Wheel Clamp Locks

[VinceNoir]

Being new to this Forum and having trawled through what i'm allowed to see I can't find any info on this, so I'm going to be bold and ask.

Has anybody ever discussed the type of locks used on wheel clamps? Having recently had a car impounded by the DVLA I had a momentary chance to see that the type of key used is a dimple type.

Does any body have and further info on what type of locks these actually are? I know that the DVLA uses the most expensive clamps on the market, but most of the private security firms use the cheaper chain and padlock type locks. Presumably because they'd just crack your skull if you got caught tampering.

Anyway thanks.

[illusion]

wait....

I had a momentary chance to see that the type of key used is a dimple type

Does any body have and further info on what type of locks these actually are

you actualy answered your own question mate... if you saw correctly it is a dimple lock.

there's some thread which discusses the removal of clamps... in the FAQ if I remember.

What exactly do you want to know? - because you had enough knowledge to know that it uses dimple type keys, and from this you can look at lock systems which incorperate this type of key.... are you asking ways to pick it? or possibly just curious? To be honest the best advice I can give you is to leave these well alone. Unless it was clamped privately then removing it could land you in trouble.

dont bother - if you get clamped then just pay the fine and swear loudly at them when you drive off with a lighter wallet

edited: fixed spelling errors

[Mad Mick]

Unless it was clamped privately then removing it could land you in far more trouble than it's worth even thinking about.

Even if it was clamped privately, the chances are that you shouldn't have been parked where you were. Picking locks that you don't own, or don't have permission to do so, is still a big no no. Even if it's one of those POS sneaky clamping outfits, where they hide behind a wall until you leave your vehicle.

[Pickermeapie]

Not trying to hyjack but... Why would you be clamped by a private individual? Over here in the US we call them boots, but only the police are authorized to use them. They have abloys on them over here too.

[illusion]

yeah.. I was talking about complete legality... in terms of ethics you should own the lock you are picking... if you DAMAGE the lock it's one more thing to get slammed with, not only were you performing criminal acts, but you would have to pay for their sodding clamp to get fixed as well.

Even if it's one of those POS sneaky clamping outfits, where they hide behind a wall until you leave your vehicle

it's like those traffic wardens who sit there and count down the seconds untill they can slam a nice little ticket onto your windscreen.

the moral of this: "Don't park your car where you're not allowed, and when you do make sure you pay if needed. If it gets clamped be a man and just pay the fine."

pickmeapie: if the car is on a public street where you should have payed you get the police. If you're parking on someone's private property without permision I believe they are able to clamp your car and demand payment to remove it. Although I'm not 100% about the public clamping, and circumstances in which you are allowed to employ them.

edited: added reply to pickmeapie

[Mad Mick]

Not trying to hyjack but... Why would you be clamped by a private individual? Over here in the US we call them boots, but only the police are authorized to use them. They have abloys on them over here too.

There are numerous dodgy clamping outfits in the UK, often hired by private land-owners, in an effort to cut down on vehicles parked on private land without permission. An example could be a series of parking bays reserved for residents, a stone's throw away from a video shop or take-away. Generally, during office hours, the parking bays are vacant for most of the day and casual customers, for the previously mentioned outlets, use these bays for their convenience. Some are clearly marked as private, others are only marked with a removable sign after the A-hole clamper has jumped over a wall and fitted the clamp as soon as the driver is out of sight.

I can understand the frustration of a resident who is paying for a parking space and can't access it at night/weekend, but during weekdays when it's vacant all day, why not let someone use it for a few minutes?

There have been a few 'fly-on-the-wall' expose's on these operations, and you can clearly see on camera that there are no indications that the parking space is private until after the clamp has been fitted and the removable sign goes up. Then these turds charge a ridiculous fee to un-clamp the vehicle.

But don't fear, Angle-Grinder man is here! (If I hadn't already seen Illusion's mugshot, I'd swear it was him. )

[Shrub]

I clamp people that park on my long driveway, it stops me getting to my house so i clamp them,

Call the agle grinder man out,

I went to a lockout at my local mcdonalds (20 miles away thankfully, god awful places) and while i was there there were 10 cars having just been clamped, a few of the owners came up to me and asked if i would remove them which i declined,

If it was my own car that clamp would be undamaged and on the pavement whilst i was driving away (somthing which i beleive your entitled to do and test cases have proven) but as for someone else thats their problem,

Also did you know that if a traffic warden was writing out a ticket and you manage to drive away without that ticket being put on your vehicle you are not liable for it.

