What distinguishes some of these recent reports from previous tire theft alarms is just how organized the crime has become. In Greensboro, N.C., six commercial truck operators have been hit in the past several weeks by thieves stealing semi truck tires and wheels -- in one case, hauling off 20 wheels in one night. Two weeks ago, thieves swiped 70 tires from a Honda dealership in New Rochelle, N.Y. Last November, an unknown number of thieves hit this lot at Bolton Ford in Lake Charles, La., swiping 72 tires and wheels from heavy-duty Ford pickups. Police estimate it took the crew about an hour to take the tires from 19 trucks.
and don't think that just because you have locking lugnuts that you're safe...
While lugnut wheel locks can make a thief pause, many are so easily defeated they draw into question the definition of "lock" -- if a portable power tool can't take it off, most can be chiseled away. New York lawmakers proposed a bill last year requiring that wheels be etched with a vehicle identification number, which would at least give police some method of tracking stolen wheels, but the measure hasn't been passed. Etching would be useful if you can find your wheels once they're stolen, but doesn't make the theft itself any more difficult.
Makes me wish all of our cars were on bags. Hard to steal wheels and tires when the frame is sitting on the ground.
full story here:
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/ ... 50760.html
