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

Honestly, it's probably 6s one way and half dozen another. This thread gets flooded and moves, so your complaint would likely be drowned out. In the other section people doing research before buying may actually find it. Just don't want anyone getting in trouble for violating the BST rules.

 

Did you get your plates or your refund yet?

 

This thread is not for complaining or bashing. Vendor issues should be taken up with them directly, not in a thread where everyone needs to see it. He has already stated that FB messenger is best for him currently. He is not taking anyone's money and not sending out the plates. @Classy63 doesn't work like that. Most places that manufacture vehicle specific items require full payment up front. He does this service by himself and it takes time. Delays often happen and that's anywhere. We choose his plates because they are far superior than anything else available and don't mind the wait. Not everyone will be happy for whatever reason, but this isn't the thread for it. I'm willing to bet with the amount of orders that he has made since he started, if he was rated like eBay, he would be at least a solid 99% positive.

 

Not sure I agree. This is the “info and ordering post”.

I mean I’m not into bashing people when I’m upset about being told something that isn’t true, but as a prospective customer, I would want all the info (including good and bad experiences, even if they’re ongoing) in one place before making my decision to place an order.

 

Not bashing nor complaining here, but simply "disclosing" that if you order from Valhalla's, and when you follow-up after the 4 weeks posted on the website, you are "highly likely" to get promised future shipping dates that will slip and then get "radio silence" when those dates pass and you haven't received what you ordered.

In addition, when you disclose these details on this "info and ordering" forum that drew you into ordering, you are either banned or told not to post. In other words, you have no right to ask nor let others know.

I wish someone would have spoken up earlier so that I would have been able to make an informed decision before purchasing.

 

I feel like anyone on this forum would have know the lead times far exceeded the quoted 4 weeks from the website, plenty of people have made that known in this thread and throughout this forum on numerous occasions. I get that it sucks but everyone who has ordered from Tyler has gone through the same waiting. Now the no response to emails and that is a more recent development and one Tyler has taken responsibility for.

 

Somebody stole the hardware and brackets out of my truck while I'm waiting for my turn at the welding shop to modify the brackets to go on my double cab with WKOR Sliders. Just constant thievery in South Austin. Can I order brackets and rear plate hardware? I don't see it separated out on your website. My rear plate is 3/16" steel.

 

Tagging him so that he will see it. @Classy63

 

Yes, send me a message and we can figure this put

 

It's clearly documented. When did you place your order?

 

Engine skid had 4 pieces. Main plate, oil filter access, middle plate, and the rear holding plate. The rear plate had much wider bolt slots than the transmission plate and I didn't have wide washers for it so I put it behind the trans plate. Other than that, it was just mostly following the pdf full of great pics that's in this thread somewhere.

Watch out for the center bolt in the main skid when you tighten it. It can walk over to the steering rack if you're not paying attention.

Biggest surprise was losing ground clearance. I could shimmy under the stock plate no problem. My gut hangs up on the new one.

 

It is designed around a diff drop, that is why it has alittle more clearance and you don’t want highs and lows for skid plates

 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy...erter-theft-ring-seek-545-million-forfeitures

 

Great. They'll seize the money made by the sh*t bags, blow it on whatever idiot idea enters their heads, let insurance pay for replacements, and the victims get to wait for repair parts and watch their premiums go up because of this. Glad they caught them, but too cynical to think it'll help any of the victims.

 

Just curious……what’s with the supposed delay for these cats shields? There is no metal sheet shortage here in houston, lots of suppliers have plenty of stock and they even offer to laser cut pieces for you?

 

One man operation and high demand. At least that's what I understand it to be.

 

Getting materials isn’t such an issue anymore, I order in batches instead of making one or 2 here and there. So there is a delay between the order and when it is completed. Then powder coat and or welding if needed and then I have to ship it. This whole process up to shipping can take 1-2 months and I hadn’t been ordering extra for the last few orders. I did order extra this time. As to the wait time for the 2022 plates. Design and figuring out how to make it we thought we had figured out when I released it, but it ended up being revision after revision. I am powering out the 2022 plates now that I have them.

The big problem is shipping them, I don’t just throw these in a box and send it on the way. Each is packed up and it is time consuming to do. I have a garage full of plates I need to ship, but I can’t ship 100 a day

 

Thanks, @Classy63 -- I received my shipping notice last night. Fed-ex says Friday EOD, but I know it will depend on when they pick up from you [and whether they route it through FL and CA while going from Houston to Austin].

