My cats got stolen last night

Most rental car add on policies have a limit of how much they will cover for length of time. Please check on that and dont just count on that to get your thru if your cats were to be stolen. The cats are taking several months not weeks to come in from toyota. Not sure on aftermarket time frames.

 

Sorry the tweakers hit you, that sucks. Get yourself a cat skid plate for the new ones. I stuck one on before my trip south this spring.

 

yeah Chris I just heard about some guys taking their rzr’s out off-roading here just outside of the phx area and they came back to their trucks to find out there cats had all been cut off

 

definitely going to do this

 

How long did it take to get your truck back?

 

this was Avondale Toyota in Az. Guy supposed to call with an update today. I have looked at some aftermarket options and there appears to be some different ones in stock. So I don’t know may have to go that route. I can’t be without a vehicle for months.

 

These guys are making quick work of this. The 4 bolts that are sticking down from the skid plate, don't think they don't carry impact drivers in their get-a-way cars, they can make quick work of removing 4 bolts, what, 30-40 seconds? I would get those security bolts that some of the other members put on so at least it slows them down even more. Yes, and I think the skid plate is a great idea, but I also think that if thieves start seeing them, they'll just remove them if they have time. In those videos, most of them were done in just a few minutes.

 

I'm mulling the notion of running some low amp passes of hard-facing electrode across the prime kerf areas.

 

They shouldn't have too much trouble catching the one guy, dipshit has his plate on camera...dumb ass!

 

Its a deterrent, not a cure-all. I find it hard to believe that thieves are walking around with a bag of tools and going ‘hey hand me the impact!’, finding the right socket size, and dropping that plate on their heads rather than going ‘nope, next one’. Theyre also welded on currently so they can go ahead and try.
Id care more if I lived in the ghetto but theres not much cat theft here in the lakes region of Maine. $300 peace of mind.

 

Adding a 16 dollar motion alarm they sell for bicycles on the exhaust pipe somewhere will help too, easy on and off and a nice companion to the plates. For those like me that used the supplied hardware.

 

Wouldn't it just melt the shit out of it ?

 

It's small and would be removed before using the truck.

 

Oh, ok have no idea, sounds like its a pita though.

 

Likely a stolen car.

 

This gives me concerns about parking my truck in remote places upriver when I kayak fish. I'm going to look into the cable lockdowns. I can't add more weight to the truck with plates and it just seems like they would be too easy to defeat.

 

the after cat O2 sensors only tell the PCM if the cats are working. They do not influence the way the engine operates, that is the precat O2 sensors. Have a shop install straight pipes. Now when you go to get it inspected they will catch it. They actually make O2 sensors with catalyst in front of them to trick to the computer to thinking the cats are working. Funny CA comes up with all the emission ideas and all the work arounds......

 

I think the deterrent is a great idea and I'm not saying it's not worth the $300, I'm probably going to buy one as well. I think we'd all be surprised at what thieves are capable of doing and if it's unbolting something else so that they can continue being asshole thieves, you just never know. Yours is welded, that's pretty awesome. I know that some other members were using security bolts, that's why I brought that up. I live in a rural part of Maryland, I had one of cats stolen off of my Taco, I guess they got interrupted or something. So I've been there and it sucks. Thieves can read forums and figure out what tools are needed so that they don't need a bag full of them, we just need to make it harder for them.

 

The valhella shields come with some large fasteners and nylock nuts. When they bring their impact they going to need some large back up wrenches. Sure they can feel around trying to get a hold of something. I hear an impact be a great time to go for a ride............

 

That's a recipe for disaster for off-roading. Easily snag something.

 

thanks for the heads up on that. Hopefully the dealer can get his hands on some oem parts otherwise I’m not sure what to do.

 

Agree completely. Super nice guy, and if you have a litle patience, you will get a fine product. I had no issues. Security bolts and a little loc-tite should at least slow down the thieves.

 

Kent is super nice to talk to and deal with. Had my plate at my door in about a week and a half back in March

 

YEAH !

 

I heard the same thing, which is why I was hoping for OEM cats. I’ve talked to three local exhaust shops, though, and all three have told me they’ve had no issues with aftermarket cats. Two of the shops told me the only issues they’ve had were with the ECM connective wiring from when the O2 sensors were apparently yanked out. Even with brand new OEM O2 sensors they were throwing a code until they realized there was a short. The wiring on mine appear to be cleanly cut, so hopefully they didn’t yank on them before-hand.

The shops I spoke with were Walton’s Muffler and Total Car Care in Waxahachie, TX, Big John’s Muffler Shop in Haltom City, TX and Eric’s Garage and Custom Muffler Shop in Ennis, TX. Big John’s also suggested Magnaflow cats as a bolt-on alternative. All three shops told me they’re happy to install OEM cats if available, though, but unfortunately they appear to be backordered til who knows when.

 

Probably so without a skid plate, but with a skid plate underneath that should prevent the cables from snagging on something. Seems like it would add another layer of deterrence when you add the skid plate.

 

My truck is still cat-less. I’m waiting on a set of Valhalla Shield skids before I decide what repair option to go with.