Cat Clamp Installed

Update @ post #35 on 8/23/11

So two weeks ago I spent the night at my gf's apartment for the first time. I live way waaaay down south, she lives in the College Area (SD). Came out to my truck the next morning... dun dun dunnnn--My catalytic converter is gone. FML. I tell my gf about it and she just feels completely guilty about it. Soo much that she tells her dad about it and he is generous enough to use his connections to get me a new cat, installed, for FREE. The only real catch was I had to spend a day in Mexico.

Now just a side note, altho the idea of getting a cat for free sounded too good to be true, I really couldn't afford NOT to atleast give it a shot. Meanwhile I also spend some money to give the Cat Clamp a Shot.

Pic1: The new (free) Catalytic Converter
Pic2: Hardware for the Cat Clamp, other small things not in the picture
Pic3: Installed from back looking forward.
Pic4: Installed from the front looking back.
Pic5: Side pic to show clearance.

Overall experience?

1) I guess you could say I grew naive that my cat would never get stolen. Fact is my truck sits out in the street (outside my house) for 29 days out of every month for the past four years and no problem. Not to say i wasn't aware of catalytic converter thefts.

2) I'm still a bit iffy on this new cat i got. I mean, It's free. You can't exactly complain about free things. I did make it clear to my gf, her dad, and their friend that i wanted a specific part on there. Particularly the CA legal cat made by magnaflow with a provided part # and they said that was it. I dunno. I guess only smog will tell--which won't happen till next summer.

3) This cat clamp does make me feel alot better. I did buy the Delux model. I know some people would argue that they don't steal from the same truck twice but i definitly didn't want to bet on someone elses word versus being a victim twice.

Just sharing an experience. Questions, Comments, Positive/Negative feedback welcome.

 

Cat clamp looks embarrassing.

 

Why's that?

 

good job man! it looks strange but, fuck it you probably will hear some body trying to steal your shit and thats all that matters! good for you i'm actually interested in this as well how much for the materials and any welding involved to install it?

 

I was back and forth on it for a while. The way cat options are OEM will run you into the thousands. The way i see it whats another $150 to protect $1000. (just for reference the base model is ~$150, Premium is ~$300) I am iffy on the look tho. Cat clamp is definitly function over form.

As far as getting an actual clamp, just google it. For some reason you can't type out the whole name here on TW. The home site for the cat clamp advertises pretty much what it is.

 

cool i was going to say i did try searching on here and only returned your thread lol.

 

I'm considering this. My only question is how you end the cable. Are you able to post a pic of that for me please? How it looks or what you did?

 

That I did have a little trouble with, which was also part of the reason why after i had put it on, i took it all off to redo it. Initially i was worried about not having enough cable, so at first I just wrapped the cable to a parallel part of the frame. After i reinstalled it I wrapped the cable longer down to perpendicular parts of the frame (Horizontal braces?)

As for the left over slack... a little less than 3 feet... i just ran it further up the frame bound with some heavy duty zip ties that came with the kit.

Does this make sense at all? I'll try to take more pictures tomorrow.

 

That is really neat! They will have a lot of work to still the cat with that set up.

 

Do you hear those cables rattling around as you drive? You got me a lil scared since I live in SD and am down by the college at night sometimes. Maybe the skid plates will have to be made sooner rather than later for me...

 

If someone is gunna go through the trouble of hacking out your welded in catty what is going to stop them from hacking up your cable and getting it anyway

 

I've done some normal driving and I haven't had any rattling issues. I haven't done any serious off roading with it.

Back in the honda scene there's a saying: "if a thief really wants your car, he's going to get it." I totally get what your saying, if someone really wants my catalytic converter bad enough they're going to get it, but the real question is how much trouble is it worth? Hah, i guess if i had to give it an analogy: Which house would you break into? A house with no dogs or security, or a house with a third party monitor system with pitbulls running around?

My catalytic converter was an easy target once I rationalized it out. Atleast a 3in lift all around, and an OEM setup exhaust? It doesn't take some crackhead but 2 minutes to have atleast $50 worth of metal in his/her hands. With the clamp I feel comfortable enough to say some crackhead won't make $50 off of me in just 2 minutes. Maybe they'll make it in 2 hours . But hey, alot worse can happen to my truck in two hours.

Now, i don't want to sound like an emissary for the Cat Clamp, but i believe in it enough to spend my money on it. I'm no expert in metal or such, but a theif would have to cut aircraft grade wire (about as thick as a roll of pennies) atleast 7 times on top of hacking up the exhaust. Cat Clamp site claims this wire to be extremly tidious to cut. Maybe they're right? Maybe they're wrong. I guess we'll just have to find out--which is the whole reason why I made a thread on this. I'll be the guinea pig for alot of guys who are wondering about this Clamp.

 

He got the higher line version which means it takes a loooong time to cut through that wire.

There is also supposed to be a sticker that warns it's a security device and they can also engrave the VIN on the clamp.

 

huh.

strange - as you can get a universal fit cat for the same, or a bit less... or put that money towards a skid that would make it more difficult to steal as well.

But oh well, to each their own - i get that people like OEM parts, and not everyone will want a skid so i hope this works out for you. Not my cup of tea though.

 

I got the sticker, but I don't exactly want to rock that on my truck. I also did submit my vin number but they didn't engrave it on the clamp itself.

Although you're right, universal cats run under $300 however A) I live in CA and according to BAR you can't just weld any cat on there. It sucks, whatever. The cheapest aftermarket cat that's within legal limits runs ~$650. and B) The cat i got was FREE.

And you're right again, a skid plate would be a viable option, and you could nail two birds with one stone. I do offroad, but... i dunno, a skid plate is not something i see as an anti theft device.

 

I had a talk with the guy that works on my cars. He said that if you weld any kind of plates there are two things to consider -

1. Access is now limited if for some reason you need to get under there.
2. Heat is not as easily dissipated.
3 They just cut further down the line and try to work it out.

I don't know exactly where the plate would be welded so unless I crawl under there and someone shows me, I can't picture exactly what he's talking about.

The cat clamp seems to be "open air" for heat and if they somehow cut through a cable it's still an issue to unwrap it all.

 

Wow! I don't think you're cat's going anywhere this time! Not without a fight anyway...

 

Im kinda curious about these "connections" in mexico

 

Sorry, that i can't give away. Part of me is still curious about them too actually. Like i keep telling myself, everything was free, I can't complain. I think only a smog test would truely ease my mind. In the mean time there are at least half a dozen sanarios I can imagine of things going wrong. But hey at least my truck seems legal at first sight, no?

 

One thing is for sure: when you get it smogged, the smog tech isn't going to be able to just glance casually at your cat with all that cable on it.

Looks like it would slow a thief waaaay down to me. Plus it shows you got jacked already and might be pissed off, armed, and watching them.