Key pin

The key pin, “pitón” in Spanish, is the lower pin of each chamber of the cylinder, the one that touches the key directly. Each key pin has a different length, matching the depth of one of the cuts on the key. Above it sit its driver pin and a spring.

When you insert the correct key, each cut lifts its key pin to just the right height for the gap with the driver pin to fall on the shear line. That lets the plug turn. If a cut does not match, the key pin sits too high or too low and the cylinder does not turn.

The combination of key pin lengths is what makes the key unique. That is why, when a cylinder is rebuilt to work with another key or several cylinders are keyed alike, it is the key pins that are changed.

If your key is very worn, it may no longer lift the key pins properly and start to fail. Before it leaves you locked out, have it checked with our cylinder replacement service.