Anybody have a picture of said "Lightweight" key?
Until now, I didn't know they existed either........................

My factory Jeep key is encased in plastic..............I have a bunch of spare keys that are just metal, with no plastic................They don't feel any lighter though....................Is this strictly a '97-up thing?

 

Actually, you found more of this stuff around in the 70s and 80s.

 

A picture would help here. Most key blanks are made of brass as the base metal and then chrome plated for looks. I bought a blank of ebay for my old truck and they didn't want to cut it at the key shop. He said a lot of these are made in China and they are using steel instead of brass and that's too hard on the key cutting machine. Don't know if that's true or not.

 

The lightweight keys were some sort of die-cast metal. Lighter than a feather. But brittle. They don't bend, they break off like was mentioned earlier.

 

The other thing to consider is that you want your key to be a softer (or the same) metal as the wafers in the lock (automotive locks aren't pin/tumbler locks like your house).

If your key is harder than the wafers, the wafers will wear down and can cause issues with key fitment. It's cheaper to replace a worn key than a worn ignition or door lock.

 

The light weight key I have now (for a house) is a titanium alloy. I just thought if they made blanks for the home they might make them for an automotive application

 

Push-button start with no key is pretty effective at lightening the load on your keyring, too.

 

If I get an ultra light key will my tires look taller?

 

They'll actually be taller from supporting less weight. The question is, how many zeros to the right of the decimal taller.

 

If you're serious, pm CF member squelchtone and ask him. He's a mod on a lockpicking forum and may well be a locksmith, even if he's not a locksmith by trade I'f bet he knows more about locks and keys than anyone else here.

 

Lock picking forum? I guess there's a forum for everything and anything nowadays.

I'll bet plenty of thieves get on there for an education. They probably have discussions and fights about which lock is the easiest to pick, like we fight about the best oil and oil filters.

 

You'd be surprised how ridiculously moral and ethic based the lock picking community is.

Criminals break windows. Lock picking is an art.

 

I learned that I don't want one.

 

Isn't Pirate4X4 forum a Nose Picking forum....

 

It's a bunch of jackstand wheelers. This thread is pretty CF.