DIY cat. converter anti-theft ideas

I was looking at the cat clamp for $150 or $320 and I started thinking maybe I could make something similar using steel cable and a few segments of chain.

Here's my idea, tell me what you think: get the largest strongest chain I can find, cut 2 or 3 segments at Home Depot with their hydraulic cutter, wrap a short segment around each end of the catalytic converter near the flange, and maybe another segment around the middle of the cat, then weave the stainless steel cable through the chain links to form a cage which is also wrapped around the frame. Basically the chain segments are a substitute for the collars that come with the cat clamp. To secure the chain segments in a loop around the cat, thread the cable through both ends of the chain where they meet. If it rattles I could just twist some stainless steel wire in a few spots to hold the whole thing tight and keep it from rattling.

With enough chain and cable I think it would work, and hopefully for a lot less than $150. My only concern is that the chain and cable will be in contact with the cat. I don't really think that would be a problem, but maybe it would. What do you think?

 

I think it would rattle............

 

I think I could cinch it tight with wire so it wouldn't rattle, but I'm mostly wondering if it would be bad to have cable and chain wrapped around touching the cat. Not like Pee-Wee Herman's bike chain, but just enough to make it really difficult to cut and remove.

 

I think a skid plate going under the cat would be a better way to go. With the portability and speed of the battery powered sawzall, I don't think the chain will stop them and I don't think you'll get the cable tight enough to where, if they cut the pipe on either side of the chain, they couldn't just wiggle the cat out (unless the cable goes through the holes in the chain).

 

I think to secure it tight enough to not rattle would take away the movement it has with the rubber ehaust hangers. Possibly creating a different problem with leaks at flanges or maybe even cracking the manifold or head would be the concern with that.

 

It's worth a try... anything to slow them down or look else where is a good thing. I went a different route and had this fabbed up... used fasteners so ordinary tools won't work and beefed up with rebar to slow down a saw... and it's completly removeable. Also had pieces welded in back to make it very hard to gain access from behind and wrapped the sensor wires with additional hear retardent material. The main thing is to allow good air flow.

 

^Awesome idea!

 

The 500 to prevent losing the 1100 like in the pic above is the best idea for this I've seen. Multitasking item.....protects offroad and prevents theft elsewhere.

 

That looks nice, picture from a different angle would be good. Yeah, maybe my cable chain idea is too much of a headache, and skid plates provide other valuable protection. The cable chain idea might only be a $20-30 Home Depot kind of project, I'll have to think it over some more if it's worth it.

Is that plate a complete custom job or is it something from one of the skid plate manufacturers? How much did you spend?