Ignition Key Switch

[rlich8]

Hi all,

I am trying to think of a way that I can use a key switch for my ignition without making it irreversible. Has anyone done this or does anyone have any pictures of this done? I'm thinking to buy another ignition switch box and modify it to accept just a small key switch.

Opinions/suggestions?

Thanks!

[Airborne Bob]

My opinion would be to not bother. I guess the reason why you'd want to do this is to prevent theft, but you'll ruin the original look too. Instead, get a decent marine-use cutoff switch (or an actual military-type cutoff switch - I think they were used on the dueces) and install it in your battery compartment or on the wall of it. If you install it on the front wall, it's easy access. If you want more security, install it on the rear wall and then you have to lift the passenger seat and open the tool box to get to it and you have the option of padlocking the passenger seat down (instead of using the factory pin to lock it down).

By using a cutoff switch, you also isolate the battery. The safest way is to intercept the Negative line. This way, when you park your jeep and turn it off, you can reach over and also kill the juice to everything on the jeep. No one can even blow the horn. And you have no juice running anywhere, so it also becomes a fire protection device as well. I park my jeep in public and have been to Aberdeen and other shows and I have never heard of a theft yet of an entire vehicle. Most people realize they probably won't get very far, even if they know how to start it and drive it. The biggest annoyance at shows has been that kids will climb in and beep the horn or turn on the lights, God Forbid. With the cutoff switch, this eliminates all that and you can walk away from it knowing the average person is not going to be able to steal the vehicle or run the battery down. This is also a good reminder too. Whenever I park my jeep, I an in the habit of turning both switches off. This prevents the old "I left my ignition switch on and now my 2HNs are toast" thread.

Just my personal opinion. I'm sure others will give you theirs as well. Good luck with your project, whatever you decide to do.

[199th MP]

i'm with bob on that--i throw the switch and then padlock the seat with my OFFICIAL us army padlock.

[rlich8]

Guys, I am absolutely cool with that. After reading that, I'm convinced that's the way to do it. Can anyone suggest a specific shutoff switch I should use? I normally like to avoid modifying a vehicle, however, I couldn't think of anything, until reading this!

That's a great idea!

[Airborne Bob]

If you Google "military battery cutoff switch" you might come up with the military one that I found on ePay about 6 years ago. Mine came out of a duece and has a T handle on it that gives you current in the middle position and cuts it off in the left or right position. I just liked it because it looks old and of the same 1960s "period." And I've got mine visible (under the passenger's legs), so I didn't want something that looks out of place. The military one could have easily been installed on a jeep at the time, so I went with the one that I found. Painted it OD and it blends rtight in with the passenger footwell. It doesn't stick out very far either, so there's no chance of banging your heel or ankle on it. Wish I had a picture to show you.

Otherwise, if you're going to "bury" it inside the tool compartment anyway, you could just get any decent marine-grade, 24-volt switch and mount it on that wall between the battery compartment and the tool box. Interupt the negative cable that jumps between the batteries. You'll probably need another short, heavy-duty cable to do this, in addition to the switch itself, unless you can fasten new ends to the negative cable and have enough length.

[rlich8]

I've done a little searching, and come up with a few ideas. I wasn't able to find any military ones, however, I did come across a few good options.

Option 1 -

I found this on an Indian electrical/battery site. The only issue is, I'm not sure if they sell off that site, much less ship to the USA. I like it because it's flat and I could theoretically velcro it to one of the batteries, and just get two shorter cables that can be put on to the posts. It's fairly simple and would work nice. Not sure if I can get ahold of this one though.



Option 2 -

I found this on Harbor Freight. I could purchase this, and purchase a small project box from radio shack. The switch could be installed in the top of the project box, then I could drill two holes on each side, with a couple rubber grommets, and feed the cables through to close/open the circuit. The added bonus here is that none of the connections are exposed and it would be a fairly clean, nice option.


Option 3 -

I see these on a lot of classics. The design is not bad, but I think I tend to like the one with the "key" more. Maybe that's just me being paranoid that someone is going to steal the jeep (although then again I'm sure if they really want to, they will) but I guess it's not a bad option either. Simple to install, only about $3.96 at Menards, and I won't have to buy new cables.



I think I like option 2 the most, but if anyone has anything to add, feel free. Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this! Just goes to show how much I love my vehicles!

[Airborne Bob]

Stay away from Option 3. I have one on my '61 Corvette and have had no problems, but I know other antique owners who have had issues with them and don't buy them. They are cheap and you get what you pay for with them. The earlier ones were pretty reliable 10 years ago, but now they are made in China and who knows how prone to hassles.

I see what you are trying to do with Option 2. You want a project box that you can have inside of the battery box, right? And this way you are not drilling or cutting circle-holes in the walls of your battery box? I think that's what you're trying to accomplish, and that will certainly work well and not necessitate the drilling of sheetmetal. My only concern would be if you have enough room in there for such a box. This stuff is bigger than they look in the photos and you don't want anything inside the battery compartment that can make the connection between the hot side and a ground. Option 1, if you can get it, would mount to the forward wall, I think, right between both batteries.

