Broken door handle. I hate theives.

[ROGELIO A GUZMAN]

Well fellas. Someone tried to open my Denali last night. They had no luck but broke the door handle. I'm putting a rear door handle in the driver door. You guys have any experience with
Depo or dorman brands. Seem those are the most common in the marketplace. Quality and material wise. Thank in advance.

 

[S33k3r]

Actually, I considered that, but then I heard thieves would punch through the door metal, JUST as easily; I figured replacing door handles would be cheaper that the whole door, or body work.

 

[ROGELIO A GUZMAN]

Actually, I considered that, but then I heard thieves would punch through the door metal, JUST as easily; I figured replacing door handles would be cheaper that the whole door, or body work.

Yeah. When I got my Denali ,the key hole was already tampered with. Key didn't work. Then they finally broke it that last time. So I just figured to put a rear handle. I also removed the metal bar that unlocks the door.

 

[S33k3r]

I also removed the metal bar that unlocks the door.

I think that would be pretty effective, except for a couple things:

How do you unlock the door?
Have you removed it for all your doors?
Do you have any concerns about them simply breaking a window?

I put a lot of thought into this, so I'm constantly looking for someone who has better ideas than me.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I used Jimmy Jammer for my internal locking mechanisms.

 

[S33k3r]

I used Jimmy Jammer for my internal locking mechanisms.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but if you google a little more about those Jimmy Jammers, what they do is cause people to go through your sheet metal or a window. :-( I seriously considered those myself.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but if you google a little more about those Jimmy Jammers, what they do is cause people to go through your sheet metal or a window. :-( I seriously considered those myself.

There's always gonna be a downside to any conclusion. I just wanted to slow them down enough where they'd just move on. Of course this is in conjunction with my Viper alarm.

 

[S33k3r]

There's always gonna be a downside to any conclusion. I just wanted to slow them down enough where they'd just move on. Of course this is in conjunction with my Viper alarm.

That's cool. My thoughts were that it was easier to replace the handle and the locks. I just wish there were a way to make it seriously difficult. I mean, I know there is not escaping a determined thief. I just want to make it obviously difficult enough they'll go elsewhere. And afford an armed guard or to bury it in the desert...

 

[bill1013]

My old Irish Grandfather used to say "Locks only stop honest people. If they want it they will do whatever it takes to get it". And through my life experiences I've seen thieves literally destroy the container to get to the contents. They'll bull rush the door, smash the window, even chain an ATM to the back of a duel axle pick up truck and yank it off it's bolted to the concrete pedestal. If they want it they're going to do whatever it takes to get it. I guess it comes down to what are you willing to spend to keep them from getting it.

On a similar note, I went to a friends party and his brother found out that I was looking to get a Flathead Harley. He offered to give me the frame of his 60's Flathead, which at first I thought was pretty nice of him. When I asked him about why he wanted to part with it he told me "It's been stolen & stripped 7 times. Each time the only thing the police were able to get back was the frame!" He rebuilt it each time except the seventh time. It just wasn't worth the time & money. Sometimes you just have to know when to say "Enough is enough". For him it was 7...What's your number?

 

[MassHoe04]

I agree! If somebody want something, they will do whatever it takes to get it.

I do lock my Tahoe. But, I recently had a 2005 Jeep TJ Rubicon. With soft top on that daily driver all year, there was no point in locking the doors just to have someone cut the side widow panel so get in. Three years of never, ever locking it. Even in the "city". Friends were shocked and surprised nothing ever happened. Nothing ever got messed with or stolen. I never kept valuables in there anyway.

In the late 70's, my brother had a 67 Firebird convertible. Twice, he had the soft top slashed by thieves, only to have pocket change and a pair of cheap sunglasses stolen. Never stole the entire car! Just snatching the easy stuff in the console... He might have been less pissed, if the whole car was taken! Instead, he had to pay a deductible one time and out of pocket the second time. His insurance rates went through the roof (literally)!

 

[Doubeleive]

Actually, I considered that, but then I heard thieves would punch through the door metal, JUST as easily; I figured replacing door handles would be cheaper that the whole door, or body work.

