CAT anti-theft

[vipergrhd]

My cat converter was stolen early this year by some punk in front of my house,my wonderful insurance paid for all the exhaust system and they got my whole exhaust pipes were also replaced since the punk cut of my cat before the flange.any body here has installed any shield or cover to avoid this happening again.i have been parking my truck in the garage after this incident.

John

 

[Bogo]

There is a thread over at 4x4wire.com that talked about a number of solutions. and pluses and minuses. A major one is heat. Whatever you do the cat need cooling air flow.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Maybe something to do with lasers?

 

[corax]

The CATLOCK | Catalytic Converter Anti-theft Device

 

[Bogo]

The CATLOCK | Catalytic Converter Anti-theft Device

They'll cut through the cable nearly as fast as they cut through the pipes. How do you think they steel em in the first place? Battery operated saws-all. You got to defeat the saws-all.

Did they really test this product?

Powder-coated for protection against rust and the elements

That'll burn up the first time you drive anywhere.

 

[Bogo]

The best solution I saw from the standpoint of slowing the thief down was a net of cables around the catalytic converter and a ways up the pipes To get the catalytic converter out you needed to cut it out of the net. I'd expect it would be noisy while driving.

The best for overall use was under body skid plating with plenty of air holes.

 

[Bogo]

I should mention that the net of cables I felt would trap grass as you drove through a field.

 

[Pluton]

My FJ60s had a skid plate that mostly covered the cat. I think a ventilated skid plate would do the job, though I'd rather try a screen made of scalpel-sharp, black-anodized wire that would slice the flesh off their hands as they reached in.

 

[digital]

My cat converter was stolen early this year by some punk in front of my house,my wonderful insurance paid for all the exhaust system and they got my whole exhaust pipes were also replaced since the punk cut of my cat before the flange.any body here has installed any shield or cover to avoid this happening again.i have been parking my truck in the garage after this incident.

John

Was it just your CAT that was stolen or your entire exhaust setup?

 

[pokie1313]

I've had cats stolen and I'm with Pluton.
These people are on drugs and stupid, so if they can't SEE the cat maybe they will not bother trying to locate it and will go to an easier target, perhaps the H3 or Navigator parked across the street.
Also a sturdy skid plate protects the cat from offroad damage, a much more likely threat than theft for you, I hope!
Of course you could cut the cat and replace with straight pipe. Then move to Oklahoma, we don't check for emissions here.

 

[vipergrhd]

plan?

i have this idea of having somebody cut me a section of sheet metal and bend it to the proper contour near the cat converter,once cut and shape have it louvered similar to an fj40 hood for cooling.what you guys think anybody w/ CAD experience?

John

 

[Bogo]

You can do the sizing and shaping with a cardboard template. Then have somebody make it out of sheet metal.

As for ventilation, I'd just cut a semi random grid of holes an inch in diameter or so. If the fabrication place has a turret punch that can be done quickly.

I've thought about starting a shield somewhere close to where the exhaust pipe comes down out of the engine compartment and run it all the way back to the muffler. It would be attached to the frame rail on one side and go most of the way over to the drive shaft. The drive shaft side would need some bracing to the transmission mount and other frame cross members. Likely a hat channel beam could be used to stiffen that side up allot. I still wouldn't expect it to be body armor.