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Anti theft ideas for a ‘93 Ranger


A momentary pushbutton inline with clutch switch or NSS would be easy to wire.
 
You're face is easy to wire.
 
One swich is lame. Needing to hit 6 in a certain order like the war rig from the new mad Max is the way to go.

This is only cool if the wrong order makes it blow up.
 
You gotta think... who's stealing an old ranger? Not car theifs trying to chop or sell them, its joy riders or people looking for a ride to commit another crime. Any delay will cause them to just move on. Most of them won't even bother if the door is locked. They will not dig through and try to find a cutoff switch of any kind, its just not rational. Get in, break the ignition, no start, run away.

I dont lock my doors because id rather a theif steal my change then break my window, but I have PATS so no crackhead is getting away with my truck. A on/off switch is just as good against said crackhead. No gone in sixty seconds crap is happening to a 93 ford ranger... its crackheads...

Hell, just take the fuel pump relay inside with you every night... think they can trace that issue down? Theifs gonna check the under hood relay diagram? I could pull the fuel pump relay out of a truck of half these guys on here who are ASE certified and it would still take them 20 minutes to trace the issue in an actual shop.
I too have to deal with a plethora or crackheads/methheads. They would steal almost anything if it crosses their mind.
 
If you don't use your lighter and if you don't want to have a switch someone could find: run the start wire through the lighter socket, if the lighter isn't pushed in it won't turn over. I would also turn the lighter into a shorting bar so resistance from the heating element isn't a factor.
 
Antitheft systems are at best, a deterrent. If it's obvious to a thief that that jacking this truck won't be as easy as they like, your hope is that they'll move on to another vehicle. I have had some past experience with antitheft systems (no, not as in stealing cars), and here's some thoughts, "for what they're worth". Bear in mind, that my thoughts, and experience, is with older vehicles.

The obvious things. Don't leave loose valuables laying out in your truck. Anything- crackheads will steal a hot stove. Expensive stereo gear is tough. A high-end head unit can be camouflaged (if you're creative), but amps and speakers should be hidden, and not mounted out in the open as if they're on display. What tools and parts that you carry for roadside repairs should be stowed out of sight.

Locking up the truck has two approaches. On a beater with absolutely nothing to steal, not locking the doors can prevent damage by the criminally curious. Older Rangers are ridiculously easy to unlock if you know how, but modification can fix this. What can be done about "smash and grab" I'll cover below. I keep my trucks locked at all times, with nothing in view to be seen if the truck is cased, and all of mine have stock radios. None of mine have security systems; they definitely would, though, if my living circumstances put my vehicles in a higher risk situation.

I think that a "layered approach" is good.

Not being stupid is the first layer.
Don't advertise that you have something to steal. Park carefully whenever you can. Nice wheels, use security lug nuts. External accessories should be obviously difficult to remove- chain and lock (spare, winch), or security hardware (security Torx versus hex bolts).

A good basic remote-operated car alarm, well installed, is the second layer.
One of the biggest deterrents is an alarm's flashing LED dash light; it advertises that "something" is there, and is a deterrent against "smash and grab" (along with no valuables in sight). Car alarm systems can be "built up" to increase or enhance their effectiveness. I like the piezo sensor pickups that be installed in the doors, which detect attempts to jimmy the locks, or even trying the door handles in checking if the doors are locked. A GOOD shock sensor, properly installed, trips the alarm if the vehicle is struck.
A bonus, if you have power locks or add them, is gaining keyless entry with a remote-operated alarm system. A starter disable relay is also a basic common part of an alarm system; I would use that along with the following.

A safety net third layer would be an ignition kill through a hidden switch. There has already been some excellent suggestions on this by previous posters.

An ignition kill alone won't do much to prevent a smashed window and busted-up steering column, even if they ended up failing to drive it off. That's why I like the layered approach. Any effort made at theft deterrent, is only just that, a deterrent. You're just trying to make it very apparent on the front end that stealing YOUR truck is not going to be as easy as they'd like.

Hope it helps; good luck!
 
In Southern California older Ford trucks are common targets for theft, mainly because they’re not hard to break into, but also because they’re easy to offload/strip for parts especially if you’re in close proximity to the border like I am. Rangers, especially modified ones get stolen and stripped down stateside or taken across the border here on an almost regular basis. Anywho, this is my solution to the problem. I just take my steering wheel inside with me
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So, no one else could buy a wheel to fit that hub? Or clamp a big pair of Vise Grips onto it?
I'm glad I live where I don't have to stress about stuff like this. If I go to the hardware store in town there's always a line of vehicles parked in front, probably half have the keys in them. I don't leave my key but I also don't lock the doors.
 
So, no one else could buy a wheel to fit that hub? Or clamp a big pair of Vise Grips onto it?
They could, it’s actually the hub they would have to try and match up though, not the wheel. I mainly installed this because having fixed-back suspension seats makes ingress and egress a little more difficult with the steering wheel in the way, but it makes for some nice extra piece of mind. Also it’s never parked anywhere in town long enough for someone to try and match up the hub, and I live in a rural area in the mountains on acreage with a locked gate.. so no one can get a good look at it there either
 
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If you don't use your lighter and if you don't want to have a switch someone could find: run the start wire through the lighter socket, if the lighter isn't pushed in it won't turn over. I would also turn the lighter into a shorting bar so resistance from the heating element isn't a factor.
This wouldn't work.... 12v sockets are either always hot or hot with the key on. So pushing the cig lighter isn't going complete the circuit...
 
This wouldn't work.... 12v sockets are either always hot or hot with the key on. So pushing the cig lighter isn't going complete the circuit...
You disconnect it from the original circuit and re-purpose it for security.
 

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