Easy access to left cats from front on 2WD Tundras

As you may know, 2WD Tundras have a hole in front where the front differential sits on the 4x4 models. This hole provides easy access for scum to cut the left side cats and snake them out the back. I currently have my front and rear cats covered, but need to cover that front hole. I saw that Miller Cat makes a plate, but it comes with ribnuts and is specifically made for their aluminum lower plate. I have a heavy gauge steel tranny plate and wouldn't trust the ribnuts on the the Miller differential plate to hold the weight of my tranny plate, as the mounting bolt location is comon to the upper and lower plates.
Was wondering if the TRD skid plate would serve that function. Or perhaps any other set up that won't break the bank.

 

I have the RCI engine skid plate on mine. I don't think you can get to the cat pipe from the front.

 

I'm considering that RCI plate myself, but for a truck I barely drive at all, these projects are getting awful pricey...... Anyhow, look at the picture I uploaded. That exposed pipe is the one I've heard they are cutting. Now the other plates I have serve little purpose without covering that hole for the left bank.

 

I'll look at mine when I get home this evening and see what it looks like.

 

What do you have in the rear? I have the vertical plate that Valhalla makes for the 2wd.

 

I have a TRD skid plate.
It might make it harder, but they could still access it with a little effort..

 

I have the Miller setup on the rears

 

Dang! I may have to fabricate something from the looks of this.

 

I have a question - If they can only reach the forward pipe to cut it, and the rear of the cat is inaccessible due to your protective plates, can it be stolen?

I ask, since on the rear cats, most of the solutions don't cover the rearmost part of the cat, and thieves can cut the pipe downstream, but not upstream, which means that they can't really be stolen. Seems that this case is quite similar...

 

Don't dig too deep into. The cat won't come out from the front. If you have a front plate, rear plate, and a rear vertical, a thief will move to an easier smash and grab target.

 

I tend to agree...which is why I was asking. The only way I could imagine it being stolen would be to cut there near the oil pan, and then at the very rear of the pipe heading to the muffler...and fishing both out together might prove difficult.

I agree, the best any of us can hope for is to make it a bit more difficult for the thieves, so they'll move along to easier prey.

 

Well, I couldn't find anyone selling the cover which restricts access from the front to the left cat bank without purchasing the entire set of plates. So I fabricated my own out of stainless and painted it to match. Finally done with the entire project.

 

Nice job.