I have never pulled mine apart, but I have to guess they are similar to deuce door handles. Do a search for deuce door locks. Here's an example.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-...ng/59694-self-locking-door-handles-deuce.html

 

[WhirlingSun]

True Value hardware garage door handles! Who would thunk it?

Thanks!

 

[gungearz]

Locking door handles do not work. If you twist them hard enough, they will brake. I use the combat lock on the inside of the passenger side door and installed a hockey puck lock on the bottom of the drivers door. I had to fabricate a bracket to adapt the flat plate to contour around the cab but its supposedly the best lock on the market for theft. Most contractors use them to secure thousands of dollars worth of tools in their vans. That had me sold to know that......

 

[gungearz]

By the way.... Welcome to steel soldiers.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Locking door handles do not work. If you twist them hard enough, they will brake. I use the combat lock on the inside of the passenger side door and installed a hockey puck lock on the bottom of the drivers door.......

He might wish to keep an original military look to his vehicle, and not put big external locks on the outside. Lock it up too good, and thieves just bust out windows. Just short of an armed guard in the cab, nothing is secure.

 

[gungearz]

He might wish to keep an original military look to his vehicle, and not put big external locks on the outside. Lock it up too good, and thieves just bust out windows. Just short of an armed guard in the cab, nothing is secure.

Very true.... Just my preference.

 

[WhirlingSun]

Hockey puck lock? Like on a plumbing van? Like 1/4" thick stamped steel hasps in a circular guard with a 3" diameter hardened steel lock on it? That's serious!

I guess the only way to upgrade from that would be to add a claymore mine right above it wired into the alarm system. haha.

Let me give a little more info about what I'm doing with my truck. It's going to be a daily driver. I opted to repower it and will eventually be upgrading a lot of things on the truck to make it more comfortable, safe, efficient, and user friendly - all while trying to keep it "military" as possible with maybe a touch of Mad Max. As if M-37s were still in service and have been extensively modernized.

A huge padlock on it would be a great lock if I were leaving it in a remote place for weeks at a time between car shows, but it could get quite cumbersome if I were just stopping to pick up lunch and then going to Home depot.

I had not considered that torquing on the handle could overpower the locking tumbler.

But honestly, I think the "intruder" I am looking to deter is the type of person who would try the handle, find it locked and leave it be. Kids mainly, and "tourists". If someone is brazen enough to torque the door handle to break it, he would also try breaking the window or simply pry the cab away from the door and get in. I would rather lose an 11 dollar handle in that case than a window or a day of body work to remove pry marks.

I will still be adding separate methods to deter fuel thieves: Locks, stenciling Diesel only over the gas fill, etc. And I will do a few combinations of things to make it difficult to unauthorizedly start and drive away. But I am just looking for a solution to add good ol' fashioned door locks for the cab.

 

[gungearz]

Yea.... I get a lot of comments about the lock. The people who notice it ask if it was issued with the truck by the way I did it. How about shaving the door handles and going remote entry for an upgrade?

 

[WhirlingSun]

I thought about remote entry, and it's an option as long as I can come up with a manual bypass in the event of a power (or lock) failure.

For 11 bucks, I think I will give true value hardware a shot. If I don't like it, it's no big deal.

Maybe a garage door handle would work on the tool boxes too!

 

[nattieleather]

Check Vintage Power Wagons. They make a replaceable keyed door handle. Allows you to lock the truck. You can look at the catalog on line (PDF) and see it. It's like $35.00. paint it OD and nobody will know the difference.

 

[lost in the bush]

I have to looked if it would work. However what about a semi hidden push rod up in to the bottom of the door frame. We did this with equipment left at off site locations to reduce chance of Unauthorized use before we could ship back home.

A simple "L" shape rod. Simple push rod into bottom of door arrpx 6-8" and flip so the led of the "L" locks into a catch.

Not a lock, yet looks like part of truck.

 

[gungearz]

They do sell remote entry kits with manual hidden push button override...

 

[lost in the bush]

How about installing a dead bolt lock and paint it OD green

 

[WhirlingSun]

I have to looked if it would work. However what about a semi hidden push rod up in to the bottom of the door frame. We did this with equipment left at off site locations to reduce chance of Unauthorized use before we could ship back home.

A simple "L" shape rod. Simple push rod into bottom of door arrpx 6-8" and flip so the led of the "L" locks into a catch.

Not a lock, yet looks like part of truck.

I'm trying to envision what this is that you are describing.

Basically it's like a tent stake that you shove up through the rocker panel and into the door and it stays up in place on a little hanger you mount, right?

interesting idea.

 

[hndrsonj]

I think he's thinking something like the angled rods that pin in the bedsides on a dropside but put them under the cab up into the bottom of the door.

 

[Tanner]

I used to design power company utility truck bodies & we used a sliding rod/bar lock that would slide forward & lock in place with a padlock, locking the utility compartment doors from opening (similar to what 'lost in the bush' mentions) - I'd be inclined to devise a system that locks both doors from driver's side... have idea in my head. Must commit it to paper -

'Tanner'

 

[lost in the bush]

I'm trying to envision what this is that you are describing.

Basically it's like a tent stake that you shove up through the rocker panel and into the door and it stays up in place on a little hanger you mount, right?

interesting idea.

YEP.. like a ground stop for a cattle gate except pointy end goes up instead of down.

 

[lost in the bush]

Yep.. may be needed for both sides.. The few nights ago while at a stop light a young man got so excited at the seeing my truck he jumped up on the passenger side. He than proceed to stick his head in my window.

Unfortunately I never found out what he wanted. for some reason he took off without asking.Perhaps it was the muzzle of my OD Green Glock 23?

 

[AN/GRC-46]

David Ahl's grossly overpriced "restoration" book has a how-to for this. I no longer have my copy but maybe someone that does can give you the details.