# where to get m6 socket cap anti theft screws



## gideon (May 24, 2007)

Hi Folks
So my city bike was stripped weds of the front end
They unbolted the regular allen screws on the stem, brakes and shifters and took it
I had the locking qrs and some cheap shifters/bars/stem and ergon gp1 grips

dug around the net and sent some emails to various fastener places
for any type of tamper resistant socket cap screw
for the stem bolts, likely an m6 or m5 thread

most of them are english thread
mcmaster and fastenal don't have

Not of the parts were too fancy, but it's been quite and ordeal trying to rebuild her

Does anyone know for sure who might have these type screw or any other way to prevent the same thing happening again?

Thanks in advance
G

these guys might have but min $100 order?
https://www.fullermetric.com/products/socket/din6912-8.8low_head_socket_cap_screw.html

https://www.hudsonfasteners.com/sec/sec_sc_pss_al.htm
https://www.jazdtech.com/techdirect...EW.htm?supplierId=60023079&productId=60073744

taken from in front on the moscone center in sf on 9/23 sometime btwn 9pm and 2am (i was at the oracle rock concert)
black planet x rigid disk fork
crappy stem and bars
grey ergo grips
black rhinolite rim with 2.5 hookworm and locking skewer
they unscrew the cable anchors
sometimebetween 9pm and 2am yest


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## nuck_chorris (Jun 6, 2008)

wow they took pretty much the whole front end. I would recommend making some space and storing indoors. if you fix it again it will only get stolen again. you could glue bearings in the hex bolt heads


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

Aw, man- that really bites. I wish I knew where you could get your tamper proof metric hardware, but I have no idea other than a custom stem tapped for SAE screws. The "locking swewers" means Pitlocks or something like them?


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## oz1um (Nov 24, 2008)

Sad to see something like this... Torx screws are hard to find and may not be available for all your parts, but they are not so easy to open with a regular allen key. Putting glue on the bolt heads is a good idea, combined with Loctite or some other threadlocker it's probably the cheapest way to secure the parts. I don't think much of Pitlock because it can be opened quite easily with some good pliers and costs way too much.


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## TeaTwoSugars (Jul 17, 2010)

IIRC there's an anti theft system called 'Pinhead' that is available in the uk that you can't undo with an allen key or Torx set. 

I'll have a look around for a link.


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## TeaTwoSugars (Jul 17, 2010)

www.pinheadcomponents.com/


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## Plum (Sep 14, 2004)

Fill your allen heads with hot glue or silicone after rebuilding. It's not completely tamper proof, but someone (including yourself) would have to pry out the lump of glue before getting a wrench in there..

Plum


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

The pinhead system looks to be more pliers and vise-grip resistant than pitlocks. The dimples are at 120 degrees so you can't get an opposite pair of flats for bite. They are domed so no bite there. Those and a cable through the front wheel may have made the effort to steal the front end too time consuming for the average theif. 

The glue and paint so it looks to be solid, yet you know you can pick it clean to fit the Allen wrench, looks worth a shot.

Of course, the truly persistant theif could have just cut the top and down tubes with a grinder on an AC converter to a car battery in fast order, so if you like your frame, this was better. One guy on YouTube showed he could do it with the AC of the light pole in New York in broad daylight and no one interfered. Though if the videographer was obvious enough, maybe passersby thought it was a news report or documentary. Yours looks like it was out late at night on a very quiet street. On a deserted street, one to lookout, one to wrench, and it's theirs.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

Pinhead looks great for what if covers, but that doesn`t seem to include the bar end of a stem. I guess the headset lock would keep the fork where it belongs though. It sure would be nice if metric anti tamper hardware were more available. Then again, it it were common, the keys would be common too. Next step would have to be Pinhead screwes with epoxy in the holes. Sure glad I don`t have to deal with a lot of theft around here.


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## gideon (May 24, 2007)

*awesome comments! glue idea good*

I reached out, via a semi serious means to a number of fastener vendors with and internet presence, via email
but prolly alot of these trades type of companies dont use email too much 
And it could be a month project before I got each and every one on the phone 

I remember seeing the stem lock thingy (similar to the skewer locks)
Thanks for that link
https://www.pinheadcomponents.com/c.../product/1d271df53016a0689fb731af0c3c7fe5.jpg

I've been using the kryptonite button head ones and more recently the brand the sell at rei
onguard (actually have about 5 different keys)

For those familiar to SF, Moscone center is super busy, prob too busy during the day and it caught someones eye, but all the techies were at the oracle rock show that night
I also was there at 2-4am since I had to take a taxi home and didn't want to scare them off with a partial together bike, else get the Danny Glover treatment

I went back there with the car, and forgot the key and came back again, all the while pretty pissed

I've always known that someone could unscrew with simple allen, but that bike's been locked up for prob a few years in SF and NYC at train stations and all over, etc and it never happened

I also spent may hrs the next day and ordered more parts, piece by piece and have about 20 packages coming in the mail so I can get it dialed to my liking, got the cork and rubber ergon gp1 grips 

The pita glue/ball bearing seems like another good idea, but I'd like to get the new parts/bearings settled in/seated, esp the headset bearings

A cable thru the front wheel good too, but it's one extra thing to carry/do/undo/get dirty/etc

I have a few of those new york chains and have carried them around my neck ala Quinton Rampage, (waist too large)

currently Using the heaviest u lock, hung on hip on belt, seems to be most onobtrusive but high security

and for neighborhood short jaunts a lighter duty ulock with built in combo, even beats other bike lockerereruppers in speed

I've also had the flashers ripped off to, so i go with the flea in the front and suplerflasher rear, small and you can stuff in ur pocket for the night and not be too bulk 

Will update when this project is more complete

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions

G

btw here's a link about a similar topic I found on another ad-cluttered forum

https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-648305.html

PPS - classic


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

A picture out of context can mislead. Sounds like you do all the right things. So that makes it a particularly big bummer.


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## gideon (May 24, 2007)

*maybe some more progress*

seems the socket cap aren't made in m6
maybe the torx pin in might fit in the recessed holes on the stem? would need a measurement on them

this place was referred by roaring mouse cycles in SF

http://www.aaronssecurityscrews.com/

and this
http://www.tamperproof.com/categories/metric-socket-security.html

Chris at roaring mouse also mentioned a web article 8 ways to secure your bicycle, need to dig


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## doco (Aug 31, 2008)

if anyone is still looking for a good anti-theft deterrent, the best you can go are the PitLock locking skewers

http://www.urbanbiketech.com/
Urban Bike Tech - Pitlock Locking Skewers for your bike! USA and Canada

Peter White is the only dealer for them in usa, but urbantech has them cheaper, and 
Vince is a hell of a lot nicer guy to deal with, A1 service

I have a full set on my CK wheels, stem, and my ti post on my Lynskey....I use a bulldog u clamp on my back wheel around the wheel between the rear stays so I don't need a rear pitlock skewer

haven't had a problem yet ...but bottom line...if someone really wants your bike, they will get no matter what you do


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## Sizzler (Sep 24, 2009)

You might also consider gluing some ball-bearings in the holes. They are very difficult to remove, which is both good and bad!


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## Dion (Oct 22, 2009)

Dude, Gideon... that is HORRIBLE!


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## RidinginSF (Mar 29, 2010)

Has anyone tried these QR "security' skewers and seat post clamp? 
http://www.zefal.com/zefal/produit.php?key=497001 
They are not supposed to release unless the bike is flipped upside down.


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