You can adjust both the doorknob and deadbolt locks to work with the same key. Periodically rekeying important locks, such as the one on your front door, gives you insurance against intruders. If you have Kwikset locks, it isn't that difficult to do. Rekeying involves removing the lock cylinder from the knob or deadbolt and replacing the pins -- or tumblers -- inside with a different set. The procedure for removing the cylinder varies according to the type of lock you're servicing, and it sometimes requires a special tool. In addition to the new pins, you'll need one special tool -- manufactured by Kwikset -- to complete the task. Remove the doorknob or deadbolt from the door to access the lock cylinder. In most cases, you do this by prying a decorative flange from the inside of the door with a flat-head screwdriver and unscrewing two retaining screws with a Phillips screwdriver. Omit this step if the lock has a control key. If it does, insert the control key, and turn it 90 degrees to extract the lock cylinder.
Extract the lock cylinder from the knob or lock manually if you don't have a control key. If you're working with a deadbolt lock, simply slide the cylinder out. If you're working with a doorknob or lever, you need to perform a few simple operations with a cylinder removal tool -- which is supplied by Kwikset. Turn the lock cylinder over; hook the small end of the cylinder removal tool on the C-ring and pry it off. If you don't have a cylinder removal tool, you can do this with a small flat-head screwdriver. Remove the plug from the cylinder with a plug follower, which is another Kwikset-manufactured tool. It fits inside the plug cavity and prevents the springs and top pins from falling out when the plug is removed. Place the follower against the back of the plug and push. The plug comes out the front while the follower remains in the cavity. Turn the plug upside down to remove the old tumblers. Use a key gauge to determine which plugs you should use to replace them. Divide the key into five or six sections -- depending on the lock -- and measure the height of each section with the gauge.
You then choose the correct plug for each section from a color-coded assortment. Drop the new tumblers into the holes in the plug, and then reinsert the plug into the cylinder. Reset the C-clip on the back of the cylinder with needle-nose pliers. Test the key before you reassemble the lock or doorknob. //Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionEdit ArticleHow to Rekey a Lock Two Methods:Rekeying a House LockRekeying a Car LockCommunity Q&A You'll usually want to rekey the locks to your house or car because of a break-in, theft or act of vandalism. You may also wish to rekey your locks if you lose your keys, if you feel that too many others have copies of your keys or if you want the convenience of being able to lock and unlock your house's front and back doors with the same key. You can go to a locksmith to rekey your locks or you can do it yourself. Move on to Step 1 below to learn how to rekey a lock on either your house or your car. Get a rekeying kit. Also called pinning kits, rekeying kits are available at most hardware stores and home centers, as well as online.
Kits are available for most lock brands and come equipped to do multiple locks, but frequently work for only locks of the same brand. Some kits include only lock pins, while others include special tools (cylinder follower, ring remover, plug follower) to remove the lock cylinder so you can replace the lock pins. You can order extra pins if you have more locks to rekey than the kit has pins for. Remove the exterior doorknob or lock face. Take out the lock cylinder. Remove the cylinder retainer ring. Take out the cylinder plug. Insert the key for the current lock into the cylinder and turn it to separate the upper and lower lock pins. Push the plug follower through the cylinder, using constant pressure to remove the plug. Keeping constant pressure will keep the upper lock pins and their retaining springs in place when you remove the cylinder plug. If you should let the springs fall out, you can still pick them up and reinsert them. Take out the old lower lock pins.
Insert the new lock key in the cylinder. Insert the new pins in the lock. The new pins should be color-coded or coded numerically to match a chart showing which pin goes where in the lock. You'll need either a tweezers or small needle-nosed pliers to grip the pins and insert them. The new pins should align with the key when it is inserted in the lock. If the pins are not coded, you'll have to use trial and error, inserting and withdrawing the key to make sure it fits the lock with the new pins installed. Remove the lock from the car. Remove the inner lock tumbler. Take off the end cam and inner spring, then insert a key into the lock tumbler to push the pins away from the cylinder walls. You should then be able to push the tumbler out from the back. The key does not have to be the one that is normally used with the lock.Replacement tumbler pins come in sets. Each pin has a different length and may be labeled with a number. Insert the new pins in place of the old pins, making sure the new pins extend no further than the top of the tumbler.
If you're rekeying more than one car lock, be sure to arrange the new pins in the same order in each lock so you can use the same key with all of them. Insert the tumbler into the lock and test it. Replace the lock in the car. You may want to lightly lubricate the lock when you replace the pins. To prevent losing springs and upper pins if they fall out accidentally, work over a high-contrast surface or over a bowl or dish that will catch the lock components if they fall out. Should you Replace or Rekey Locks?I need a locksmith in gainesville, flRead 2 Answers?Who is the best locksmith in Washington D.C? And how can i confirm that?If all you need to do is change the key to your lock, and you are fairly good with tools, you may want to do it yourself. Or, you may want to remove the lock and bring it to a locksmith to be rekeyed. In rekeying, only tiny parts within the cylinder are changed; the rest of the lock stays the same. Following is an overview of the various locks there are and how to change them.
CylindersIn order to change your lock, you can replace your entire lock, or you can replace just the cylinder, or you can take just the cylinder to a locksmith to be rekeyed. There are three basic types of cylinders: Rim cylindersMortise cylindersCylindrical lock or tubular deadbolt cylindersThey are each pictured below: Cylindrical LocksCylindrical locks are one of the most common types of locks, but can be deceptively complicated to change. If this is the only lock on your apartment door, or if you want actual security, you might consider just leaving it alone and installing a deadbolt above it, since a cylindrical lock provides basically very little resistance to burglary. Because of the great differences between cylindrical lock cylinders of different manufacturers and even between different product lines of the same manufacturer, it may not be feasible to purchase a replacement cylinder in advance unless you know the exact make and model of the lock. If you do not have a replacement cylinder in advance, you will have to leave the secured space open while you fetch a new cylinder or get the existing one rekeyed, so plan to have someone watch the space while you are gone.
