Had enough of these thief friendly door handles!

[great white]

My truck has been broken in to once (before I owned it).

Much the same way as probably all the GMT400's have been broken into; jam a screwdriver in between the handle "cassette" and door skin, pop the lock cylinder rod and open the door.

My door skin was bent in the attempt and the handle cassette was snapped (thank you cast aluminum). Both sides. God forbid you actually work for something when you can just steal it.......:skep:

When I bought the truck I replaced them with some spares I had lying around. All is good, handles work again and look good.

But now, I'm living in a very low crime rate area.

Good right?

Nope.

I had to pop down to the local quick-e-mart for a carton of milk today.

As pulled in, there was another GMT400 in the lot with a guy standing next to it.

I pulled in and looked at the guy as I parked.

The little dirty little F'n SOB had a frickin' screwdriver in his hand!

When he saw me looking his way he walked off. A bit later, I saw a different guy leave the store and drive the truck away.

Christmas freakin' day no less....what a F*&^#G A$$&*^E !!!!!!!

Well, long story short, I don't want these "c'mon in" door cassettes on my truck anymore. I'm military and could end up living in Edmonton, Toronto, Victoria, Hallifax, etc at the drop of a hat. All waaaayyy higher crime rate areas than where I am now......

I'm planning some sheet metal work in the somewhat near future so I plan to remove these things and weld in something less thief friendly.

Seems most guys want to use the newer handles like the GMT400 for that flush look, I'm actually thinking of going backwards to move forward.

I'm thinking of grabbing something like a mid 80's Camaro set of handles, skin and all:

Graft it into the area that's a big open square in the GMT400 panels and call it done. GM was even nice enough to make a nice flange to weld the patch panel into (stock lip for the stock "cassette").

The Camaro handles aren't flush:

but they're close to it and a small price to pay for better security.

Anyone have any other suggestions?

Maybe the handles of a 60's car with the external handle?

I'm stuck with aluminum of pot metal no matter what I do, but I can at least minimize the vulnerability of the design with something like the Camaro door skin pieces.

The Kodiak ones aren't an option here. Same/similar problem with ease of break in.

I've also looked at things like "jimmijammers", but I'm not impressed. The thief will still try jamming the screwdriver in, which will F up the door skin and break the handle. I want them to walk up, get confused and walk away.

Sure, they can still break the window, but why bother when there's an easier "pigeon" two rows over in the same parking lot....















PS. My ignition is defeated in a way no one will get it started unless they know how. No switches, no locks, no plugs......

 

[great white]

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about (not mine):

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..........F'n thieves!

I'm actually thinking of doing away with the outside door lock cylinders all together.

No lock rods to access from the outside that way.

Just use the remote fob.

If the battery dies in the fob, they're easily bought.

If the truck battery runs down, it's easily jumped through the winch quick disconnect in the bumper.

 

[great white]

Actually, now I'm thinking fox body mustang handles:

All metal behind it, bust it off and you still can't get into the door.

Shave off the lock cylinders and Bob's you uncle.

Since it the fox body ford, there will be parts available until long after my truck turns to dust. There is guaranteed to be at least ten rotting away in any yard you stroll into.

As secure as the door can possibly get from the outside...

 

[JiFaire]

How about charging up a 10kf capacitor and wiring it up inside the skin so only a screwdriver would complete the circuit?

PS- carry a camera and when you see a punk with a screwdriver like you did, be REAL obvious about taking his picture. Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll get angry and come close enough to earn a beating

 

[DieselCash]

Don't they make these handles in chrome?

Or is it just chromed plastic?

Wouldn't it be easier to remake what you/we all got in some form of metal?

If you did they would sale like hot cakes. :thumbsup:

 

[WarWagon]

Sure use new handles and they will just knock out a $900 window for 10 cents in change laying out in plain sight. Save some damage and leave it unlocked.

 

[great white]

Sure use new handles and they will just knock out a $900 window for 10 cents in change laying out in plain sight. Save some damage and leave it unlocked.

Nah, I can't think that way. I refuse to give in to the dirty bastards. Yes, it's cost me more than it's worth sometimes. It's a "principles thing" for me.

900 dollar window? Geez, I don't want to know where you buy your glass...100 bucks from the local glass place here..

So 100 dollar door glass, or a 40 dollar handle and 500 bucks worth of body work.

Besides, it's not about keeping them out. It about making it so much of a hassle that they just move on instead of taking the risk...if they really want in, they're getting in....

 

[great white]

Don't they make these handles in chrome?

Or is it just chromed plastic?

