Lock Tumbler Replacement: 3 Ways to Replace Your Lock Tumblers

Homeowners change their door locks for a great many reasons.

If you just moved into the house, lost your keys, or have been through a divorce, it is all the more reason you should change the locks.

The possibilities are endless, but if your home security is at risk.

Then lock tumbler replacement is your best bet.

Learning about your lock choices and how to lock tumbler replacement will help you achieve your objectives.

What Are Lock Tumblers?

Tumblers sometimes referred to as pins, are the internal components of pin tumbler locks.

These lock components allow some keys to operate in the lock while preventing others from doing so.

To understand the various approaches to lock tumbler replacement, you must first know what parts are being replaced and how important they are to the lock’s functionality.

Many pin stacks within a simple pin tumbler lock.

There are at least three sections to each pin stack:

Stacks of Pins and Springs

A pin stack consists of at least two pins and one spring.

The spring applies pressure to the stack, allowing pins to reset smoothly after being lifted by a key.

Springs may be made of various metals to provide varying pressure levels, but they are typically common in most locks.

The key pins are the tumblers/pins that the key comes into contact with.

The key pins are cut to various heights to match the various groove depths.

It will not open the lock unless the key is made with the sizes of the key pins in mind.

Instead of a regular lock tumbler replacement, you can easily use a key tumbler replacement to get a lock to open with a different key.

Driver Pins

Between the main pins and the springs are the driver pins.

They are normal in height and do not contact the key when it’s actuating the lock.

As a result, they seldom wear out and aren’t required for things like key tumbler replacement.

When replacing lock tumblers, the driver pins are replaced with different shape pins.

How Lock Tumblers Open a Lock?

To understand the distinction between lock tumbler replacement and key tumbler replacement, you must first understand how these components work together for the lock to work.

To open the lock, the proper key must raise the pin stack to a certain height.

This process is the reason why the key tumbler (key pin) and the key are made specifically for each other.

A shallow groove on a key must align with a longer key pin, and a short pin must align with a higher groove for all pins to rest at the same height.

The explanation for this uniform height is due to the pin tumbler lock’s construction.

A pin tumbler lock is made up of two parts:

Plug

The key is inserted into the plug, part of the lock.

When the lock is open, it rotates and retains the keyway.

This movement pushes a stationary tailpiece or cam on the plug’s back, which actuates a bolt, lock, or another mechanism.

The plug will not turn, and the lock will not open without the correct key.

Bible

The lock bible consists of the bottom pins, the top pins, the master pins, the pin stack spring, and the drilled chambers.

This bible is the plug’s housing, and when the correct key is used to open the lock, it remains stationary.

The bible’s springs drive the pin stack into the socket, which binds the plug to the bible.

The shear line is the point where these two pieces intersect.

The difference between the plug and the bible is what causes the plug to spin inside the bible.

The lock is open if it rotates in that direction.

Liability

Once you open the cylinder, you own it.

Do the right thing first to avoid liability and headaches.

An expert locksmith also involves checking the cylinder’s bible.

Make sure nothing is blocking the shear line for the rotation to occur.

The key must raise the pin stack so that the driver pin and spring are in the bible and the key pins are in the socket.

The driver pins will catch on the shear line and tie the lock if they are underset (the key’s groove is too deep).

The main pins will connect at the shear line if the driver pins are overset (the key’s groove is too shallow).

Types of Lock Tumbler Replacement

Re-pinning

The most important reason to replace your lock tumblers is to increase your safety.

Changing the driver pins for more exotic tumblers is a popular way to replace the lock tumblers.

Protection pins are the more popular name for these exotic tumblers.

The pin-in-pin protection pins provide a clear example and description of this type of thing.

The basic idea behind re-pinning as a lock tumbler replacement is that when someone tries to open the lock covertly, the driver pins will get caught up on the shear line.

Techniques

This lock tumbler replacement technique makes lock picking difficult and wards off lock bumping.

The driver pin should be re-pinned because it is the first pin to move through the shear line.

In severe cases, replace the key’s pins with security pins.

It is a fact that the key pins must correspond to the key used in the lock, which is something to keep in mind.

If you are not aware of pin height, replacing the key’s tumbler isn’t an option for re-pinning.

Rekeying

Rekeying a lock is the most common form of lock tumbler replacement.

This procedure is also called key tumbler replacement because you remove the key pins (key tumblers).

This lock tumbler replacement is designed to enable an existing lock to be opened with a different key.

Key tumbler replacement makes several locks operate with a single key.

This lock tumbler replacement reduces the number of keys a facility manager or homeowner has to bring around with them in the case of high-security padlocks and certain door locks.

Cost

The cost of rekeying a lock varies greatly depending on who replaces the key tumblers.

All you’ll need is a key and the corresponding set of key pins to complete this operation.

If you want to rekey your locks instead of changing them, it’s a lot easier to do it yourself than it is to key a collection of locks the same way.

You’ll need a key decoder and even a pinning tray to replace standardized key tumblers because you’ll need to know the exact size of your pins.

The key decoder will tell you how deep your keys’ grooves are, and the whole pinning tray will likely tell you which pins to use and how many you’ll need.

Master Keying

The final method of lock tumbler replacement is making a master key system.

The driver pins are the same, but you will replace some key tumblers.

Replace the key pin and add the master wafers.

The three pins create the possibility of a second shear line.

Since there is only one distance between the lock’s bible and the plug, the pin stacks will now line up in that gap in two separate ways.

Benefits

You can easily have two different keys open one lock because each pin stack is set in two different ways.

One key raises the tumblers in the lock to one height, while another lowers them to a totally different height.

This process exposed your lock to several flaws, including increased decoding ease and increased susceptibility to single-pin picking or raking.

The benefit of master keying is the use of tumbler replacement on various locks in various locations.

You’re rekeying locks so that they only unlock with a single key, but you are still limiting access to people who will only be able to open one door.

The Bottom Line

Replacement of door lock tumblers is one of the most cost-effective ways to save money on new locks while increasing protection and layering access control.

To avoid damaging your locks, it is always a good idea to get this work done by a licensed locksmith.

If treated incorrectly, any form of lock tumbler replacement will need brand-new locks.

Take care of your locks and safe, and if you ever need assistance, contact a locksmith.