in my locking device 10 a bar 11 has a curved length 12 which faces another curved length 13 of another bar 14 a pipe length 16 is welded to the bar 14 and the bar 11 is enclosed in this pipe length 16 and thereby is slidable back and forth relative to the bar 14 so as to adjust the size of an enclosure made by the two curved lengths 12 13 by this means my new device is readily applied to different tire tread widths a short flat portion in the form of a plate 17 is welded to the curved length 13 to obtain a better grip on an automobile wheel where applicable by fitting between the brake drum and the wheel a plate 18 is welded to the bar 11 adjacent the curved portion 12 thereof and another plate 19 is welded to a straight portion of the bar 14 openings 21 through the plate 18 are spaced to accept two legs of a padlock shackle 20 fig5 and can be aligned with openings 22 through the plate 19 by sliding the bar 11 in the pipe 16 the bar 11 is considerably longer than the bar 14 due to an extension 23 of its length when the device 10 is clamped on the wheel of an automobile fig6 it is the extension 23 that projects under the vehicle to which the wheel is attached my bars 11 14 are formed of 3 4 inch or 5 8 inch case hardened.