Brinks 3020-057 Trailer Wheel Lock, J-Lock Style

Got this lock the other day even after reading how some people had trouble putting it on and how it doesn't fit some trailers, etc. Honestly, I took it out of the package, went outside to see what was involved in putting it on and just did it. It took like 20-30 seconds. The thing fits my double jet ski trailer like a glove. It could even fit thicker springs if needed and the lock fit the steel bar perfectly. My only beef was that the lock really isn't the best. It says "China" on it almost as big as it says "Brinks", if that says anything. It looks strong, but it's a little sticky. I was going to give it four stars because of this, but since the value of the thing is so much better than anything else out there, I still gave it a five star rating. The two things that make this design better than some of the other designs out there are the fact that: 1) It prevents the wheel from moving at all, so even if somebody were to remove a wheel chock while the trailer is parked on a hill, it still wouldn't roll down the hill. I wonder if the "claw" or "pincher" type locks would totally lock a wheel from moving or still slide, but make it so it couldn't be driven with. 2) It seems darn near impossible to take the wheel off the trailer in attempt for a thief to replace it with another one. The only designs I've seen that looks better are the ones that cover the whole side of the wheel. Then again, these look pretty difficult to install and remove and they're like 5x the price. If I had a small/medium sized trailer, I'd definitely buy this one. For bigger boat trailers, I'd double check the size of the springs and distance from the wheel to the springs. Overall though, a great buy!

The photo is kind of deceptive i.e. the bar is much smaller than you think. I wouldn't recommend this product; the idea is great, but the bar is too small and the lock is dismal. I am no thief or have experience at stealing, but I'm sure I could break the lock in minutes with a hammer and bar. I thought I would be able to use a larger quality lock but it would not fit within the bars slots. Maybe a basic master lock you use for high school gym lockers would fit. I would say it was money wasted.

The Brinks J-Lock is a simple, rugged, visible addition to a receiver lock. I found the "fit and finish" a little less than perfect right out of the box: a raised seam on the lock casing needed dressing so that the round lock would easily fit around the square bar). This was a 2 minute Dremel job. I think a vandal would find easier things to bash; and it presents the thief with that "Not worth the effort - let's go look for lower hanging fruit" profile. I'm going to order two more.

Works just how it is described. The tolerance between the lock and the groove that the lock sits in is pretty tight, so it can be a pain to get the lock to close. And the key for the lock can be difficult to turn due to the close tolerance and the larger end of the key doesn't have much space to work with, and it's kind of a cheapo lock. However I find the product to be satisfactory and it does work well as a visual and physical deterrant to theft.

I didn't use it yet because I sold my trailer but I am pretty certain it offers a high threshold for anyone trying to drive away with the trailer. A good quality disc lock can be used where virtually no surface is exposed for cutting with shears. This device has to be removed either with angle grinder or lock picking. Possibly freezing and hammer.Typical storage disc locks are 5 pin cylinders. Lock picking can be made much harder by having 2 or more locks. Picking of inner lock not possible until outer opened and removed. Or having 2 of these. One on each wheel, left and right. Price was affordable.

This is an excellently designed product however it is too short. It needs to be at least three or four inches longer to fit my trailer rim. The rim is inverted so that it is closest to the center of the trailer but it still doesn't work. Be careful to measure the length before ordering.

Nothing is theft proof. The object of this is to influence someone to decide to steal another trailer instead of yours. Good: easy to put on and off, even with a slipped disk in my back and the middle of the Minnesota winter, I had no problem getting in on or off in a minute. Good lock that fit perfectly with the bar. Small enough that it doesn't take up a lot of space in my trunk when not in use. (about the size of a jack handle) Improvement suggested: As a theft deterrent, I with there was something to make it more visible. Maybe a large brightly covered plate that you can stick on it that would cover the wheel. This would make it a lot more visible. Due to the small size, and at night, someone might not notice it until they started pulling away with it and realized one wheel wasn't moving.

It's a good idea but it didn't fit through the spokes on two of my trailers, and scratched them up in the attempt. It's definitely not an easy lock to hookup, but it would probably be a good one if it fit my wheels.

I like how this item is easy to install on the trailer, and how it also locks on the wheels so it cannot be removed. Although possibly not the ultimate in security, it should discourage someone from just hooking on to it and driving away. It also makes it almost impossible to remove, and replace the wheel to steal my unit. I now have more confidence that a "casual" thief will not be able to steal it easily.

I liked it so much I bought a second one.

Works well on a 6X10 utility trailer with 15 inch tires. I am just able to get the lock to engage on the second notch. One complaint is that the lock feels somewhat cheap, but the red metal "J" part is heavy/substantial. I guess one could upgrade the lock. Also it is not a visible deterrent as it barely protrudes out the rim. To combat this I bought a roll of florescent caution tape and tie a 3 foot piece of that around the lock for all to see. I also tie another piece of that tape to the trailer tongue to remind myself so I don't hook up and pull away with the lock still on.

Perfect product for my boat trailer.

Works great and easy to use.