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How to drill a hex wrench to make it tamper proof

branimal

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I lost the security hex wrench for my bike rack. I last recall leaving it on my bumper after I took my rack off. Then proceeded to drive another 100 miles.

It's a standard 3/8 hex with a hole in the center. The bike rack company wants $15 + another $15 to ship it. I could get something off of amazon for around $20. I do have a 3/8 hex wrench laying around that I never use.

How do I ensure I get that hole dead center? (I have a vise and a drill press). Looks like the pin is about 3/16".

thx
 
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OccupantRJ

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A carbide drill will likely be required. Centering it is another thing. Color the end of the hex key with black felt tip marker, then use a combination square on all six sides to mark center with an exacto blade or utility knife. Sliding a 3/8” socket of 1/4 drive over it to mark through the hole may also give you a visual target center. A short piece of 1/4” tubing dropped into the square drive hole may also help get it by acting as a drill guide. Carbide likes speed.
 

LXCam

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You'll never nail making your own. Everybody and their cross eyed brother makes security fastener drivers. Just buy from someone else.




I'd suggest swinging by Home Depot and seeing what's in stock.
 

whateg01

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-Possible but not likely to hit the center with that equipment

"Looks like" isn't an adequate measuring system. Go buy the wrench you need for best/fastest results.
If the hex key is soft enough to drill, "looks like" is probably plenty close since it's just going to twist off anyway.
 

mike93lx

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Is it a one up rack?

I feel like I'd either buy a wrench or put the effort into removing the pin in the bolt head. No one is carrying a 3/8 Allen to steal your rack and if they knew they needed one, they'd get the tool anyway.

I've thought about modifying mine for this same reason
 

whateg01

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whateg01

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Sumboodie

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He said 3/8" hex. Those little security bit kits go to maybe 1/4".

Definitely not to 3/8".

Grinds my gears when people half *** read something and then are borderline rude with their comments with info that's not even relevant.
Even more so when perhaps it wasn't exactly clear at first so more info presented yet they're hell bent going with old info.


It's not JUST here, and I'm not attacking anyone in particular. Just online in general.

I don't understand why so people feel they can have no filter. Facebook even worse when generally it's under your name and people know you.

Recently in my hometown a young girl was hit by an ambulance and passed away. Terrible thing to happen.

The local news posted an article on Facebook and people are on there going on about kids not watching where they walk.. maybe this will teach them. Ambulance driver must have been texting, hang them from a tree, other terrible things.
 
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JoeLee1

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I lost the security hex wrench for my bike rack. I last recall leaving it on my bumper after I took my rack off. Then proceeded to drive another 100 miles.

It's a standard 3/8 hex with a hole in the center. The bike rack company wants $15 + another $15 to ship it. I could get something off of amazon for around $20. I do have a 3/8 hex wrench laying around that I never use.

How do I ensure I get that hole dead center? (I have a vise and a drill press). Looks like the pin is about 3/16".

thx
I machine hex keys all the time for various applications, they're hard but they're not that hard. Unless you have a mill where you can precisely locate the hole I would suggest drilling it oversized to compensate for error.

Joe....
 
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branimal

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Is it a one up rack?

I feel like I'd either buy a wrench or put the effort into removing the pin in the bolt head. No one is carrying a 3/8 Allen to steal your rack and if they knew they needed one, they'd get the tool anyway.

I've thought about modifying mine for this same reason
Yes its a 1up rack. Good choice in racks!!! They are getting stolen left and right. I was reading about it on reddit. Even if you use a 1up security pin lock, which blocks access to the security bolt, the thieves will win. They take a pipe and snap off the security pin lock, and then pull out their 3/8 security hex and steal the rack. And maybe even your bike. Yes they are carrying that 3/8 security hex. And they are showing up at local mountain biking parking lots. Or so I've read.

I'm thinking about replacing that security bolt with something else, maybe a snake eye bolt or a torx security bolt. Hard to find in that size. 1/2x13 IIRC.

I live in Brooklyn NYC. I fold up the rack when I'm done and leave it in the cargo area of my jeep. Kind of a pain in the a**.

How do you secure your bike when you make a stop after riding? I sometimes stop at the grocery store in the 'burbs after riding. Cable locks are defeated in seconds with a large enough bolt cutter.
 

mike93lx

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Yes its a 1up rack. Good choice in racks!!! They are getting stolen left and right. I was reading about it on reddit. Even if you use a 1up security pin lock, which blocks access to the security bolt, the thieves will win. They take a pipe and snap off the security pin lock, and then pull out their 3/8 security hex and steal the rack. And maybe even your bike. Yes they are carrying that 3/8 security hex. And they are showing up at local mountain biking parking lots. Or so I've read.

I'm thinking about replacing that security bolt with something else, maybe a snake eye bolt or a torx security bolt. Hard to find in that size. 1/2x13 IIRC.

I live in Brooklyn NYC. I fold up the rack when I'm done and leave it in the cargo area of my jeep. Kind of a pain in the a**.