Wouldn't it be easier to remake what you/we all got in some form of metal?

If you did they would sale like hot cakes. :thumbsup:

They are metal, but cast aluminum. So are the chrome ones.

The problem is even if I were to make the cassette out of 1/4 steel, it's still in the door sheet metal. With a seam between the two, there's leverage to force a screwdriver between them. Then the sheet metal bends easily. It's compounded by the stock design because the cast aluminum doesn't bend, it shatters making getting to the rods even easier.

The seam has to go, that's the start of the weak spot. So, weld it all up and you need a new piece of door skin to do that. Like the fox mustang doors.

 

[WarWagon]

IRC it was the rear glass on a Ford van that was that high. Modern vehicles have laminated glass that will not shatter out but remain in place like the windshield. Trailblazers for example. Except for the rear glass... Good luck getting out if you drop it in a lake or river...

Last time they 'broke into' my unlocked pickup they ruined the flashlight batteries and stole the CB. Zero body damage and only had to fix the cut antenna wire. Had a stack of CB's I was fixing so no real loss.

Don't forget the jimmy jammer for the hook they put through the window seal to open the door.

Thought about eliminating the door handles entirely? Like they do in CA?

 

[great white]

Ah, maybe so. But I'm not talking about the back glass on an aerostar or a newer vehicle. I'm talking the glass on my 98 K2500.

LAst time it was broken in to (before I owned it) it resulted in sheet metal damage on both doors and one busted handle.

JImmy jammer if for them breaking in to the handles to access the lock rods. If you want to defeat a "slim Jim" (the thingy that goes down in the window felt) you have to add a few move bits down in the door.

Door poppers won't work here.

I've already had three mornings this past couple months where you can't get into the car because the doors are froze shut. Without the handles, you've got nothing to pull on at all while you hit the seams with a heat gun/hair dryer.

I'm planing to remove the door lock cylinders completely now. No lock rod to get to at all.

Still, break a window and they're in.

Like I said, it's about making it harder to get into my vehicle than someone elses.....

 

[tanman_2006]

2 years ago I got $300's of christmas gifts stolen out of my ex wifes car. We loaded it the night before so we could leave at the butt crack of dawn to make our christmas rounds. Luckily we had the receipts and between the ins and creditcard company we were able to get refunded/replaced. Must be a theives favorite time of year. This was an 03 Eclipse, pryed on the top of the window until it busted, got cut, and BLED all over the car.

To make it worse we saw our neighbor wearing a pair of boots a week later that looked EXACTLY like what was stolen, called the cop that lives 2 houses down (other side of the neighbor) and he said tough luck, can't do anything about that.

 

[L98TPI]

Let me be Captain Obvious here and say, Alarm System. One with remote door opening (or locking) relay outputs would be bonus. One is going on my burb. It came from the factory with remote lock delete, so that will kill two birds, might as well get one with remote start too.

The easy peasy way to bypass the key locks is to just unhook the lock rods and leave the cylinders where they are, leaving the latches hooked to the lock solenoids. (Assuming you can do that I haven't looked into a GMT400 door, yet)

I remember back in the day someone making steel guard plates for some theft prone cars/trucks, but as you say the sheet metal is fairly thin and then all that glass. Although it would be real frustrating and time wasting for a thief to find out the key lock and the handle were both dummies after wasting time breaking through. :hihi:

I saw on Top Gear a side story that makes me think we in the US or CA for that matter dont have much of a car theft issue compared to Europe. Since the "Iron Curtain" fell there has been a huge problem of cars nicked in the west and driven back to the east where the governments don't have a concept yet of licensing cars. There was a trade delegation from Bulgaria at a meeting in Germany (IIRC) and the rossers running routine VIN checks found most all the delegations Mercs were stolen.

Tanman you need to set up your neighbors with a little surprise. A big gas can with enough diesel in the gas to make the car they put it in not cold start. When they tow the car away you can stand at the curb with a big possum eating grin on. :biggrinjester:

 

[83GMCK2500]

How about Kodiak Handles? They are a bit more stout.

You keep calling it cast aluminum...I thought it was just a cast pot metal, not even worthy of being called aluminum.

There is also: THESE I have no personal experience with them, perhaps someone here does.

 

[BudTX]

I saw one like this when I was in NYC recently:

 

[great white]

Ok.

Maybe I'm just not explaining this right.

Let's try again with pictures....


We all know what the stock GMT400 handles look like, no need to toss out a pic of those.

The problem is the way the entire system is designed. There's an inherent weakness in the assembly because the door sheet metal stops and gives an access point for a thief to compromise the locking mechanism.

