FlowMaster Americna Thunder

I am currently deployed in Afghanistan.

I have a 2002 Tacoma, V6, 5vz engine, 4x4.

I ordered the FlowMater American Thunder exhaust kit, and JBA headers.

Both kits have showed up at my house to the wife.

My question is... do i need to keep both CATS or can i get rid of one?
There is an O2 sensor at the end of the headers and one after the second CAT on the pipe going into the muffler.

I want to get thses last parts so it can be instaled before i get home but im unsure of what i need to finish the project.

If anyone knows please help. Thank you!

 

Legally No you cannot get rid of any of your cats.

Now that, that is out of the way, you can ditch em all if you want, just expect the CEL to illuminate unless you look into a simulator/delete kit for the 02 sensors.

Less the cats the truck will perform better if you get the 02 delete/simulate kit, if ecu will enter limp mode and drive like crap.

Best of luck and stay safe.

 

I don't know if this will help but a decade ago had a 2000 mustang gt and modified her a little.
on the exhaust i did the bbk shorty headers, JBA very good! get new heavy duty exhaust gaskets. and there is a thead on here about high quality 8-point header bolts you will want those, you dont want the oems they can back themselves out. it was easy for the stang i got the whole kit from american racing, it was magnaflow with the pieces from the headers to the tips. a option was 2 high flow/performance cats (warrantied) took a long weekend and did it myself, and they never failed 3 Chicago emission test. had 2 assholes who turned and looked when i pulled in, they did all they could to fail me but hey I was legal and my emissions were lower than 2 years earlier, point of this, is to try to keep the cat on, it can become one long headache. i went form 4 to 2 with a true x-pipe 3"from start to end exhaust
also put new o2 sensors while i was there.
one thing, the shorty headers get hot, man I mean hot, like bake for feet hot. its not as tight as with the stang so you will get some cooling, but I wished I had wrapped mine.
now if you are not 100% sure you can do this, dont, its a job and one mistake will ruin it.
But the end results are so sweet!

 

oh, about the o2 sensors, yes the truck has two, the first one is the primary one and the last one is sort of a back-up. order 2 from rockauto, best prices, and use only denso,
and its me but when i get into stuff like this I look all around to see "while I am there" motor mounts and trans mounts should be looked at, you will be there and you have to unhook and lift things up........
and thanks, good luck and be careful.
and I don't mean to lecture you at all on installing the headers, its just that i grew up outside of charlotte about 20 mins from the motor speedway, when that was the only thing out there! but you have to be careful with the headers and if you mess then up or they crack you will be out your money.

 

this is true ^

 

I'm thinking about the american thunder kit for my 01 Tacoma. What are your thoughts of it? I've heard that there is a lot of highway drone on the newer models. Is it that way for the older trucks? Any info on this exhaust kit would be wonderful!!