Several years ago, we had been running in a lot of wet snowy conditions. The tail of the truck always gets the spray coming up the back doors. Once we got to the delivery, it was very cold, I went to the back to open the doors and guess what, that’s right the lock was frozen. I was not prepared for this as it had never happened before. What to do?

First thing I got out the penetrating oil, the lock was so frozen that didn’t help. The customer was waiting on me so I resorted to a hammer. I must have hammered just right because the ice cracked allowing in the penetrant and the lock opened. We got unloaded and headed straight for a parts store to get lock thaw. Yes, there is a product made just to solve the problem I had. I found out later if you have ice melt windshield washer fluid you can put some in a cup and soak the lock and it will thaw enough to open the lock.

That brings me to this video blog. I did a little research and found out padlocks need bi-annual maintenance. Let’s talk about padlocks for a moment, Padlocks have been around for hundreds of years, the first ones were made of wood. There are many shapes and sizes, different construction materials and configurations. Most padlocks are made of steel or some steel alloy, there are also brass bodied padlocks but these are not as rugged due to brass being a softer metal. Some form of steel will make up the shackle.

All padlocks are made up of two components the shackle and the locking mechanism (body) either combination or keyed. Maintenance is very simple, using a can of compressed air like you would use for a computer keyboard, or compressed air if you have that available, blow through the lock with it open. Blow into the key slot to remove any dust that may have collected in the body. Never use oil in a lock, oil will hold dust and other environmental debris making the lock sticky. Then squirt a shot of DRY lubricant in all the moveable openings, keyhole and around the shackle. Work the key in and out of the lock to help move the lube thoroughly within the tumblers, then work the shackle in and out, locking and unlocking several times until you are satisfied the lock is lubricated. That’s all there is to it.

It may be a good idea to lube all the locks on your truck just to be sure you don’t get lock frozen out of your truck. Our truck has a small metal piece inside the key slot to help prevent debris getting in so I had to use a flat blade screwdriver to gently open the cover in order to spray in the lube. I could feel the difference in the door locks once I lubed them. I did all the tool box locks also, it is one of those things that is quick so while you are doing it you just as well do all the locks, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Until next time, Be Safe.

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