My military cutoff looks liie a combination of #1 and 2. The handle looks like #1 but the terminals are on the back, like #2 has. All I had to do was drill a circle hole in the forward panel and mount the switch with the handle facing the passenger's foot area. Then I hooked it all up inside and the wires are secured nicely with no chance of arcing.

[Rickf]

Another place to tie in the switch could be the jumper cable between the two batteries. That way you would only need a couple of shorter cables and you could leave your main cables alone. The downside is that you will still have voltage on the wires at the switch as opposed to using the ground cable.


Rick

[rlich8]

Bob,

Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to do with option 2. I'll wait until I get the Jeep in my hands, then I'll go buy a switch and project box. If I somehow can find a military switch, that's what I'll go with, but, that's unlikely...so option 2 is the best idea in my mind.

Rick,

That was another idea.

Thanks gentleman!

[Airborne Bob]

The problem with installing a kill switch entirely inside the battery compartment is, you'll have to remove the passenger seat and take off the battery compartment lid every time you want access to it! I also don't believe you are going to get any kind of containment or project box in there. Wish I was down the shore where my jeep is, I'd take a pic of mine and you'd understand much more easily. Anybody with any pics of the battery compartment, please feel free to join in and post the pic.

By having the switch protrude into the tool compartment, all you have to do is lift up the passenger seat, not pull it (and the cover for the batteries) out of the vehicle. I still like mounting it on the front panel under the passenger's knees. This is the most convenient place. I simply reach over after I've shut off the ignition and twist the handle. This necessitates, however, buying a switch that has the handle on the outside and the connectors on the inside (the other side of the switch... more like the picture in Option 2). And whatever you do, I would definitely interrupt the ground, not the hot cable.

So, your options are:

A) Put the entire switch inside the battery compartment. I favor this the least for the reasons stated above. Have fun removing the seat and lid every time you want to shut it down.

B) Mount the switch on the wall that divides the battery compartment from the tool box area, with the handle showing inside the tool box. This will only necessitate removing the pin that holds the passenger seat and tilting the seat forward. Then, while holding the seat forward, lifing the tool cover and twisting the switch. If you have any herniated discs in the lumbar or thoracic region, again, have fun with this option every time you park.

C) Mount the switch on the forward wall that separates the battery compartment from the passenger well, with the handle readily accessible from the driver's seat position. A simple twist and you're out of the vehicle and no juice anywhere. If you want to get real fancy and theft is a major concern (again, I don't know why it should be... it's not like these things are big block Corvettes or womething worth big bucks), then go ahead and install a 2nd kill switch inside the battery compartment that can be klilled additionally and really drive a would-be thief crazy.

[Rickf]

Hey Bob, A 69 L88 is what, around 6000.00?


Rick

[Airborne Bob]

?????

[jonnyrocket]

Ok now this was something that I pondered for the longest time. I had lots of things I wanted to incorporate into my jeep, but I didn't want to add a bunch of switches at the dashboard or near the peddles, or wherever. Originally; I had a large Ammo-box between the seats, then I wanted to put the gun-pedestal back in the jeep only I couldn't have both. I went with a smaller Ammo-box and bolted it to the floor with 1/4" spacers between the box and the floor. Then it occurred to me that it could be my "control-central" and I ran all my power wires/antennas/etc. through a piece of conduit that many of you might recognize? It's the same conduit used when running antenna wires from the radio to the rear corner of vehicle. Of the 4-pictures I've posted, note the Yellow Arrow. It points to the plunger/button/bolt that is the kill-switch. The kill switch connects to a 60-Amp circuit-breaker that I bought at the home improvement center for $15.00. 4-guage wires to and from the Control-Box, it is the positive wire from 24-volt battery to vehicle. The box contains many switches (siren, dome-light, alternating head-lamps, beacon, police sirens, PA, back-up light, vehicle alarm, scanner, relays, etc.) but most importantly the kill-switch. The lid of the Ammo-Box has 2-lips (one on each side) that would not allow me to raise the lid far enough to detach it for driving, until alteration was made to one of the lips where it meets the hinge. I had to grind off the lower portion of the lip on the driver's side, that the lid can be slid sideways far enough to detach it due to the gun-pedestal platform above it. Beneath the pedestal can be found a speaker thru which can be heard the scanner and the PA. The padlock that secures the box lid is one of 3 that came in a set and they all use the same key. One for the box, and the other 2 replacing pins of passenger seat. What good would having a lock-box for an alarm, if someone could just raise the passenger seat and get to the batteries? So the passenger seat is locked front and back. Unseen in the pictures is the vent hole to allow any heat generated in the box to escape. Again; this was just my solution to the old question of how do we keep just anyone from being able to jump in our jeeps and drive away?

[Airborne Bob]

Never thought about locking the seat front and back. Very ingenious setup, Johnny.

Don't park your jeep at the County Fair for very long though. Somebody might think it's the Tilt-A Whirl with all those sirens and flashing lights and start handing you tickets to climb on board for a ride. (just kidding!) LOL...

[ldj1002]

I have simply put a toggle switch in the wire to the coil and mounted it under the dash in the gusset by left knee. Can't see it so you don't have and extra switch showing. Don't need a key IMHO. If anyone finds that switch and figures out what it is, well they will steel your Jeep no mater what.