Locks 4 Vans Hook Bolt Deadlocks are Back!!

Yes that's right, the Locks 4 Vans hook bolts are back and available again. In fact we have been fitting the hook bolts in most cases since around April this year, but we wanted to be sure that there was not going to be another disruption in supply until writing another news story on the subject!

After an internal investigation by Locks 4 Vans; they concluded that the increased unreliability problem over the Christmas 2017 / beginning of 2018 with some hook bolts jamming was caused by a specific bad batch and that on the whole the reliability of the hook locks is perfectly acceptable. The hook style lock has been very popular among van owners since it became widely used to protect the load area of vans in deadlock packages during 2017/2018 because they can be more resistive to attack (if thieves challenge the deadlocks), than the regular deadlocks. The price of the hook style deadlocks are in most cases the same as the regular deadlocks; which make them appealing for obvious reasons when a customer is weighing up the option of deadlocks vs surface mounted locks. Surface mounted locks are more expensive than deadlocks and also the surface mounted locks can have more of an impact on the look of a van. So the fact that the hook style deadlock can provide that little bit more security for a customer can often be enough for them to decide on the deadlocks over the surface mounted locks. Of course we at Sussex Installations recommend a multiple strategy approach on van security and although our advice differs from one van model to another, we will where possible recommend;

1. Protecting the vehicle manufacturer's weak point (if possible or feasible) 
2. Adding a mechanical layer of security (i.e. additional locks)
3. Having an alarm that will sound if the load area of the van is penetrated (adding a PIR detector to an existing alarm or fitting a new alarm along with a load area PIR)

Getting back to the original subject of hook type deadlocks, I saw a prototype of a new designed Locks 4 Vans hook style deadlock that they were hoping to release this year; which shows their commitment to the future of van deadlocks using a hook type lock case. So we welcome the release of that product when it is market ready and available.

It is important that you lubricate them regularly (i.e. once per month; which is considerably more important in the winter) and this MUST BE done using the CORRECT LUBRICANT!

Keyhole - GT85 with PTFE

HOOK LOCK ONLY - White Lithium Spray Grease

If anyone has a problem with a hook type lock, then we suggest to 1st try the advice on our YouTube video below to see if this resolves the problem. If your lock case is stuck in the locked position, it might be possible for you to slide a flexible plastic ruler under the hook and turn the key at the same time that you use the ruler to lift the hook. Of course we will happily do this for our customers, but if you need to unlock your van door before you can wait for an appointment for us to do this then please do this carefully (with a flexible plastic ruler) so that you do not damage the paint inside your van door. If this doesn't solve the problem then we can swap the lock case for another hook type lock case and lubricate it.

If you have any van security questions then please contact us