Valhalla’s Shield theft deterrent/skid plates info and ordering post

If I plan to change the stock exhaust, do the shields make it harder to remove the cat back setup or should I get new exhaust installed then add the shields?

 

You'll have to take them off to change the exhaust. The risk footprint is yours, but I'd recommend putting them on and taking them back off when the time comes to swap pipes. It's less trouble than getting your cats cut out.

 

Shields have to come off to work on the exhaust.

 

So just wanted to let everyone know that if you plan on wheeling with these plates, learn from my mistake and use bolt head protectors on downward facing bolts.

I sheared off the head of a security bolt on a rock and had to grind the head off to get the bolt off. Took 7 dremel cutoff wheels and a few smacks with a half inch chisel.

 

At least the bolt took the hit! Sorry to hear about it though.

 

Thanks yeah it took most of the hit, no complaints though the skids are awesome, hope it helps someone else avoid it though.

 

I bought these thinking I’d have a good variety to choose from and none fit (the cat shields anyway) Any ideas on size needed? ?

 

I used the bolt head protector from Barnes 4x4. They fit a variety of bolt sizes.

I never tried that style you got, seems like those would fall or get scraped off easy.

https://www.barnes4wd.com/38-to-716-Bolt-Head-Protector_p_1308.html

 

All of @Classy63 bolts are SAE, not metric, other than if you got the pentagon bolts. I believe I listed all of the socket sizes in my write-up of my install other than I used pentagon bolts. Tyler may have changed some of the bolt sizes, though. Not sure how much protection a nylon cover will provide if you actually use the plates as skid plates.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/3rdtundras-2017-double-cab-build.92631/#post-2338309

 

Yea my thinking was not so much protection from rocks but more along the lines that the Nylon Covers would look and seem like Pentagon Bolts and confuse some blockhead in a hurry trying to cut out my Cats!

 

Fair, but in all honesty they wouldn't even get to that point, they would see covered cats with steel and split before examining bolts. Just my opinion though.

 

Agreed. I have only seen one report on this thread about someone trying to take the time to remove the bolts and plates to get to the cats. Way too much work.

 

Ok! I am finally back from the doom and gloom of my man cold! I packed up a chunk of plates today and damn it felt good to move forward again.

I am packing plates all day tomorrow, so hopefully I will take care of most of the steel orders left over from October and November tomorrow. The aluminum order is coming in this week

 

Glad you are feeling better. Always forward!

 

I added a DD exhaust and didnt have to remove my plates. I dont see why you would have to unless you are doing everything and not just the muffler section back.

 

Pics show this answer is true (apologies for my miss). I might still like to take the rear plate off, but it is not necessary.


[edit]: pic is from Tyler, not Steven.

 

Any additional layers or steps of security is good thinking. This specifically is good obfuscation. Anything adding to a thief’s timeline for getting the cats off is a good deterrent

 

Since there is a very small area on a 4wd near the rear passenger side cat where you COULD get a saw in if you angle correctly, have small hands, brains and determination, I was thinking to add a small, vertical aluminum plate in that area with some sharp "spikes" cut on the top so they would have to reach over them if they were determined, hopefully cut up their arms and provide me with DNA to give to the cops.

 

Maybe add some electrified razor wire…that should do the trick haha

 

If I wanted to upgrade my standard Valhalla bolts to the pentagon bolts with cone-shaped protectors (whatever those are called), can this kit be purchased from Valhalla's Shield?

 

Tyler does not option a bolt upgrade kit. He did put a list of the hardware used so you can source your own. Pentagon bolts are better than nothing but i went with screwdsecutiry bolts, the keys are only sold by them, cannot get them anywhere else.

 

Read a lot of posts and searched throughout this thread... couldn't see a clear answer.

Do we order the TRD nut plate if we have a RCI skid plate?

 

I initially ordered the Screwd kit but the bolts it came with were EXTREMELY puny compared to Tyler's bolts. My understanding of the pentagon bolts was that they were beefy (again, unlike the Screwd bolts).

 

This is true, but a 3/8" bolt works just fine for what it needs to do. I just spent like 20+ minutes grinding the head off 1 bolt at the same angle a would be cat thief would try it because i was too lazy to jack up the truck. I sheared the head off offroading. It took 7 cutoff wheels with a dremel and a chisel to finally break the head off. A larger bolt would no doubt be even harder to grind off but i dont think anyone would even attempt to grind it unless you are parked in a ridiculously secluded area where they would have all the time in the world to work on your truck, in which case, you are screwed anyway.

I just feel like the pentagon bolt head sockets can be bought at any home improvement store so that in my mind makes them only slightly better than regular bolts. Again, just my opinion. Granted 99.9% of thieves would likely just see the plates and run and not stop to evaluate the bolts and hardware used.

 

Only if you want a much easier install. The nut plate eliminates the need to get a wrench on a nut above the cross member. It would probably make every install easier.

Tyler, have you thought about making the nut plate a standard item that comes with the front cat?

 

It really isn’t needed for the front cat plate without a front skid plate.

 

Does anyone have a link to this nut plate? I would be all over it since i have a front skid and not the smallest hands.

 

https://valhallasshields.com/shop/ols/products/trd-pro-skid-plate-nut-plate

 

Just test fit the lifted front skid plate on a Readylift PRO +4 (6” lift). It fit like a glove! I need to try it on some others and I need to figure out how I will bolt it to the trucks in the back of the plate.

mad max, here is the link

https://valhallasshields.com/shop/ols/products/trd-pro-skid-plate-nut-plate

 

Tyler has a stand alone penta bolt option here:
https://valhallasshields.com/shop/ols/products/pentagon-security-bolts-for-rear-cat-plate-4

I believe the correct Barnes washers are available here:
https://www.barnes4wd.com/12-to-916-Bolt-Head-Protector_p_1306.html