lock suggestions on chevette

I'd hook it up good and solid to a pulling vehicle and just drag it along. Or drag it onto a trailer with a winch or something and move it that way.

If the car is worth some money, you could have a new lock assembly installed in the column. A friend of mine was given a Cadillac with no keys and he had a new lock cylinder installed...it's been a daily driver for him ever since.

I have also seen a set of four things with wheels on them that you set the vehicle's wheels on..then you can push it around as you please. AFAIK it was sold by LMC Truck

though I couldn't find theproduct there), but it would be an expensive solution to a cheap problem... William

You could call a locksmith or two for a quote, that would be the easiest way.

To replace the lock it would be to your advantage to have several dedicated tools, a steering wheel puller and a lock plate compressor.

If you have these two tools, all of the others are common types including a T20 Torx driver for the igniton lock retainer.

Remove the horn pad, twist the horn wire at its base counter clockwise to remove, remove the Nadar clip on top of the steering column nut, the steering column nut and the wheel.

If you do not have a steering wheel puller, loosen the nut, put the seat back, brace yourself good, grab the wheel at 9 oclock and 3 oclock, start a vibration, pull one side then the other, start big then go small. If the wheel does not pop loose then grab at another location and do the same thing. Your wheel will come off unless one of several conditions exist, that you have a tilt model and it is loose or that your wheel is welded on.

Under the wheel you will see a metal plate with notches around the outside parameter, the notches are for the locking pin to fall into and lock the wheel. The locking pin is at 11 o'clock. A plastic beauty cover is on the lock plate and can be removed easy so that you can see the lock pin. The locking pin is spring loaded and you can push in on it and turn the wheel, one click at a time. You could even wedge and JB weld the lock pin in the 'unlock position' if you wanted but if it ever slipped while driving, you could kill yourself or someone else.

To remove the locking plate without the benefit of a lock plate compressor, use a sharp icepick or awl to start the spring steel retainer up. The retainer sits in a groove around the center shaft. You can find the ends of the retainer with your sharp tool, raise it slightly, use a small bladed screwdriver to get under it and work it off.

Once the lock plate has been removed, remove the horn ring/cancel cam then you will need to remove 5 Phillips screws, 3 that hold on the upper turn signal assembly, 1 for the turn signal arm bridge and 1 for the emergency flasher that sits under the igniton lock on the outside of the column.

Pull the turn signal assembly upwards and to the rear of the ignition lock you will see a white plastic key buzzer actuator with a piece of spring steel beneath it. With a good needlenose, grab the piece of spring steel under the key buzzer actuator and pull outward. Lay aside.

Now you will be able to remove the bolt that retains the keyed ignition switch. Usually for that year it will be a T20 Torx head but could be several other simple to remove fasteners. No biggie.

Now you can slide out the ignition lock and put the new one in.

When replacing the lock plate, you will notice that it goes on one way only and cannot go on wrong unless you use undue force. The column is splined as is the lock plate, there is a double wide spline that matches each piece.

Have the lock plate and retainer started on the column in the correct position, use two large bladed screwdrivers to depress the lockplate until it is down a little past the area where the lock plate retainer goes. With your third hand, slide the lock plate into position and then release, replace wheel, nut, Nadar clip, plug in horn and replace horn pad.

If you do not replace the lock plate and you have a tilt column, and if you drive the vehicle in this condition, the lower column bearings, all 14 of them will tinkle down on your feet and the steering wheel will then have more slop than you ever thought possible. So much slop that you would be embarrased to drive anywhere.

If you have a standard column, the bearings will not fall out but you will no longer have a locking steering wheel.

Another way to do it is to hire a punk thief and they will show you in just a few minutes how to start and drive your vehicle.

Willie.

it's a CHEVETTE... the single worst vehicle GM ever produced... makes a Cavalier look like a Caddilac.

-Bret

Hi!

Oh, I know that....but I do think one of the Diesel variety might be cool to putter around in.

As I've driven by the local junkyard, I have seen a few "repurposed" to haul "things". They seem to last quite a while before breaking.

William

- the guy who guessed at what a Cadillac Cimarron looked like before he saw one for the first time yesterday!

my cousin had one when we were in HS about 15 years ago..... we used to pound the ever loving snot out of that thing..... 7k rpm (about 40 in 1st) wasn't unusual... the thing kept on going until the tranny literally fell apart. doesn't change that they were a terrible terrible car. my back still hurts from riding in that piece of crap.

-Bret