To cat shield or not to cat shield?

That truck is super clean underneath, you must live in the South. I like the shield as well.

 

After getting the cat stolen from my last truck (2004 F-250), I opted to get shields. Installed the Millercat shield (front and rear) a couple of days ago- I sleep easier now.

 

Thanks! I actually live in the Rockies, washed all the crud off before install…

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/pum...ovin’-tundras-teslas.1/page-5978#post-3066250

https://www.tundras.com/threads/pum...ovin’-tundras-teslas.1/page-5978#post-3066251

https://www.tundras.com/threads/pum...ovin’-tundras-teslas.1/page-5978#post-3066255

Finally put shields on the Tundra. The 4Runner and Taco have been done for some time.
Very happy with the thickness of the plates.

Challenging to put on when leaving the TRD skid in place, but using someone in the family's small, thin arm, was able to do so.

Challenge that a 4WD Tundra needs additional spacers, beyond what was supplied, but thankfully I had suitable materials on hand. Unfortunately, to clear the transfer case with the spacing this then required longer bolts than came with it (security or otherwise). A trip to HD was able to resolve this. [Hopefully Zinc plated steel will do well enough over time]....

No rattles. Does seem like the transfer case plate warps in the mount (was flat when on the ground) and touches (or comes very close to touching) the transfer case cover - but that should be ok.

Took additional care to make sure that the bolt, nut and washer were not close to the brake lines when complete.

Took long enough that the Sequoia plates will be another day...

 

Did you install this with the transfer case cover installed?

It is designed around needing to remove the transfer case cover shield. This might no why you needed the additional spacers?

Otherwise the pics look great!

 

Yes, the transfer case cover is still in place. Steps about removing it were not included anywhere that either of us read in the online website instructions.

 

Not sure what you saw, but it is step three of the transfer case install guide located here.

https://www.talonsgarage.com/_files/ugd/e80c86_eed62536d319466a846af3ccb0087185.pdf

 

I can tell you from firsthand experience that cat shields will pay for themselves.
We stayed in College Station last spring at the Embassy Suites and I parked my Tundra on the top floor of the parking garage. Sometime in the middle of the night some thieves hit 4 other Tundra's and a Sequoia and stole the cats off all of them and passed mine up. I had a Really Nice 2020 Platinum parked next to mine and the Sequoia two spots over. I saw the Video from the hotel, and you could see one of the thieves roll under mine truck and quickly move to the Sequoia. Second time some turd tried to unbolt the rear passenger side and must of given up or scared off.

 

wow, unbelievable. glad yours was ok.

Mine were work trucks, first time they came in, hit 2 trucks in 4 min. after that steal the landlord put up cameras and fence with barbwire, they simply cut through the fence, cut the lines to the cams and hit us again. Third time they didn't care or even waste any time or energy...just drove right through the front gate and hit ours again but many other vehicles in the complex as well.

It has gotten so bad in Portland they are running full crews of guys going through the lots at home depot, Safeway and Fred Meyer in the broad daylight. The libs in charge only care about taking away any ability for the police to do their jobs and DA will not prosecute any crimes, so their hands are tied and we are seeing the direct results. I could go on and on but I have said enough and don't want to hijack.

Bottom line...Toyota's are HIGH target/reward vehicles. The shields DO WORK and will keep you from waiting 3 months to get a replacement and paying over $1200 to get fixed.

 

Glad the cat shields got the job done. Out of curiosity, which cat shields do you have?

 

Considering my truck is always under video surveillance when parked for any length of time, I haven't found it worth the cost.

 

tell me about it. We are trying, hard with family here (dad passed last year, but mom still here) and my business is doing very well. Hoping in next year or so we can get out of here

 

Yeah mine was too, they just cut the wires to cameras. Price of shield=$5-600
Price of replacement = minimum of $-1500 plus cost of sensors if they mess them up,
Not to mention whatever time you have to wait for parts/converters, 1-6 months?

trust me they are worth it

 

I have considered installing expanded metal over them…they would probably rattle all the time…i need to stop being such a tight wad and just buy one…

 

Been looking at the taco tunes shield…is it aluminum? Does anyone recommend this brand?

 

Just put one on (see photo above) and it seems heavy duty, came with “security” torx bolts. Haven’t had a decent test yet - meaning I haven’t had a need to park in public lot yet but will in the near future. The YouTube on how to install was perfect.

 

Yes and Yes.

 

Well just purchased a falcon brand one (it was 1/4” vs 3/16 from TT). It was the same price until they added $30 tax
$400 total…but that’s better than paying 5k for replacement cats.

 

LOL So you will have a nice souvenir video of the theft. Security cameras do just about nothing to prevent crime, especially it seems, catalytic converter thefts. You might be under the misguided assumption that the police can or will do something about it.

 

Because no one has ever seen a video of a cat theft...

Good luck Bro..

 

https://fortune.com/2023/02/14/oscar-mayers-wienermobile-towed-las-vegas-catalytic-converter-theft/

 

When I worked in LE (San Diego County) catalytic converter theft was all too common in Park-N-Ride lots near the freeway. One time a witness was sitting in his car in the parking lot, eating his lunch when a couple guys drove up in a Hyundai, rolled a floor jack under an unoccupied Honda Accord, and started cutting away with a sawzall. The witness photographed them and their license plate using his phone, and one of the thieves who noticed him even posed and smiled for the picture. They were gone in a couple minutes. When I followed up on the license plates and went to the registered owner's address, it turned out the license plates from his Hyundai had been stolen and mounted on the vehicle used in the commission of the crime. It sucks but there wasn't anything I could do but take a stolen license plate report, and the poor guy whose cats were stolen told me it was the second time his car had been hit. It sucks to take reports that are essentially for the insurance company and won't be of much help to victims of theft.

I've been lucky so far, but I really need to get a shield under my Tundra.

 

People like this in the story above don't care what they steal or where they steal it from. No shame whatsoever.

 

2018 Tundra here and concerned about cat theft. Two points:

1) I wish insurance companies would offer a partial rebate on the cost of cat shields. The best ones are not cheap.

2) On fasteners, two things. The photos on this thread that I have seen only show a few fasteners mounting the shields. If it were me, I would put a screw/bolt every inch or so, tamper resistant or standard. In addition, left hand threaded bolts would work wonders, the thief would never figure that one out.

Dan

 

screwdsecurity.com

 

Excellent! Thank you!

Dan

 

Ouch…

 

A collective cheer from victims throughout the Greater Portland area

 

I guess I need to get these installed. Wife bought them for me in Sept. and arrived in Dec. 1/4" thick and hell bent for stout.