FocusCanada Forums

One of the guys here found this on a Mustang site. Sounds like a pretty good sting.

TO CATCH A THIEF!!
Here's a story from one of my readers about a clever way to foil one who would steal the wheels out from under your car.
About a year and a half ago, the 16" Pony rims from my 91 Mustang LX were stolen, to make matters worse, it was only two weeks after they were fitted with new 225/50/16 BIG O Eruo VXP tires. Well, luckily for me, when I purchased the tires, I had the shop insert into each tire, a plastic ziplock bag containing a copy of my drivers license, the license number of my car, and the color and year of it as well. Also in the bags was a short note, requesting anyone repairing the tires or replacing them to give me a phone call collect if the car that the tires are doesn't match the license and description of the one found on the note.

Last week, I get a call from a shop in Eureka, there is a 1987 Mustang in there with a flat, and the guy repairing the tire found my note and called me. I told him my tires and rims were stolen, and maybe he should call the police. I faxed him a copy of my Police report, and the receipt I had for the tires with the tires serial numbers on it. To make a long story short, when the customer was confronted with the note I had installed in the tire(s), he left the shop in a hurry. The Police were summoned, and it was determined the rims on his car were mine. I got the rims back, the tires were nearly worn out. The cars owner was arrested for possession of stolen property. That's just one more way to take a bite out of crime. Kenn Stogner Petaluma California

thats awesome... but wouldnt that throw off the balance of the tires?

scoobasteve,Oct 13 2005, 12:49 PM Wrote:thats awesome... but wouldnt that throw off the balance of the tires?
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so long as it was firmly attached to the rim or tire, and the wheel is balanced by your mechanic after the fact, it shouldn't be a problem at all.

I'd assume it would but I guess after remounting the tire, they would have 'balanced' it anyway plus it would be pretty small so the balance being thrown off would be pretty minimal.

Either way I guess it would work ONLY if the thief had a flat or got new tires installed, something to that nature but eventually it would be found.

either way its a great idea. All you need is just a piece of paper requesting the store to call you. I dont think little paper will throw out you balance.

I should of done that when i sold my tires to Raine. haha would of got them back again :)

nice.
very clever.

mo_focus,Oct 13 2005, 12:18 PM Wrote:I should of done that when i sold my tires to Raine. haha would of got them back again :)
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Nice try jackass, you gave me RIMS ONLY. No tires included

Raine,Oct 13 2005, 05:23 PM Wrote:

mo_focus,Oct 13 2005, 12:18 PM Wrote:I should of done that when i sold my tires to Raine. haha would of got them back again :)
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Nice try jackass, you gave me RIMS ONLY. No tires included
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Yeah yeah, thats what i meant. :D

actually that's a good idea if your spending quite a lot of cash on your rims and tires, another thing that can help in the prevention of theft in your rims is investing in 2 different wheel locking nuts, with totally differnt locking keys.

I think that's a great idea (putting in the note) ... but of course it can only benefit you after your wheels get lifted ... then it's purely a matter of luck if you ever get them back ... and by then you may not want them back.

I also thought that two different locking nuts would be a good idea too ... but if one won't stop a thief, how would two be any different ... I assume that thieves have a way of defeating a locking nut.

Do they? Or is a locking nut enough? If one doesn't work, will two be any different?

Frost__2001,Oct 13 2005, 04:45 PM Wrote:actually that's a good idea if your spending quite a lot of cash on your rims and tires, another thing that can help in the prevention of theft in your rims is investing in 2 different wheel locking nuts, with totally differnt locking keys.
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wow that's very creative.

That's cool that it worked for that guy, but if you bought some rims off someone and thought that they were legit or you bought a car with those stolen wheels on it, only to get owned like that, it would suck pretty bad. And who's going to believe you after that note is found. "I swear I didn't steal them, I just bought them off this guy/bought the car with them on it" Yeah right...who's gonna believe you.

SVT ZX3,Oct 14 2005, 09:51 PM Wrote:That's cool that it worked for that guy, but if you bought some rims off someone and thought that they were legit or you bought a car with those stolen wheels on it, only to get owned like that, it would suck pretty bad. And who's going to believe you after that note is found. "I swear I didn't steal them, I just bought them off this guy/bought the car with them on it" Yeah right...who's gonna believe you.
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Proof of ownership would help you in proving the car is yours, not to mention a recipt of when you bought it would help also, for the rims I mean, but if not you'd loose the rims and tires not the car. :lol: