This exact issue just came up for a fellow WF'er.

This may help --> http://www.wranglerforum.com/f33/stolen-battery-need-to-vent-175139.html

 

If thieves want it they will get it. I'd rather them have my $75 battery them destroy my hood/lock.
Oh that's right , I posted in that thread

 

I agree 100% locks and rules only keep honest people honest. If someone wants to break a rule or steal they will do it regardless of what the rules are. Just my 2 cents.

 

Locks also keep dishonest people from bothering with going through the effort of opening your hood. If locks and rules only keep the honest people out, why bother locking your doors, or the door to your house for that matter?

It's true that any hood lock can be easily defeated with a crowbar, but it isn't true that a hood lock will make no difference in keeping your battery safer. Install a hood lock and chances are that the criminals will just move on to find a wrangler without a lock.

 

I have 2 wranglers down the street. I am going to make up a sign. Hood locked go down the street.

Exactly. Same reason you only need to carry a .22 cal for Bear Protection. Shoot your friend in the leg so he runs slower than you!!

OK, not exactly the same, but I would rather the perps grab and unlocked battery vs mine.:angel:

 

I have 2 wranglers down the street. I am going to make up a sign. Hood locked go down the street.

 

I didn't mean that we should all throw our fellow wrangler owners under the bus- just that it's obvious that the battery thefts are a problem because the wrangler has a weakness- unlocked hood. Correct the weakness and there will be no reason for thieves to go after your battery instead of any other vehicle's battery. It's true that if someone wants to break into your vehicle, there's basically nothing you can do about it. So the solution is to remove the incentive; make it less likely that they'll want to break into your jeep.

I watched a bunch of kids in my neighborhood walking down the street last month, pulling car door handles. If the door didn't open, they moved along. Could they have smashed the windows of every single car on the street and easily raided each of them? Sure. Did they? Nope. Same principle would apply to locked vs. unlocked hoods, wouldn't you say?

 

My sign says "free battery almost dead. Must have own tools and remove yourself"


That should work