I thought about that one for awhile.
If there were only honest people...

we wouldn't need spare tire locks
we wouldn't need locks on the doors
we wouldn't need keyed ignitons, just a starter button like the jeeps I drove in the Army
the whole concept of 'keys' would go away

if your truck was gone, you could be sure it would be back later with more gas in it than it had before.

if I was broke, I could still walk into McDonalds and get a hamburger by telling them
"I would glady pay you back next Tuesday..."

 

Ok, take a cable, rope or foam wrapping.
Wrap them around the cable (in the middle of the tire), and around the tire.
Install a lot of small fish hooks around it and make sure you hide them real good.
The little bastards may get your tire, but they will get cut up as hell doing it.

Oh I forgot, keep your real spare inside the bed under your lockable cover.

 

I read somewhere that the "WD" stands for "water displacement". So, as long as it keeps water (moisture) from getting in there and rusting, it should be fine.

 

I think that I got my lock from JC Whitney. It's a rod that clamps to the frame goes through the stud hole in the rim, then a lock slides up the rod. In the winter I leave the lock off so it doesn't freeze up. les than $20.00

 

i know how you feel man. I was changing my differential fuild one day and i was sitting cross legged in the back underside of the truck, it wasnt raised. I was sorta throw off like something was missing. Took me awhile to finally figure out that some *** had stolen my spare. I have no idea how long its been gone. Theres a lock that you can supposidly buy from ford that will fit in the hole that lowers and raises the spare, i dont know how much or if its effective or not, its supposed to be a standard feature on xlts past 99 or 00.

 

Not on my 01 XLT.

I did the masterlock coated bike lock and the weather plug pad lock to lock it up. Just remember to put graphite lock lub in it once a month and work the tumblers and it is fine. Last truck is 8 years old with the same type lock on it, and it still works ( Chicago=road salt for ~ 6 months of the year by time the rain cleans it all off ).

The bit about locks keep honest people honest, I think is aimed at it keeps the hit and run / quicky theif from taking it.

If they can do a quick drop and run with the spare it is gone, if they see the lock, or start to lower it and it gets hung up, they are gone and on to the next easy target.

If they really want it, there is nothing that is going to stop them, just like locking lug nuts. There is a tapper fitting that uses 150 grint sandpaper in the tapper, to tap it onto the lock nut, and it grips it enough to get if off. These can be had via any body shop catalog for cheap.
If you have wheel locks, the hit and run guy is out the there is going to pass, the one that really wants your rims, if they have time to work it, they will be gone. All a time thing. With enough time they can steal the whole truck, hoist it up on a flat bed and gone, but most don't have a flat bed, and only break the window to take the radar detector and stereo if they want something quick for the pawn shop.

It is the common phrase for it, but it has to do with the determination of the thief and the surroundings, enough cover of darkness and blocked by another car ( in the driveway ) someone can steal half the stuff on the truck with making a sound, and without leaving a trace ( a earlier post about someone in a gated community got his HD rims ripped off is a good example, roving security gaurds and cameras and they still made off with them ).

 

The McGard spare tire lock is available at Ford dealers, standard on new larriets maybe?

You twist off the guide tube and tap a keyed socket into the spare crank housing reciever. Then to lower the spare you clip a matching key to the end of the long crank handle, feed it down the guide tube, mate the socket, and crank down the spare. It workes just like keyed lug nuts do. And no crawling under the truck to unlock the spare. I haven't lost my socket in two years.