I think there are now rules for wheel clamping on private property over here but they dont help the person whos been clamped anymore than they were before

Just dont get clamped and if the dvla clamp you i guess its for somthing serious like not paying for your road tax or having an unsafe vehicle, parking on a bit of waste land and being clamped by a hairy arsed bump burp is fair game for removing a clamp as far as my personal ethics are concerend,

And before ye all start, yes if my clamp was removed without damage i would say fair enough except i dont truthfully actually use a clamp and dont own one, i have a big sign and the one or two people that have done it and refused to move i have blocked their car in and walked up to my house, they then have to pay £20 for me to move my van or car and thats when im ready to move it as well.

[n2oah]

I believe those locks on wheel clamps are Mul-t-Locks. I could be wrong, though.

[Mad Mick]

That's fair-play Shrub, if someone is causing you inconvenience by blocking your privately-sign-posted driveway, then they suffer the consequences. But what I would strenuously object to, would be a private property that is not clearly marked as such, and is a deliberate attempt to extract money from the unsuspecting by using the dodgy clampers.

I'd have done the same thing at Mickey D's too.

RE: Traffic Warden: I knew that one also...they have to actually finish writing the ticket and apply it to the vehicle before the violation is deemed legit.

[VinceNoir]

i did kind of expect the ethical lamenting but i often operate in areas where i have to stop close to some of these places where you can be clamped unfairly. In my opinion clamping is trespassing and illegal just as it is in Scotland, the US and many other countries. i think what i wanted to know was the Brand of lock used. i figured if you're prepared for the best clamp (the DVLA pro) then you've got a fair chance with the rest. i know some dimple locks are quite simple but things like the multilock much more ghastly, so that was what i wanted to know. thanks for everyone who replied though.

(as for personal ethics i would never, ever, under any curcumstances pay one if the extortionists)

[raimundo]

I wonder if there is some devise that would prevent a wheel clamp from being installed in the first place, such as a hubcap that is bolted on and interferes with the spacing needed. like those chariot wheels in ben hur with the swords on them or such.

[illusion]

a lot of the boy-racers round where I live have their suspension waaaaay low so there's no room to even fit the thing

on the other hand a mate of mine can't take his car over speed-bumps as a result

there was some show no TV at one point which showed how Americans had fitted lethal stuff like flamethrowers on their cars to stop burglars... maybe you could have a similar system.

although I saw in a movie some guy pull a fake wheel-clamp out out of his car and put it over his wheel - that way it looks like someone has already clamped your car. Once you're done I guess you just pick the fake clamp up, put it in your boot and drive off

[toomush2drink]

The law has changed on clamps and if you even attempt to remove one fitted by the police your breaking the law. They are dimple locks as i had the pleasure of seeing one on my van the other week . The clamper set off my alarm as he fitted it and i was down the stairs in a flash to see him locking it up and removing what looked like a multilock garrison key. Lets just say we came to an arrangement and it was removed but it still cost me.

[illusion]

so what about private clampings?

are you allowed to remove clamps in this situation so long as there is no damage done to it?

[digital_blue]

although I saw in a movie some guy pull a fake wheel-clamp out out of his car and put it over his wheel - that way it looks like someone has already clamped your car. Once you're done I guess you just pick the fake clamp up, put it in your boot and drive off

Now that I like. I feel so left out here. In Winnipeg, they don't use wheel clamps. If you park where you're not supposed to (public or private areas), you come out and the car is gone. If it was parked in a public area, like on a street where you should not park, you'll spend the next 30 minutes trying to figure out which towing company got your car and where it went. Then you get to go down and pay a kings ransom for the car (usually around $90 if memory serves) and once you get your car back, you'll have a parking ticket on the windshield to boot. Then the fun begins. You've got 7 days to pay the ticket or it goes from something like $30 to $85 (can't remember the exact amounts, but it's something like that). I'm not sure how long it takes before they send out a guy to break thumbs, but the whole thing is so time consuming and costly, people tend not to park where they shouldn't.

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