How do you secure your bike when you make a stop after riding? I sometimes stop at the grocery store in the 'burbs after riding. Cable locks are defeated in seconds with a large enough bolt cutter.
I have a paclock hitch lock for the rack and use a large a us chain with another paclock pad lock to lock the bikes to the rack and safety chain holes on the hitch.

I dont have to worry about theft at my house, but the rack lives in my garage.

Sorry, yes, I know bikes and racks are getting stolen, it just won't be a theft of opportunity... They'll know what they are doing, so I don't think the security pin adds anything beneficial.

Ultimately it's all easily defeated with a cordless grinder or portaband
 
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branimal

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A carbide drill will likely be required. Centering it is another thing. Color the end of the hex key with black felt tip marker, then use a combination square on all six sides to mark center with an exacto blade or utility knife. Sliding a 3/8” socket of 1/4 drive over it to mark through the hole may also give you a visual target center. A short piece of 1/4” tubing dropped into the square drive hole may also help get it by acting as a drill guide. Carbide likes speed.
Great idea! A socket with a 1/4 copper tube on the drill side, and 6-32 or 8-32 nut on the 1/4 drive side might work. Start with a small drill bit and work my way up. Will it work, maybe, probably. Do I want to strip out my security bolt with a DIY hex wrench. ehhhh....

Amazon has a SAE security hex bit set that would work. I have a crappy socket wrench I can leave in the jeep.

Security hex socket set.
 

PCustoms

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Not always:
Should work then.

I was writing out you could probably jamb nut a bolt on there and use a box and wrench, then I realized most often 1/4 hardware is 7/16...
 

mike93lx

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I'd grab a 1/4-20 coupling nut at a decent hardware store.

The hex should be 3/8", and there's already a hole... then turn it with a wrench.
1/4-20 might have to be drilled out a bit, but that wouldn't be hard. This is a great suggestion
 

Sumboodie

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Before I got a large hex socket set, I needed a few larger ones, like 3/4", 17mm, etc. Mostly for drain plugs.

I welded 2 nuts together.

Coupler nuts would work too, but in my case I used what I had on hand.
 

MidMoBob

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Could you simply defeat the security feature by grinding off the post in the female hex opening on the bike rack?
 

bwringer

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Should work then.

I was writing out you could probably jamb nut a bolt on there and use a box and wrench, then I realized most often 1/4 hardware is 7/16...

For some reason, coupling nuts vary somewhat, so you might need to poke around a little to find a different brand with the external hex you want. You could also, of course, weld together a few nuts of the appropriate size. Clean up the exterior of spatter, and perhaps drill out the center a little more to suit the pin if needed.

Motorcycles often have a large internal hex in the front axle (12, 14, 17, or 19mm) and the lightest, cheapest, and most compact option is to carry a metric coupling nut of the appropriate external size and use a wrench. You can also create tools by welding up a bolt and a nut or two, or lopping off part of a hex key or hex stock, etc.



Could you simply defeat the security feature by grinding off the post in the female hex opening on the bike rack?

Grinding with what? It's pretty much unpossible to get very far with a Dremel bit without absolutely mangling the sides of the hex.

Some have found success with similar fasteners by using a small chisel to break the pin off with a sharp sidewards strike, but this fastener had an unusually large and strong pin. And if you only bend it instead of breaking it off, you now have an even worse problem.

A teensy tiny Dremel bit and an unusually steady hand might be enough to create a dimple on the top of the pin as a starting point for drilling the pin, also using an unusually steady hand, and the very finest quality small drill bits. This would also be quite difficult, since you can't get the whole rack or vehicle into a mill or drill press, and the tops of these pins are usually somewhat rounded.
 
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PCustoms

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For some reason, coupling nuts vary somewhat, so you might need to poke around a little to find a different brand with the external hex you want. You could also, of course, weld together a few nuts of the appropriate size. Clean up the exterior of spatter, and perhaps drill out the center a little more to suit the pin if needed.

The dumb part about my post, that I realized the next day, is no reason to thread a bolt in, just use a 3/8 wrench on the coupling nut...
 

qdvuu

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Yes they are carrying that 3/8 security hex. And they are showing up at local mountain biking parking lots......I live in Brooklyn NYC. I fold up the rack when I'm done and leave it in the cargo area of my jeep. Kind of a pain in the a**.........How do you secure your bike when you make a stop after riding? I sometimes stop at the grocery store in the 'burbs after riding. Cable locks are defeated in seconds with a large enough bolt cutter.

I live in the SF Bay Area and do a lot of mountain biking. Your approach to transporting bikes is common here, using a rack on your vehicle, so the result is the same as you noted, bikes and racks are getting heisted. Another downside is that the rack users hesitate to go for an after-ride beer.

My solution is to put the bike inside my vehicle. I have tinted windows, use a heavy lock & cable that's threaded to my seat frame, plus a blanket.
 
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