Home made Cat Shields?

Hello Folks!
Was curious if anybody has ever made their own Catalytic Converter shields?
If so how did you do it? Link? Thanks in advance.

 

Some folks made templates with cardboard and used that to fab up their plates. The big hindrance for most is having access to a shop to cut and bend the metal sheets to match the design. You can also cut and weld if you have that ability.
Otherwise buy from @Classy63 who makes the Valhalla shields, I have these and love the piece of mind.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/val...ent-skid-plates-info-and-ordering-post.84911/

 

3/8" expanded metal here. My best idea is to just have a fab/machine shop save you a used bandsaw blade. Take the blade to a muffler shop and have them chop it into sections and weld it along the exhaust tubing either side of the cats. Being high carbon steel, a sawzall blade isn't going to allow a thief to remove your cats. Lightweight, affordable, effective, and you can still service your transmission easily too. Take a twelve pack to the nice guy at the machine shop when he calls you to pick up the blade!

 

RobertD, Unfortunately Classy63 is out of them. I have the same Idea of just using cardboard templates and then welding some plates together, have a mig and a cheapo plasma.
2mchfun, Interesting idea, might try it.

 

I prefer dual wielding cats but this may help:

 

I have a template. I have been shopping for a sheet of 3/8 aluminum. Most want to sell an entire sheet. You can make 3 with a whole sheet. If I can find a few in Houston that like to build stuff and divide the cost of the sheet hit me up.

 

Or you could make 3 of them and easily sell the other 2 I bet.....Just an idea.

 

There is someone on here who made his own plate. I will see if I can find the thread.

 

Here you go.....https://www.tundras.com/threads/diy-skid-cat-plate.93132/#post-2349778

 

I made my own plate. Bought a sheet of 4x8 3/16 steel, cut in half to make a 4x4 plate. I bought some corrugated platic sheet from home depot because it's more rigid than cardboard, then made my template. I just improvised from there, adding what I needed for more protection.

Mine is a single plate, 4 feet long. So it's very heavy, but that makes it a great theft deterrent as well. I had to use a floor jack to install it. For the rear I made my own brackets to give it rigidity for off road use. I didn't punch any holes for cooling yet. But temps are fine even pulling my camper. I also cut out a square under the transfer case and lowered it, and drilled holes in all four corners since that is where my ac condensation drips. I have a couple pics but not many

 

I just linked your original post for him lol.

 

You beat me to it while I was typing

 

He’s not out of them, but simply makes them to order. With all the options between material and powder coat it makes more sense to make each one from an order.

 

I considered that. I’m not really a make it and sell it guy. I don’t want to deal with any issues they may have.


I considered perforated plate. Cooling holes would be automatic. Not sure on that price. I like the idea of aluminum But after reading the other post I may switch materials. Go with the 3/16 steel.

The plywood template I made doesn’t cover the rear cats….but neither does valhallas. That is why I say you can get 3 shields out of a sheet.

 

My Valhalla's cover the rear...

 

I didn’t do this, mainly because I wanted skidplate type protection, but it looks like a pretty easy and very effective way to provide cat protection
Wrap this stuff all around the cats and pipes, tie it up with a bunch of st st hog rings. Probably get it done for under a hunnert bucks

 

You can find somewhere that does surface hardfacing on things like digging machinery blades and downhole drilling tools. Have a bead of tungsten hardfacing laid on either side of the cats and be done.

 

WoW!!!! you guys are busy. I go away for a couple hours and bam! a million replies! Thank you all so much. I can tell this is a great forum.
So I went to the steel yard and found a drop sheet of 12g 4ft x4ft. Not as thick as I would have liked but it will work.
Made my template out of cardboard then transferred it to the Sheetmetal, cut it out and am in the process of test fitting and trimming.
Need to drill mounting holes and weld on some side shields. This is for the front cats only. I will build another for the rears.
When I measured before I started, I too like Sumo91 was going to make a full 48x48 plate but like he said its heavy. So decided to do in 2 pieces.

 

When I looked at them you had to buy a second piece to cover the back. I should have stated that I am only talking about covering the front. Dunno….maybe they have one that covers all now.

 

Not bad! Post pics when all done. Yeah we don't play here in this forum as you can tell. There are a lot of awesome people in here so ask any questions that you need to. That's how we all learn about these trucks. I will warn you though.....you will catch crap if you ask "what size tire will fit" or "how can i improve mpgs" LOL.

 

Kbar691, he does have a front and rear cover listed on his website. I would have ordered from him but needed them now, my neighborhood is the worst in all of Minneapolis.
Tundra234, noted on the tire size and mpg hehe. I will post more pics as I go and when finished.
I had originally went to the steel yard to by a 4x4 sheet of 3/16 diamond plate, $319 before tax and weighed 140lbs Then asked if they had any drops of odd sizes, I found this roughly 4x4 sheet of 12g which is just 1/64 thinner than 11g and it was only $50 after tax and weighed 70lbs.
I used the 2 rectangular holes at each side if the trans crossmember, installed some speed nuts marked and drilled some holes.
I installed some speed nuts at the front cross member in 2 of the many round holes, marked and drilled forb bolt holes.
More pics coming soon.

 

I think the speed nuts will be temporary until I can figure out a stronger less prone to rust/breakage mount system.

 

Your welcome haha

 

Hahaha, what ever works!

 

Did you do this or are you giving ideas? I'm intrigued by this but I can't picture in my head what it looks like.

 

I'm intrigued by this, too...
How well would it hold up to a carbide-toothed Sawzall blade?

 

Sumo91, I think yours is a better theft deterrent. after I'm done I may redo it like yours. That beast under there would be like a Pitbull staring them in the eye hehe. Oh and they do make 1/2 inch tamper proof bolts.
https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/...et-head-18-8-stainless-steel-pkg-of-10?ref=40

 

No, I didn't. Not because I don't like it, but because I had already purchased 3/8" expanded metal to build a headache rack. Due to time constraints I settled for an aftermarket headache rack and the expanded metal was just in my way and needed to get used. Now if I didn't have the material, you bet, I would have been right on it.

 

It all depends on the actual material hardness, thickness, layers?, welding wire type, etc. Your average thief is going to have cheap shoplifted sawzall blades.