Locking Tool boxes

[Greenhorn]

Trying to come up with a bolt cutter proof locking system to weld onto my chip truck toolboxes. Anybody done that already? They have the little t-handle type locks but I want to leave my saw collection in the boxes overnight this year and its gotta be more secure. If I could see a design and copy that it would save alot of time. Thanks!

[brendonv]

Here's something I see on a lot of contractors beds. The green dot is a pivot, one on each side. You have to place it so it pivots out of the way when lifted up. Yellow is a peice of flat bar. Weld a tube from yellow to yellow, this will pivot on the green. When closed, the Red tube goes into a channel (can be a square tube with one side cut off) (or a peice of angle iron). Lock then goes through that channell and directly through the bar.

[MasterBlaster]

It's hard to tell from your pic what you're doing, but I have a one guy that has the perfect design. Bolt cutters can't get to it. I wish I had a pic, I'll get one the next time I work with him.

[Greenhorn]

Cool, thanks guys.

[sotc]

does the bed raise off the tool box? if so you can weld a ring or 2 to the inside of the door and drill a hole in the top. then you raise the bed drop a bar down through the hole and the rings and set the bed back down.

[squisher]

Yup I figure it's pretty damn secure with the pins dropped on my forestry unit.

[Greenhorn]

that sounds even better -

[Skwerl]

Yup, that's how all the utilities trucks are locked. I have the secondary lock/ pin setup on mine but they come in from the side. It would be very easy to cut them off if somebody wanted to get in the boxes, but then they would also have to rip down the chain link fence or move the truck in order to get the clearance to open the saw boxes.

I've been told that the latest tool of thieves isn't bolt cutters, but an 18v DeWalt or Makita type angle grinder with a diamond blade. It would cut off my locks in about 90 seconds.

[Burnham]

We get some of our gate lock mechanisms cut with the 18 volt sawsall style power tool, running a high carbon steel hacksaw blade, I think. The last piece of work cut a 5/8" by 4" lock plate off the end of the swing arm...that is some serious steel there and it didn't hold 'em long.

[top hopper]

Id go with drop in pins like Willie mentioned.

[Jonseredbred]

I would go with a good locking system and lots of INSURANCE as backup.

It doesn't matter how well you lock it up, if someone has enough time they will get into it.

[JIML]

I just welded some pin locks in some boxes in a L configuration a couple months ago, work just the same but sideways.

The red things are small pieces of tubing. I used short pieces of 1/2" pipe. drill a hole in the top of the box and weld one in, then weld one in the bottom of the box, not really needed if the pin goes down past the door.

Then the blue is pieces of 2x2" 1/8" thick angle iron. I welded it to the door. one is enough but he wanted 2. With 2, the door can't be peeled back.
Pin slides behind the angle thus locking the door. I used 1/2" rod for the pin and some big flatwashers welded to the top.

[stehansen]

That's pretty much what I have on my forestry truck. Someone with one of those grinders like Brian was talking could get through there though. If I leave my truck overnight where there is access to it I take the chainsaws home. I figure that's what most theives want, not rigging or climbing gear, shovels rakes, poles and that kind of stuff.

[MasterBlaster]

Here's the best way I've seen to secure your gearbox. :drink:

[Skwerl]

Butch, those padlocks are the same type I just bought for my truck. They seem better designed to protect against the newer cutting techniques, and they seem to work relatively smoothly.

Tomorrow I'll get pictures of them and the sliding rod locking mechanism.

[Koa Man]

I think an angle grinder could cut the lock eyes [the things the padlock goes through] pretty easy.

Having 3 or 4 of these around will help.

[Greenhorn]

thanks for the pics Butch!

I got one of those Koa, but she doesnt stay with the truck all the time unfortunately.

Maybe rattlesnakes like on Road Warrior that live in the boxes. They were "trained" according to the gyro pilot.

[MasterBlaster]

I think an angle grinder could cut the lock eyes [the things the padlock goes through] pretty easy.

Mmmmm, I dunno about that so much... it's a pretty tight fit and thicker than it might look. The guy had it done up like that after losing his saws.

[Skwerl]

OK, here's what I have. It's not as secure as it looks but it works well as a secondary locking system. All the boxes lock individually plus I park the truck smack up against a chain link fence so nobody has access to the important boxes anyway. The boxes on the driver's side of the truck only hold climbing gear, ropes and polesaws.

On a dump truck with under body boxes, the pins dropped down through the top are primo secure. Line the pin hole up with a crossmember of the dump body so there's no access to the top of the pin without raising the bed. No locks needed, just drop 'em in and lower the bed.

[Crazy Jimmy]

Or you could just come work for me and park it in my shop.60 k plus paid holidays and 2 weeks vacation .:lol::lol::D:D just kidding Roberto

[Koa Man]

On a dump truck with under body boxes, the pins dropped down through the top are primo secure. Line the pin hole up with a crossmember of the dump body so there's no access to the top of the pin without raising the bed. No locks needed, just drop 'em in and lower the bed.

That is how the all the toolboxes on our International chip truck are. A thief could bend the hell out of the doors, but would have an awful time trying to get anything. A cutting torch would work, but I think the tool box with the gas can would explode.

[MasterBlaster]

I wish you had another pic, Brian. I can't figure out what's going on in those two pics - never seen a bar set-up like that.

[sotc]

the first pic where the bar is pulled out unlocks all the boxes the second is pushed in for lock. theres a rod that runs through all the boxes and has tabs along it, those tabs slide in front of other tabs on the doors so even if the individual door is unlocked, it cant be opened

[Skwerl]

Wow, thanks Willie. You explained that perfectly! :D

[sotc]

thanks, im not usually very good at getting thoughts wrote down. ive used service bodies before and like to examine stuff:)

[Ax-Man]

Good thread,

That Master padlock looks like a better design than the usual ones you see. I watched on the Discovery station how those cheaper Master locks were made. There isn't much to those locks. Wouldn't be hard at all to take one apart if you knew how they made. Made me rethink about plain old padlocks.

Been getting security conscience myself with some of the new gear we have now.

Like Steve, if a truck has to stay overnight we take the saws, but now we also have to take the GRCS winch and the new generator I just bought. Makes for more gear to handle and unload at the end of the day. I figure these things would be the ones I couldn't afford to replace right away if they were stolen. It would be nice to lock that stuff up and not have to worry if was going to get stolen.

If I have to leave a truck with gear in it overnight. I make sure it is pretty much out of sight or is up close to a house or at least in someones
driveway. Never leave it out on a street for a would be theif to get noisy.