Protecting catalytic converter from theft? (1 Viewer)

[RET2]

Get a 1911 or replace your local DA's and Judges?

 

[Markuson]

LEO friends have told me that in general (same risk as any generalization) people stealing cats tend to go for the easy ones.

I think this is almost always the best factor to focus on. Simply adding steps a thief must take before easy removal massively reduces the odds they choose your vehicle among thousands of easier opportunities.

You don’t have to make it impossible.
You just have to *slow them down**…and that’s usually enough for thieves to look elsewhere.

 

[ntsaint]

Get a 1911 or replace your local DA's and Judges?

Or both. Or move to somewhere where the thieves are actually scared of the consequences. Tolerating criminals. adjusting your life to accommodate criminalistic behavior, hoping you aren’t the next victim…No way to live.

 

[2021 LC200]

Ended up buying two 7ft long Catstraps, some orange high temp paint and 6ea Nickson 2-1/2" stainless steel exhaust clamps. Total around $400...

I understand a determined thief with an electric saw and angle grinder will get my cats, should slow him down though or better deter. Beside the trunk monkey or $1500 to $2000 dollar skid plats (seems Bud Built has skid plates covering the completely area), I hope they will move on.

Install required on each side. 7ft straps allow a run at the bottom and folded 180 a run over the top covering both cats. On the passenger side I removed the heat shields around the cats to get full orange paint coverage, however they are a bit of a PITA to get back on. Driver side I just sprayed through the holes and the sides, then wiped off excess, much quicker together with repeat install learnings...

Did I waist time and money? Maybe so.

Do I hope during travel and overnights at hotels or otherwise to stay out of trouble? Yes

By the way, have no affinity with Catstrap. Paid the full price. Just sharing the install.

 

[2021 LC200]

Additional info

 

[RET2]

Wanna buy a bridge?

 

[2021 LC200]

I use 4 ramps which work really well for this type of job and oil changes etc.

 

[scottm]

I think this is almost always the best factor to focus on. Simply adding steps a thief must take before easy removal massively reduces the odds they choose your vehicle among thousands of easier opportunities.

You don’t have to make it impossible.
You just have to *slow them down**…and that’s usually enough for thieves to look elsewhere.

This! Thieves and cops are looking for the rewarding but easy car, don't make yours either.

What about exhaust wrap? Metallic looking, you can wrap cable or steel rods in the wrap to make it look extra complicated for a thief. I'm thinking two layers with hack saw blades in between and visible through gaps in the wrap. Maybe some stainless cable lengths as well. I've never worked with exhaust wrap, appears to be fiberglass. Who has wrapped exhaust with this stuff? Does it harden into a PITA thick layer?

I would think just wrapping between the two cats, and behind the aft cats, would make them really unappealing to a tweaker looking for easy money. Could just wrap the cats as well, they would just keep getting less appealing, and not much more work or cost. And keep heat down in the floor above. But God help me if I ever need to work on my exhaust.

I do like the BudBuilt cat protectors, clean and simple.

Thieves seem to go for familiar cars they know just where to cut. Not many Land Cruisers around my part of the country, people ask what it is, even Toyota owners, and a guy with a 60 asked.

 

[bloc]

This! Thieves and cops are looking for the rewarding but easy car, don't make yours either.

What about exhaust wrap? Metallic looking, you can wrap cable or steel rods in the wrap to make it look extra complicated for a thief. I'm thinking two layers with hack saw blades in between and visible through gaps in the wrap. Maybe some stainless cable lengths as well. I've never worked with exhaust wrap, appears to be fiberglass. Who has wrapped exhaust with this stuff? Does it harden into a PITA thick layer?

I would think just wrapping between the two cats, and behind the aft cats, would make them really unappealing to a tweaker looking for easy money. Could just wrap the cats as well, they would just keep getting less appealing, and not much more work or cost. And keep heat down in the floor above. But God help me if I ever need to work on my exhaust.

I do like the BudBuilt cat protectors, clean and simple.

Thieves seem to go for familiar cars they know just where to cut. Not many Land Cruisers around my part of the country, people ask what it is, even Toyota owners, and a guy with a 60 asked.

Wrapping anything around the exhaust is a good way to get it to corrode more quickly.

 

[Rgill]

Reading the news articles on catalytic converter theft, as well as a constant stream of Nextdoor complaints on this, I was wondering: is the catalytic converter on the 200 series easy to steal?

Is there anything that can be done easily to prevent it? I can park with AHC set to "low", but that's probably still leaves more room than under a Prius.

Some local police departments suggest engraving your VIN number on the cat and using Hi-temp paint and painting it a bright color. Most recycle yards will not pay for a CAT that has been marked and thieves do not want the hassles.

 

[scottm]

Wrapping anything around the exhaust is a good way to get it to corrode more quickly.

Especially in Michigan. I'll research thick high-temp coatings that would seal against moisture and allow adhering abrasive saw blades.

 

[AZLX570]

Just saw that these Cat Protector Skids from Bud Built are a thing. Has anyone tried these? Much cheaper than a full set of skids, and less DIY needed as compared to ^^^. Seems like cheap insurance in the grand scheme of things but do you see this as actually being a good deterrent?

Bud Built Link

 

[Fisher23]

dumb questions are there 4 cats on the LC200?

I see 2 cans on each of the 2 pipes from the engine then the muffler then the resonator.

anyone just remove these cats on purpose?

 

[Cincodemustache]

Just saw that these Cat Protector Skids from Bud Built are a thing. Has anyone tried these? Much cheaper than a full set of skids, and less DIY needed as compared to ^^^. Seems like cheap insurance in the grand scheme of things but do you see this as actually being a good deterrent?

Bud Built Link

BudBuilt CATALYTIC CONVERTER GUARD installation

I received my Budbuilt Catalytic Converter Guards. they are beautiful. But there are no instructions. I don't know which one is drivers side, which one is passenger. which end is the front, or which side is up or down. Nothing. Nada. If you know, please share, I don't want to have to figure this...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[bloc]

dumb questions are there 4 cats on the LC200?

I see 2 cans on each of the 2 pipes from the engine then the muffler then the resonator.

anyone just remove these cats on purpose?

Yes four cats.

Why would you remove them on purpose? Would require a tune to avoid MILs, and likely wouldn’t add any power.

 

[bloc]

Just to circle back around, slee now has an affordable option for protecting the cats with their skid system.

Mud thread

Slee Cat Guards

Don't know if this is known, but for those of us that have the Slee skids, Slee has added Cat Guards for the 200 series. They bolt up to the skids. I just ordered a set.

forum.ih8mud.com

Direct link to the slee product page

SLEE - Catalytic Converter Theft Deterrent Guards - Slee Off Road

Features Made from Stainless Steel Supplied with Tamper Proof Hardware Requires Slee SOK2001 Skid Plate System to install Serves as theft deterrent by obstructing access the front-most catalytic converters to dissuade thiefs to cut the exhaust Large vent holes for heat dissipation Requires...

sleeoffroad.com

 

[7000ft]

I use 4 ramps which work really well for this type of job and oil changes etc.

How much lift do you get with these? Have a link for those ramps? Thanks!