This is most likely not the case, breaking the door lock tumbler off inside is easy to do it just breaks the plastic on the backside of the handle plastic, punching thru sheet metal is a whole different task, you have to think like the thief, they want a nice quiet dark situation out sight, punching thru metal is not stealthy at all if anything they would just break a window if not the door tumbler. they like to do the tumblers because they just walk up, pop the tumbler in open the door and get in. doing anything else is noisy and more likely to bring attention to them, if they are unsuccessful at popping the lock they may just move on to another vehicle

 

[bill1013]

Or they get pissed off and trash/vandalize your vehicle. I had a beater I drove when I was in college. A 1979 Opel Manta that was a great car, but getting parts was almost impossible. Any way I put a $20 cassette tape deck/FM radio in it. It was held in by 1 screw. The thieves broke the window, of an unlocked door, and tore the dash apart trying to get it out. Thieves are not only lazy, sometimes, but stupid as h3ll!

 

[S33k3r]

This is most likely not the case, breaking the door lock tumbler off inside is easy to do it just breaks the plastic on the backside of the handle plastic, punching thru sheet metal is a whole different task, you have to think like the thief, they want a nice quiet dark situation out sight, punching thru metal is not stealthy at all if anything they would just break a window if not the door tumbler. they like to do the tumblers because they just walk up, pop the tumbler in open the door and get in. doing anything else is noisy and more likely to bring attention to them, if they are unsuccessful at popping the lock they may just move on to another vehicle

Well, I prefer they knock the tumbler in. I have an aftermarket alarm to greet them if they do. And it has all the bells and whistles.

 

[mattbta]

After mine got broken into (Westin Riverwalk Valet left it on the street by a park several blocks from the hotel...they paid for repairs) I got a cheap Depo handle for $8.50 and some jimmy jammers. The Depo handle was flat black - my truck is dark spiral gray metallic, but it blended in ok. Fitment wasn't stellar, but it functioned ok. I put a new lock cylinder in it and sent it.

Since I was getting some stuff paint matched last week, I bought a Delco handle at $50. Just got it back from paint yesterday, so I'll pull the old and swap the cylinder over. I expect fit to be much better and the "open" operation to be like factory. Something just felt off about the Depo one.

 

[S33k3r]

Is the Delco handle plastic or metal? Sorry if that is an ignorant question -- I have seen a lot of posts about door handles breaking off.

 

[mattbta]

Is the Delco handle plastic or metal? Sorry if that is an ignorant question -- I have seen a lot of posts about door handles breaking off.

Amazon.com

Plastic.

 

[S33k3r]

Please forgive the thread necromancy, but someone tried to steal my truck again. I am not sure from where, but assume it was my driveway:

I think three things saved me here:

1) My alarm
2) My dogs
3) That lock wasn't connected to anything. It was just there to fill the hole in my door...

If the dogs wake me up at night, or the alarm goes off, I lock it. If it goes off again, I remote start it.

Just thought I'd share. I am now working on adding the lights and cameras I should have added last year.

 

[Doubeleive]

Please forgive the thread necromancy, but someone tried to steal my truck again. I am not sure from where, but assume it was my driveway:

View attachment 382188
I think three things saved me here:

1) My alarm
2) My dogs
3) That lock wasn't connected to anything. It was just there to fill the hole in my door...

If the dogs wake me up at night, or the alarm goes off, I lock it. If it goes off again, I remote start it.

Just thought I'd share. I am now working on adding the lights and cameras I should have added last year.

plug this into your alarm and make it fairly visible, that should deter most thief's because it makes it clear there is a alarm, I have these on both my trucks

https://www.amazon.com/Directed-Electronics-629L-Scanning-Module/dp/B0009SZHS8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=38S0W5IX1K332&keywords=DEI+629L&qid=1665041036&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=dei+629l%2Caps%2C289&sr=8-2

 

[S33k3r]

******* tried to steal my daughter's truck again, and were utter idiots. I thought I had a picture, but they basically tried to pry the whole handle and back pieceout, instead of just knocking the lock out. The dor is likely toast, but the grab handle and lock look fine.

 

[Doubeleive]

******* tried to steal my daughter's truck again, and were utter idiots. I thought I had a picture, but they basically tried to pry the whole handle and back pieceout, instead of just knocking the lock out. The dor is likely toast, but the grab handle and lock look fine.

look for a DEI 629L they are pretty much sold out everywhere but a couple places might have them
it is a bright blue 5 led flasher that you connect to pretty much any alarm, all it needs is a ground and the red wire goes to the alarm brain.
the led is activated when the alarm is armed. then you just place the led in a obvious viewable place, i put mine in the center console on the yukon and near the ignition on my pickup
anyone that looks at the vehicle will know it has a alrm and are likely to just pass it up and move on to easier prey
this is what it looks like in my silverado