A thief walks up and does this:

Usually not so obviously. They stand there like they're putting in a key. No one pays notice because it just looks like a guy opening the lock. It's also quiet. One shove and they're in. There's no breaking glass noise, no screeching metal. Just a dull soft "plunk" noise as the door sheet metal and the latch assembly give.

Most think it results in this:

But what usually happens is this:

This is what happened to my door sheet metal. Bent to "F" and it's NOT an easy area to repair.

So now the thief has gotten your door open, smashed the handle, ruined the sheet metal and stolen whatever he was after that was in your truck.

Remove the lock rods is a good idea, except the thief can't tell that from the outside. You still end up with a busted door handle and F'd up sheet metal. Maybe he breaks the window and still grabs the stuff or just rakes the side of the door with the screwdriver out of pure spite...

Lovely, just lovely. :skep:

Kodiak handles cover more of the door, but the thief is still able to push that screwdriver in there and make a nice mess of things in the attempt, even if he doesn't get in. Once again, F'd up door handle and F'd up sheet metal.

The problem is the vulnerability of the two piece construction.

So how do I deal with it?

Take this:

Take a welder and add this (remember I've got sheet metal to already fix anyways):

and end up with this:

Remember, I live in the Great White North and this is not a show vehicle. It's used 365 days a year , 24/7. It has to take me to the hangar for SAR callouts no matter what the weather. Not getting in to my truck can literally be a life of death situation. If it's frozen, I've got to be able to yank on something to break the ice. It NEEDS door handles. Shaving them off completely is not an option.

With the welded in mustang handles (sans lock cylinders) there's no seams, no lock rods, no access points. If a thief wants in, he has to make a big scene of it and smash the window.

Most will just move on to an easier mark where there's less risk.

The Jimmijammer is a good idea in an attempt to keep them out by blocking access tot he lock rods:

But you still end up with a F'd up door and handle. And maybe a bit more damage because now the guy is pissed at taking the risk and getting nothing for it.

Lots of manufacturers make it easy to get in this way these days:

Even the full metal doors are vulnerable if you've got a lock cylinder and a knowledgeable thief:

So, instead of dealing with this crap ever again:

My door is going "full metal jacket" without lock cylinders like the photochop I threw up earlier:

If they want in, they'll get in.

But I'll be damned if I'm going to make it any easier for the little sob's......

 

[deejaaa]

i think most will understand now. lots of good pics, must of taken some time for that post and good wording. i would of made it obvious.
i like the full metal jacket. are you starting it yet? do the 'stang handle/rod match up or is there a gm skin that would work?

 

[great white]

i think most will understand now. lots of good pics, must of taken some time for that post and good wording. i would of made it obvious.
i like the full metal jacket. are you starting it yet? do the 'stang handle/rod match up or is there a gm skin that would work?

Well, I's just going to be whatever fits.

Mustang is a quick and easy example of the style if not the final choice.

The GM door skin is already very accommodating because if has a flange built right in for the stock handle.

All I need to do is cut out another door handle skin, shape it to the opening and weld it in.

Then it's just good ol' standard body work before paint....

 

[3500GMC]

You're makin' me all paranoid and stuff.

What about the old square body 73-91 handles?

 

[L98TPI]

The old school handles on the newer truck would be cool and all. Making block off patches with a dimple under the handle wouldn't be to bad at all. A piece of door off a old truck would make a nice template

The armor plates I remember were made of steel a bit less than 1/8" thick and went ove r the handle cassette. They had a margin all around the outside of the cassette that was as wide as the edge of door to cassette distance, a cut out tight around the top of the door handle and a hole for the key to get into the cylinder, there was a lip bent in along the lower edge from the key hole to the far end of the door handle, so the screwdriver couldn't go in under the plate from the top of the handle hole. They bolted on with smooth top carriage like bolts IIRC. Body panel epoxy would be the way to attach them these days. Seemed like every stinking GM truck were I lived back in the 'gay' 90's had them. I didn't drive a GM back then but I remember the plates on a co workers truck and gloated that I didn't need then on my Dodge. :smilewinkgrin:

If I didn't oscillate between, bone idle and busier than a three testicled tom cat, :yikes: I would do a CAD drawing and have the metal shop down the street, with a laser cutter burn some. Turning up the lip shouldn't be to bad in a jig of some welded steel bar.

 

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

The handles need to made out of stainless steel. All kidding aside, if a thief wants in, they WILL get in. I have seen many breaks into cars by drilling a small hole next to the key. They gain entry that way.