Cat Converter Theft

[ultimatt]

I haven't been a victim yet, but thefts are on the rise in my area. I wanted to get some thoughts from the forum just in case.

1. Has anyone installed any of the cat "protection" devices that are out there? Thoughts? Seems like, at least for some, they might be able to just cut out a bigger section.

2. For those who have been a victim...did you go back with an OEM cat or aftermarket. I would assume that with an O2 after the cat we would not be able to just straight pipe it...correct?

3. Anyone know of someone who sells a transfer case skid plate that as a byproduct may protect the Cat from theft?

Thanks.

 

[Ted02]

I’ve yet to be a victim, but as a precaution and piece of mind, I installed a CatClamp on mine last year. I’m very satisfied with it’s design, but not sure I would be as satisfied if my OEM running boards were removed. Though I installed the cables as tight and tucked up as best I could get them, the cables would still be pretty obvious from the side view on a 3rd gen if it wasn’t for the running boards blocking them from view.

 

[pluton]

I just looked again recently at the exhaust/cat arrangement under my 49-state '97. It is hard to imagine an easier target for cat thieves than our 4Runners--even easier if the truck is lifted! Long, fully exposed exhaust...very easy to access.
You'd need a gigantic skid plate or series of skid plates to seriously limit access to the cat and surrounding exhaust pipe. I'm gonna say the skid plate idea is a no go.
Looks like Catclamp will at least slow them down. I have no better idea.

I once replaced the OEM Toyota cat on my 22RE 4WD truck. The after market cat was dead before the next smog check, 2 years in my state. The second aftermarket unit lasted over 2 years, but by then I had sold that truck.
I'd be nice if there was some reliable intel on which aftermarket cats are the better ones---if any.

 

[Malcolm99]

Why not bend up a peice of 1/8" or thinner metal like the plastic guard on the driver side of a 99' LTD, to make the cat a lil harder to cut out or see, wouldn't take much or have to look pretty, I'm sure there are a few holes and threaded holes not used on the frame and cross members to fasten it to, I park my truck in a shop in the sticks so never bothered, but if I lived in the ghetto I would have done this. You won't find a Cat as good as OEM, the OEM cat will last as long as the truck if it doesn't rot or get fuel soaked. Any cat kuffs/clamps would be as easy to cut as the pipe since they have a sawzall, but I doubt they would have a socket set, could even use odd socket cap or torque head metric bolts

 

[ultimatt]

I was a victim I think 4 years ago so I went with an aftermarket catalytic convertor from a muffler shop (I think). If it happens again, I would probably call the insurance company first to see if they could approve the repair for a new OEM unit but if not, I would have carried on and go with the aftermarket unit which I think is what I got (I live in Ohio so no inspections).

I really haven't seen any theft prevention ideas but I think people in the past have welded metal on the frame (or so) to cover the cat. I do hear that aftermarket cats are garbage so thats why thieves love to get under trucks and steal OEM units.

Food for thought...the direct fit aftermarket units can be had for less than $300, the OEM is about $1500. I guess it would all come down to what your policy says about aftermarket parts. I wonder if any of the aftermarket parts come with a lifetime warranty?

 

[cleanrunner]

i was a theft victim in 2012, in broad daylight. i was able to straight pipe it together for a while with limited issues, but ended up replacing everything and going to the Tacoma mini-header setup(3rzfe) with the bolt on cat(magnaflow) and jba cat back. Also been hearing reports in the area of various different vehicles getting stolen.

 

[thennen]

Mine was stolen in 2006 (2001 4Runner). Here's where those cuts were made (sorry about the flip phone pic quality).

At that time, insurance covered this (minus deductible), so I got the exhaust replaced at the dealership with a lifetime warranty for about $1600. Because of where the cuts were made, they had to replace about all of it. I actually got it replaced again due to rust in 2015, covered 100% by that warranty.

 

[Ted02]

Any cat kuffs/clamps would be as easy to cut as the pipe since they have a sawzall, but I doubt they would have a socket set, could even use odd socket cap or torque head metric bolts

It would be very difficult to cut the cables on a CatClamp with a sawzall. It could probably be done with a good amount of time and blades, but the design of the clamp is to greatly slow the cat removal process, thus making the thief move on to much easier targets.

 

[duffdog]

Here in Northern California, you cannot leave a Toyota sitting on a street for more than 2 minutes without 7 people trying to steal the cats. The best defense for this in my opinion is to just remove the cat and put a straight pipe in its place until it is time to smog the truck. Then, when smog time happens, only install the cat for 1 day and take it back off again for the next 2 years.

 

[Malcolm99]

Agreed, I carry an array of 18V Makita Tools with me for work and trail repairs, between the zip cut for the cable which would cut it in seconds and a sawzall and maybe bolt cutters I guess anything can be cut off in minutes including the bolt heads of a steel guard, mind you the sparks from a grinder might attract unwanted attention for thieves. I think not being able to see and easily access the cat would be more of a deterrent than a cable, even if that cable was 1/2" thick I would zip through it in less than a minute.

