UPDATE: Ever since I posted this video you guys have been LOVING Cat Shield! I have gotten a lot of requests for discount codes so now you can use code "CHLOEKUO" for 5% off at checkout using the link in the description. Stay safe out there!
Thanks Chloe! Used a different discount code through my browser. Same discount amount. Ordered one Monday evening and got it on Thursday. Man, these guys don’t mess around.
@@kaygeeboi Some Catalytic Converter thief just got run over and killed in California and the media asked if the driver will be facing murder charges..🤦🏻♂️
Just installed the cat shield on my 2021 Tacoma Limited and feel much better because of the cat theft wave hitting my neighborhood. I used vehicle ramps to raise my truck and a 10 inch tall tool box to support the cat shield under my truck during install. The install only took an hour. It was an easy install because I don’t have a skid plate and this instructional video is excellent. For the record I found this product through this channel. Big thanks to Chloe!
Skid Plate Tip: If you have a skid plate then hold up the cover with a jack then move it back about a half inch to where you can see through the cross member holes slightly. You can put the long bolts in and slowly work them into the holes in the bracket on top of the cross member. I did this before re-installing the cross bars. I was able to slowly start all bolts in the bracket this way without needing to hold it in place from above, so no need to find a spot to put your hand or remove the skid plate. I just got the front bolts started but did not tighten and then went and put the cross bars in. I had all the front bolts started in like 2 minutes. Super easy this way and saved a ton of time.
Just installed my MillerCat. Here are my tips. Leave all bolts loose until the very end. Make sure the 3 long bolts fit through the holes in the shield before attempting the install. My holes were too small (weird manufacturing issue) and needed to be drilled larger. If you have the TRD skid on and do not want to remove it (why would you lol) I recommend leaving the wings off. Use the 2 crossbars to support the shield (only one bolt on each side loose) then get the 3 front bolts started. Remove the passenger side crossbar and install passenger side wing. Reinstall cross bar. Install driver's side wing. Crossbar doesn't get in the way on this one. Go back and tighten everything. Easy Peasy. No jack or helper needed.
My catalytic converter was stolen THREE times of my taco! The antitheft device i found for it has protected it perfectly. It's been on there now for 10 years and still protecting it. I like this design better though. Mine is just sleele cables clamped together and it resonates when I'm at a stop light. I can see this one won't do that and it looks really nice too. I'll definitely be getting this when i get the '23 Taco!
I am at the Toyota Dealership right now and they wanted to sell me a Cadillac shield for $500.00. I came to youtube right away while still here at dealership and watching this video now. I will buy this!! Much better than the dealership is offering
Great timing, I have started looking for one of these for my 2018 TRD OR...since there has been a rash of thefts in my area. Subscribing to your channel is getting expensive!! I have a few of your upgrades in place...
I was looking at the cbi offroad skid plate but it runs about a grand, this one actually covers behind the transmission. Its another option if you go off roading often its worth it.
The cat from my 97 4runner was stolen a few years ago. Wish this product was out back then. Now I own a 21 Tacoma, I installed a complete kit of CBI skid plates. They cover most of my truck,’s cats, but not as completely as MillerCat. It’s a deterrent. I enjoy your vids, very informative and entertaining. And you have a great smile Chloe. Keep up the good work. -BE AMZING!
Some other current manufacturers are adding to their skids to protect the cats too. RCI recently added an option to install 'sides' to their current skid to help protect thievery. Theirs don't go up as high as the 'cat protector' but should still work.
I just installed this! I highly recommend listening when she talks about not over-tightening the security screw…I may have stripped one of mine out, and it may not have been a fun process getting it removed. Otherwise, install was super easy!
That sounds good it was easy because I'm a total amateur when it comes to stuff like this. I'm gonna try to install it myself and save $220 dollars from the labor. Thanks.
Hello Chloe, I used your discount and ordered the Stainless Steel Cat Shield for my 2021 Tacoma TRD Pro. I ran into a problem installing the Cat Shield. It did not fit. I had to loosen the TRD skid plate to get the Cat shield to align with the mounting holes. This is info for any other Tacoma owner with the TRD skid plate. I also found out that you can install the left side plate with the bottom shield installed. This allows you access to the 3 long screws that mount in front of the shield with the mounting plate. Thank you Chloe for this video.
I brought home a Tundra yesterday. After a few sites including yours, I've decided on Cat Shield. Most sites bring up points the others don't, so it's good for me to see ahead. I Tarped the truck from site til I need it and til the Shield comes. Washington is a Safe State...for Criminals. Family and several friends have left where we all grew up for Real safe States. So it's a necessity til I move. Great video Chloe. Thank you, stay safe. 9/17/2022
Thanks Chloe! I ordered mine today and using the link in your comments section gave me a discount, plus they had free shipping. Significant savings from the Amazon price.
