Catalytic converter skid plates & theft deterrent

DE Skid slotted and installed with RCI. The nuts welded to the small plate that came with my DE skid were raw metal so I threw some paint on them. Otherwise pretty straight forward. A racheting box-end wrench is pretty clutch if you have one...

 

There is no issue from that, the plate is indented in the middle to clear all of that

 

Personally, I like Tyler's design better compared to the DE. I also really appreciate the options in materials. Im honestly probably going to pull out from Kent's list. Personal preference in design leading my decision.

 

Well I crawled under with my trusty impact driver and tried to remove my Pro skid plate. I got as far as getting the nut off of one (+ a small metal plate) but there seems to be some kind of washer attached to the bolt. I ended up putting the nut back on and tightening it back up. I'll start up another thread to find out how to remove the damn bolts on the rear of the skid plate. I always seem to find myself sliding headfirst down the butthole of life.

With my mouth open.

 

The flat metal plate is a wedge that sits on top of your crossmember.
Having just gone through this, it isn't difficult but it's a pain.
you can refer to this link for pictures of what you're trying to remove. It's page 6.

http://toyotaparts.sparkstoyota.com/install/PT938-34140inst.pdf

The pain in the A** is when you have the DE skid mounted (easy) and you're putting back the TRD skid. You have to reach in a very narrow area above the crossmember to put the nut and metal plate back on for the TRD skid. I used a box end wrench to hold it while I tightened the bottom with a ratchet drive.

I can take some pics if you want.

Mark the bolt holes you take the TRD skid out of. These are the ones you need to notch around for the DE skid.

 

Tyler, do you know if installation for your mid plate can be done without removing those 2 bolts completely from the trd pro front plate? As in, if I just loostened those 2 bolts, do you think theres enough room to just slide your plate via the cutouts and then bolt the rest of your mid plate down? Hopefully im making sense with this question.

 

I understood your question, that is how I do it when I have installed it with the TRD pro plate, a 1/4” plate may be a tight fit, but completely doable

 

Thanks - there's something under the flat metal wedge that is attached to the bolt - it feels like some kind of washer. The bolt just spins - from the picture it looks like a spacer but it felt like a washer which makes no sense to me at all. The part number for the 2020 skid is PTR60-34190 so I'm not sure if they install differently or not. I can't find any manuals for it.

 

This is exactly the way that the RCI skid is installed . It appears to be the same.

 

The DE skid justbarri

See if you can download the installation instructions from this link. My phone won't let me for some reason.

https://www.sparksparts.com/oem-parts/toyota-trd-pro-front-skid-plate-ptr6034190

 

I think you're probably hitting the retainer washer. It's a super thin washer meant to hold the bolt from slipping out of the skid plate. If you have the nut off and the plate off, there's nothing left. As you loosen the other skid plate bolts (the middle allen bolt at the jack point) and the front bolts you'll be able to grab the rear edge and pull it down a little bit.

 

@TaquitoBandito
Fast forward to 10:39 and you'll see the washer i'm talking about, although it's on the front bolts in the video, they're the same for the rear. No reason to take the bolts out of the skid plate, once the nut is off you can lower it down, with all the other bolts being loose as well. Hopefully that makes sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLoVtsBzk74

 

It shows that it replaces the 34140 but still has the instructions for the 34140

 

Thanks - that's got to be it - I appreciate it. I was hoping I'd just be able to pop the back down but with those spacers, I guess I'll have to drop the front too. Yay.

Thanks @NoRcptn & @Tundra234 - I think I have a plan.

 

You can do it....

 

Thanks - I’ll report back in tomorrow

 

My DE skid arrived today and just ordered the rear plate for the rear cats. I'm making it as hard as I can!!

 

Just cancelled my spot on the list with DE and sent Tyler a payment for the VS mid and rear skid plates. Cant wait to get these and share some pics.

 

Yeah I was going to try and come up with something myself to cover the rear cats after I get the DE skid on. I'm glad I ran across his post and saw the rear. Score!

 

I think I’m missing something here and maybe this is a really dumb question but can’t the jackass thieves simply unbolt the skid plates, drop them down, cut your cats, and then take it all to scrap??

 

Apparently Kent skipped over me in line, not sure why and he wasnt sure either. It worked out pending the VS plates are as described.

 

Unless the thieves bring a tool chest under the truck, no. My plate bolts through the frame with nylon nuts, they can spin the bolts all day but without the right tools they aren’t getting the plates off.

ALL the thefts I seen is done with a cordless sawzall, they don’t bring other tools with them. I would say 99% of thieves would see the plate and go to the next vehicle, it would take too long, be way too loud and not worth their time

 

I believe the allure to the whole thing is that it's just a couple of quick cuts with a sawzall. I doubt they'd take the time to unscrew the plates. They'll just move on to the next vehicle.

 

They (the DE skids) are coming with anti-tamper bolts. It's a standard torx with center pin that you can get anywhere. There are other options available through McMaster Carr. The plates are a deterrent for the quick "smash and grab" thief. They have a little bit of weight to them as well. If I was in a heavily or common hit area, I would add a couple of spot welds and make them work for it.

 

You aren’t the first to do that. I also saw loctite used aswell.

 

Correct the plates are more of a deterrent. Of course they are still thieves and deserve a beat down the likes of which this world has never seen before.

 

For those of you who installed the DE plate with an RCI skid, how did you reach the top side of the crossmember with a ratcheting box end wrench to tighten the nuts on your RCI bolts with the DE plate sandwiched between it and the crossmember?

 

It was a real PITA! I was able to get one arm up from the side and I felt around until I could drop the washer on and hand tighten the nut. Then I was able to extract my arm grab a wrench, find the nut, and tighten. The Desert Eagle skid is really wide so there is not a lot of space but it is doable.