 

[jgue467]

Daughter's prius had cat removed from engine to just past cat, luckily they didn't take it all the way back to resonator. $300 for amazon cat/sensor & install. Then I had installer spot weld and weld on rods to cause at least some slow down or preferably make them decide to move onto an easier target. Sure if they want something, Nothing will stop them, we'll see yet we put lots of rods, so there will be lots of cutting/noise, probably in excess of 12 cuts, haha.

I took my runner, sequoia, kia and camry to have the same thing done, about $50 a vehicle.

I read an article recently that says demand is up because places like India and China are trying to get their air cleaner causing demand for rare metals to skyrocket, one of them is selling for over $28K/OZ!

They go for hybrids because there is more likelyhood to be more of the precious metal left since the engine don't run all the time.

USA recyclers require documentation of where cat came from so the stolen cats are going overseas. Lucky us.

 

[Ted02]

Agreed, I carry an array of 18V Makita Tools with me for work and trail repairs, between the zip cut for the cable which would cut it in seconds and a sawzall and maybe bolt cutters I guess anything can be cut off in minutes including the bolt heads of a steel guard, mind you the sparks from a grinder might attract unwanted attention for thieves. I think not being able to see and easily access the cat would be more of a deterrent than a cable, even if that cable was 1/2" thick I would zip through it in less than a minute.

You wouldn’t be cutting through just one cable. You would need to cut through multiple cables. The cable weaves in and out from end to end of the clamp and the frame rails before the ends are clamped. It took me over an hour just to install it because of all the cable weaving back and forth from end to end. It would probably take me another 1/2 hr to remove it if I chose too. Again, it can be removed, but it would require a lot of cutting, and way more time and work (and noise) than a thief would want to invest.

 

[giguchan]

Here in Northern California, you cannot leave a Toyota sitting on a street for more than 2 minutes without 7 people trying to steal the cats. The best defense for this in my opinion is to just remove the cat and put a straight pipe in its place until it is time to smog the truck. Then, when smog time happens, only install the cat for 1 day and take it back off again for the next 2 years.

I thought that would be more like a SoCal kinda thing.. stealing Cats..
Your solution while is foolproof.. sounds like an awful lotta work.. but i guess it's no different than removing window Tint for inspection(for states that still have it) and then reinstalling it.

 

[giguchan]

STILL cannot believe that this is a thing

Effin Theives....:sniper:

 

[Joelzy]

My insurance agent mentioned this to me the other day and said that older 4runners are being targetted in our area due to easy access. Im from Dallas where i had 2 vehicles stolen but its hard to imagine that being the case in my area of Utah.
I looked and while mine is aftermarket, it is wide open for the taking so i think i'll be doing a little something to slow the thieves down at least. maybe a rebar cage or some plating, i dunno yet TBD.

 

[thennen]

Mine was removed in the parking lot at work, between 8-11am.

At another local location, a van pulled into their lot, door slides open and a guy tumbles out. Van does a slow loop and comes up the next aisle. Door slides open and the guy gets in with the pipe. Caught on camera but not enough detail. The entire process took about 30 seconds.

My point is that time is important to those guys, and slowing them would definitely be a deterrent.

 

[2old2soon]

Here's a link to a similar thread from early 2019 in which I posted a reply (#11) and a photo of my '99 and the Cat Clamp I installed.

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/268119-cat-thefts-rise.html#post3221189

As Ted02 said above, the Cat Clamp is ugly -- but is does the job. In the photo, I also painted the cat orange, and then added my license number. So far, so good.

 

[Twisted Sid]

What's to stop a thief with a sawsall from cutting just inside the cat clamp brackets that go around the pipe and then sliding it out of the cables?

 

[pluton]

Wouldn't the Catclamp be vulnerable to the use of cable cutters?

 

[Ted02]

I think some of you guys are missing the point of deterrents such as a CatClamp. A cat thief’s success is based on removing your cat in seconds, not minutes or hours. Instead of being cut and removed in seconds, my cat would be a time consuming and possibly noisy project for a thief. Again, can it be done? Yes! But it doesn’t make sense for a thief to work on taking mine, when there are thousands of other fish in the sea, or rather in the neighborhood that he could move on to!

I also wrapped the cables around the cat to prevent openings between the cables for the cat to possibly slip through. Another advantage is that the cat is still in the open air for cooling. I personally would be very hesitant to put a skid plate (unless it was a heavy screen) under it and hinder ventilation to it.

BTW, each section of cable is clamped at each end. Every hole that the cable passes through is clamped. You can’t just cut one section of cable and unravel the rest. I’ve never used cable cutters, so I don’t know how difficult it would be to cut these cables with them. But how many cat thieves are going to be carrying cable cutters with them anyway? I know that the $350 CatClamp comes with stainless cable if that’s a big concern.