With theft on the rise these would make a great gift for a niece with a birthday coming up and also has a Tacoma, it's stock height but still high enough for a klepto to get under there and take the converter if he wants. thanks for sharing this smart idea and product.
You couldn’t have done this video at a better time. We just had somebody steal all the Toyota four Runner and Tacoma cats of all the ones that were in our parking lot at work. Luckily I was driving the Jeep today not the Tacoma. I just got done ordering mine. Thanks for the videos keep it up!
That Pro Eagle jack would look good in my garage with the Gladiator cabinets and my Harley Road Glide. Actually, was looking at these that fastened with rivets. Like this one cause if you did have to remove it you could do it easily. Holding out to see the heat issue. From what I understand the CAT is just a chamber that gets super-hot to burn the gas that isn't burned in the engine. Of course, these days you sneeze on your vehicle, and it voids the warranty.......Thanks again Chloe!
Much much better off getting Rock sliders for shopping carts or the gas tank skid plate if you are actually going to do any amount of off-roading whatsoever the first thing you oughta be getting is a rear differential skid plate Toyota stuff the cats way deep up in the engine bay the can't really get in there to cut them
Did you get a factory cat or a Magnaflow? Dealer (recommended by my insurance company) installed a Magnaflow, but I get about 7mi before I start throwing engine codes. The dealer ordered a factory cat and I'll have to show up for cat install#2 when it arrives (in 3+ months...)
I actually saw something similar not long ago. Not sure if it was the same thing but its definitely a good thing to have I've been thinking about it more since I plan on getting my truck lifted soon. Even though I'm not usually away from my truck for too long unless I'm at work but there's cameras and security all over my job it would still be nice to have just incase I leave it somewhere thats not so safe.
Thanks for the review and the discount code, just made my purchase. Wife's car just had her CAT stolen on her 2008 CRV. The 2020 Tacoma would cost so much more to fix :|
Just put mine on. Opted for the steel, and the quality is very good. Like another commenter said, it seemed far easier to loosely attach the main plate and THEN attach the wings. However, don't over tighten. I had one of the rivnuts fail on the forward section support back plate. Not a HUGE deal, just had to go to the hardware store for a 6mm nut. Thanks for the video Chloe!
After watching again one of your amazing videos Chloe, came across this one you installing the miller cat , decided to order my miller cat utilized your discount code thanks received & installed myself figured since just recently lifted my 2016 Tacoma off road gives you some assurance that catalytic converters are somewhat protected. Thanks Again keep it up with amazing videos.
Etched my vin on the cats and went the cheap route of putting bright orange 🍊 high heat spray paint on my cats for the time being. Eventually, putting the cat shield is a good preference.
Great Vid! I just installed mine and it was very easy. One thing I did was to use painters tape to keep the three hole metal piece in place while I screwed it in. Made it super easy (I have a TRD skid plate as well).
When you say easy. Easier than the video here or just about the same? I'm totally an amateur when it comes to something like this, but I did just put mudflaps and a bug deflector on my new Tacoma. Also, did you have to remove anything else that's not on the video? Thanks.
Easy like the video but the part that seems to give most people the problem is screwing the bolts into the 3 holed plate because its hard to keep it aligned properly while screwing the bolts at the same time. By using painters tape to keep the 3 holed plate in place and to keep it aligned, it made it MUCH easier. Btw, I’m not savvy at all with mods but found this one to be very easy. Hope this helps!
Thanks for this video, I purchased the shield after watching your video . Since i saw the difficulties of aligning the front 3 bolts, I make a tool to help me with this. I got an bolt with the same thread and size of the one the went there. I welded to a small rod to extend it. This help me screw on the 3holes plate and use it to align thru the center of the shield , allowing me to hold the plate with the shield in place an insert the outer bolts in place. After that it took me less than 1/2 hour to install it.
I have an 07 Tacoma 4x4. They stole 2 cats right in front of my house at 9:30 am. Over 3K for parts and labor. Im buying one of these ! You rock Chloe !
Chloe thanks for the video, as I look to purchase my first taco, I am selecting the must haves to protect the vehicle. Your channel has given me the insight to my needs. Also ideas to my wants. Thanks again for your time to help myself and others.
Thanks for the vid! I just placed an order and used your code over others. Happy to support you. Keep all the awesome mods and vids coming. You’re doing great!
