hint for tension wrench position on ABUS

[pillar]

I have two locks for practice:
Abus 55/35 (left, 3 pin) and Abus 55/50 (right, 4 pin)
Currently I can easily pick the 3pin lock, but have trouble with the 4 pin.

What would your suggestion be for inserting a tension wrench?


Red marking shows the wrench on the 3 pin, but the 4 pin is mirrored.
Is the same position (is it top or bottom of the keyway? - 'murica is somehow upside down) even possible?

I have tension wrenches, but no pry bars. (I got a bent nail, but not much experience)

[billdeserthills]

I like to use my tension wrench at the top of the keyway & on a small keyway I like to grind the tension wrench smaller to help get it out of the way of the pins

[philphot]

I have pry bars, but find the working position awkward so I don't use them much. I think I need to bend them to make'm more useful.

Bottom of the keyway and the largest wrench I can fit in there works with my 55/40's. If your wrench is slipping try a larger/smaller one. You might find it helpful to roughen the end of the tension wrench to help it better grip the keyway. I did this by using a pair of diagonal cutters to put small grooves on the edges of the business end of the tension wrench. The grooves seem to provide a much better grip on the brass.

Whatever else you do, try to avoid letting the tension wrench bind against the barrel that the plug turns in.

[UnlockingBoredom]

I just got a Abus 55/40 today and tried a Prybar but it was just in the way so I took one of my bottom of the keyway tension wrenches and cut both sides of the tip so it fit into the top of the keyway and left room to see the first pin. I tried to cut serrations on the sides to see if it would help with gripping (dont know if it helped or not but it was rock solid in there and didnt move in the slightest.