Many manufacturers offer their cylindrical lock installation instructions online. If you identify your cylindrical lock make and model you may be able to find these instructions online. Above right is shown a cylindrical key-in-knob lock. Below that is the latch face of a cylindrical lock, where you can usually find the brand name. Below this section is an illustration of a cylindrical key-in-lever lock. To access the cylinder, you will need to remove the outside knob or lever. To do this, you will need a piece of stiff wire and the key to the lock. In the illustration below I have (rather crudely) indicated the location of the all-important poke hole. If you determine that your lock has no poke hole, that means that your lock is either cheap, old, or complicated to disassemble. Your best bet is to replace the whole lock. If your lock indeed has a poke hole, to remove the outside knob or lever, insert the key and turn it 90 degrees. Depending on the lock function, this action may or may not retract the latch.
With the key turned to 90 degrees, insert a piece of stiff wire or other slender, rigid object straight into the poke hole. Beneath the poke hole there is a pin which must be depressed in order to allow the lever or knob to slide off. This process would be easy if you had three hands. To remove the knob or lever, you must pull on the knob or lever while depressing the pin beneath the poke hole and turning the key to the 90 degree position. It should slide off with a small amount of force. Once you have removed the knob or lever, look inside from the back. The cylinder should be loose inside the knob or lever, or held in by a piece of plastic or sheet metal. Remove whatever is holding it in and remove the cylinder. Now look on the latch face (visible on the edge of the door) for the brand name of the lock. Armed with the brand name of the lock and the cylinder, you should be able to bring the cylinder to a locksmith and either purchase a replacement cylinder or have the locksmith rekey the cylinder as an over the counter transaction.
Tubular DeadboltsTo avoid confusion, try to find installation instructions for your brand of deadbolt online. Like cylindrical locks, deadbolts often have their brand name stamped on the latch (or bolt) face (see picture of Arrow Latch Face above). While tubular deadbolt cylinders can often be similar in appearance to cylindrical lock cylinders, they are usually much easier to get to. If the lock has a key on the outside and a thumbturn on the inside, simply unscrew screws until the lock comes off the door. If the lock has a key inside and outside, the screws that hold the inside cylinder on are probably concealed. The usual way they are concealed is with drive-in covers, that is, screw covers that are tapped into place with a hammer. These screw covers are sometimes difficult to remove without damaging them. Some double keyed deadbolts have a shutter that turns when the inside key is turned. When you turn the key to a certain degree, holes appear which allow the lock to be removed.
Once the lock is removed, the cylinder will be clearly visible. The outside cylinder will be held into the outside housing with a clip or screw, or it will actually be the outside housing. As with the cylindrical lock, you can usually look on the edge of the door where the bolt projects and find the brand name of the lock. Armed with the brand name of the lock and the cylinder in hand, you can take your cylinder to a locksmith for rekeying or replacement. When you are at the locksmith shop, ask if it would be cheaper to rekey the lock or to replace the entire lock with an equal lock. The locksmith will probably express an opinion about the quality of the lock. Based on that opinion, you can decide whether you might want to upgrade to a better lock. When you reassemble the lock, note that the tailpiece, that is, the piece of metal that connects the cylinder(s) to the bolt, is (are) "timed". That means that they must be rotated so that the tailpiece is free to turn when the bolt is thrown by the turnknob or other cylinder.
Such tailpieces are called "lazy" tailpieces because they are passive, allowing themselves to be turned by an outside force. You will know that you did it wrong if you reassemble the lock and then find that you cannot lock or unlock it from one side or the other. Mortise CylindersMortise cylinders are much easier to deal with than cylindrical lock cylinders or tubular deadbolt cylinders, but there are still a couple of things you need to know in order to get one in advance, and those are: Cylinder length (dimension "X" in the illustration above left) Cam style (above right) The cam pictured above is specific to Sargent mortise locks. Different manufacturers use different cams for different models of mortise locks. If you have the wrong cam, your cylinder will probably not work right. You can take the mortise cylinder with you to the locksmith shop and tell the counter person that you want one just like it. Of course, while your cylinder is out of the lock, your door is not secure.
A mortise cylinder is actually a big machine screw. It theads into the body of the mortise lock. It is kept from turning by a set screw. To remove the mortise cylinder from a mortise lock: Remove the lock front, or faceplate, by removing the two faceplate scews as shown above right Loosen (but do not remove) the cylinder set screw (next picture down) Turn the mortise cylinder counter-clockwise until it comes outTo put the new mortise cylinder in: Thread the mortise cylinder clockwise into the lock body Tighten the cylinder set screw (DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN) Re-install the mortise lock faceplate Rim CylindersRim Cylinders are the easiest of all cylinders to replace. For one thing, since there is very little difference between rim cylinders made by different manufacturers, you can just go buy one and it will probably work just fine. To remove your old rim cylinder: Remove the lock from the door Remove the two screws that hold the rim cylinder in placeTo install the new rim cylinder: Cut the tailpiece if necessary with a bolt cutter or hacksaw Fasten the rim cylinder screws through the cylinder backplate Re-install rim lock Very easy.