For reference for others waiting... mine is a 2022 cat plate (not hybrid), welded steel + powder coat. I probably have the longest outstanding order (?), but I realize much of the delay was due to the 2022 redesign.
https://valhallasshields.com/shop/ols/products/2022-tundra-steel-cat-plate

Now, I'm looking for those '22 install instructions.... (if the difference matters much)....
From Tyler's website... https://valhallasshields.com/installation-guide
For the earlier years, I also see... https://www.tundras.com/threads/valhallas-catalytic-converter-shield-installation.90578/

 

There isn’t a prepared install guide yet, but essentially it is the same, there are 2 holes in the cross member that go all the way through, if you are 4x4, it is very tight on the driver’s side with the transfer case.

The rear bolts line the holes up for you once you have the front of the plate slotted in.

IF you have a TRD skid plate, ignore the first part and you will need to use a jack to lift the plate into place and bolt up the rear of the plate loosely and then bolt the front with the TRD plate together

 

You sure about that? Not the thieves stealing the cats or the businesses taking 3-4 months to deliver your product and holding your money?

All cat shields look identical because the bolts line up in exact same spot for the vehicle. Did they all end up with same exact design by accident or by reality of situation? Get real dude, if apple takes 3-4 months to deliver an iPhone someone else will make a similar phone and sell it quicker. Get off your ass or others will.

 

If it's so easy why don't you do it.

 

Precisely, i got tired of waiting so i decided to go do it myself.

 

Shipping this week actually means 1-1.5 months. Shipping next week means 2 months minimum. Welcome to clown world and tundras.com where this type of vendor communication is acceptable.

 

Yes I'm sure..
I waited 8 months to get replacement cats.
It never entered my mind to copy someone else's cat shield design.
I didn't want the crappy short shield Toyota offered, so I bought mine from @Classy63

If your welding/fabrication shop is so awesome, they shouldn't need to copy someone else's work.
If they had a decent sense of business, they wouldn't copy someone else's work.
They should take their own measurements and make their own shields from scratch..

This applies to all manufactures of anything, not just Vahalla's products.

You're not gonna win this one Ace..

 

Does anyone else get the feeling Tyler’s competitors are coming here and turning this thread into a **** show on purpose to harm his business?

 

At the request of site management, I am closing orders effective tomorrow. I have full intent to reopen the site mid November.

 

Hang in there @Classy63. It'll get better. My dad ran a small business for 20+ years, so I understand the headaches of trying to keep one afloat. If you ever want to talk some possible strategies for streamlining your process, let me know. I've worked for a large company where my one of my jobs revolved around process efficiency improvement.

 

Positives: the plates are well made, were packed really well, and once shipped arrived in 2 days. I like how narrow the rear of the front engine skid is when it gets to the crossmember under the engine oil pan. This makes it SO MUCH EASIER to get my arms in above the crossmember to torque down the bolts that fasten the engine skid and the front cat skid to the crossmember. With the RCI and Desert Eagle plates that these are replacing, I had to loosen all other fasteners on the plates to let the plates droop as much as possible and still tore my arms up getting a ratcheting box-end wrench up over that crossmember. I drop my plates twice a year for cleaning and applying HD Metal Protector. With the RCI and DE plates, this is a semiannual torture session I was eager to be rid of.

Negatives: I waited a bit longer than anticipated. I checked in and received a response email at week 17 that “they’re shipping this week”. I waited two weeks and emailed back asking if there was a tracking number that he forgot to send me. Didn’t hear anything back until I mentioned it in this thread. Seemed odd since the order receipt says to email with questions or concerns. I then got a shipping notification, and plates arrived 21 weeks after ordering, almost to the day. If stated times are adhered to and communcation is figured out, I wouldn’t hesitate to order again. I do not think at all that he’s trying to screw people over or get away with not fulfilling orders. Just a one-man shop with accelerated growing pains due to high demand.

Halting orders until catching up makes me far more likely to recommend Valhalla’s Shield than if he had just continued to let them get backed up. That is a good-faith move to me.

I’m not out to pile on Tyler. I like the product, and he does good work. I hope this comes across as I intend—as dispassionately fair as possible.

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For those needing a more immediate solution, going local or DIY might be worth looking into. I disagree that it is stealing someone else’s IP (unless you copy their company symbol as well); all cat plates look pretty much the same. This is dictated by their function. It’s literally a sheet of metal cut into a trapezoid with vertical wings on the sides and holes drilled in particular spots for airflow and for fastening to the frame crossmembers.