Steering Locks
There are 2 types of steering locks, the first is the Wheel lock, which aims to render the steering wheel unusable by stopping it from being turned. There are hundreds of different designs on the market and can be bought from nearly any auto accessory shop, with prices varying wildly from $10 for an inexpensive lock up to over $100 for a top of the range lock as pictured above.
The basic locks work like a long bar has been placed through the steering wheel and are often locked to one end of it with the other end protruding far enough to make tit difficult to turn the wheel without the bar catching on something such as the windscreen ,the dashboard, the roof or the drivers legs. Unfortunately you do get what you pay for, with the cheaper locks easily picked or broken by force, and a common method of removal is simply to cut the steering wheel, which are generally made of plastic nowadays, and slide the lock off.
The top of the range wheel locks cover most of if not all of the steering wheel like the one pictured above, making it impossible to cut the wheel to remove the mechanism, and also satops the rising crime of Airbag theft. They are constructed out of solid materials and have high quality locks that cannot be easily picked or forced. These can be expensive, but are also highly visible and with most thieves knowing just how difficult they are to remove, they can cause the thief to look elsewhere for his next target. These are a very effective method of theft prevention, and if you can afford it, are highly recommended.
The second type of steering lock protects the steering column rather than the wheel itself, covering the column in a protective metal sheath, which blocks attacks on the ignition barrel to reach the electrical switch and try and start the car, or to try and break the cars own inbuilt steering lock, which is often forced by the use of a hammer and chisel down the side of the ignition barrel. They often also have an arm that passes through the spokes of the steering wheel, restricting its movement.
Finally a big thank you to the guys at Orangewheels.co.uk who supply new Audi UK Cars who gave up their time for free to help us put together this informative site.