Thank you for the video Chloe. I would like to share several suggestions since I did this install 10 days ago. First, I would mention it appears that the top plate with the three rivnuts was installed upside down. In this application, the "long, threaded" portion of the rivnut would be on the top, or as the instructions say, "extending toward the vehicle". This makes sense if you examine the rivnut as installed in the plate. On one side of the plate you have the bulky, threaded part, on the other side you have only a thin ring of metal. Installed incorrectly (upside down), it would be easy to tighten and pull the rivnut through the plate. 2. For each cross bar, I removed both of the rear screws, and the outboard screw at the forward end. I loosened the other forward screw just enough to permit the cross bar to rotate out. When it came time to place the shield, I rotated the cross bars in place to hold the shield. 3. I placed the threaded plate in position and then hung a 3” C-clamp from the top of the cross member (this only works when the brush shield/skid plate is removed). I left a small gap between the lower end of the clamp and the cross member. When it came time to place the shield, I positioned the shield in this gap and tightened the clamp. (Note: after the preparation portions of 2 and 3 were complete, I positioned the shield and rotated the cross bars first, then clamped the forward part of the shield.) 4. When placing the long screws I found it helpful to place my index finger on top of the rivet nut. Even though I could not feel the screw, somehow my right hand was communicating with my left index finger. 5. I had to use a ¼” socket to hold the tamper-proof key bits. To keep the bit from falling out, I cut a strip of paper ¼” wide by 1½” long. I laid this strip across the end of the socket, aligned with the walls of the socket, and pushed the bit in to the socket. 6. Since there are two different bits for M6 screws, it would be good to figure out early which bit goes with which screw, and keep the bits with the proper screws. Place your order directly with MILLERCAT, use code ProtectMyTaco for 5% off (You may see a 5% discount applied automatically). There is another bonus for ordering directly from MILLERCAT which you can discover for yourself during the payment portion of your purchase. (It is not the free shipping)
Thank you for the great information and tips. I am getting ready to install the same Miller Cat plate this week. I have read in reviews that some people say they have to remove the plate to lube the drive shaft as well as drain the transmission. I am considering drilling some holes in it to line up with those areas before I mount it. What do you think?
@@williamb169 Assuming that you purchase(d) the stainless steel version, it would be difficult to drill with conventional equipment. A hole large enough to use for the purpose you anticipate would not be worth the trouble. Note that the holes already in the shield were punched, not drilled.
Just finished installing their aluminum version on my 22 Tacoma! I have no idea how you fit your hand in the oil drain hole, I tried but just removed the skid 😂 thank you for the discount code!
To anyone watching this video, I had this exact same thing on my 21 tacoma trd pro. the aluminum is too thin which led to and my secondary cats to be stolen within an hour my truck was parked in a parking lot :[ I think this will deter most thieves, but not all. I recommend the RCI steel transmission skid plate with the catalytic converter shield, I haven't had any issues yet fingers crossed.
@@DarthPat1977 I think the issue is the thickness of this steel. Looks about as thin as the steel on the pipes so would be easily sawed through with a recip saw or cutoff tool. It's a little extra deterrent but won't stop someone if they're determined.
I bought one from Talons Garage for my 4Runner. It's thick aluminum, designed to protect the cats. If you've ever tried to cut aluminum with a sawzall or grinding wheel, you'll know it gums up the blade. It's a deterrent, tells the thief to move on.
Thieves have sawed through a few of these in Houston and still stole the cats. I got this from a guy who installs protective covers for the catalytic converters. He makes his own out of thicker steel.
Great video. Thank you for sharing. I just had all four of my CCs stolen off my 2021 Tundra, it now sits at the dealership awaiting parts that could take 4 months. Toyota has offered to install Cat Shields at no cost because of the extended loyalty plan that I purchased when I bought my TSS Off Road. Hopefully, this prevents any further theft. Again, thanks for sharing.
Just got mine for my 23 TRD OR. Thank you for the the great installation tips! (I did not use your code, however.....forgot to enter it when I checked out!)
I'll dig it out. I prefer this than having my cat stolen. At some point, the thieve will know the trick and carry that drill bit to proceed. The paste will be too long to remove for them.
They stole the catalytic converter off of my daughter's 2009 Toyota Prius. It cost 1700 bucks to replace. It was almost as much as the car is worth. Since then, I have had similar shields placed on both my daughter's and my own Prius. Thanks for educating people about these issues. I love your channel almost as much as I hate thieves, which for the record is quite a bit. I fucking hate thieves. lol
The first mod I put on after getting my tacoma was the millerCAT shield. I also live in socal and I really don't trust anyone around me. Especially since I have a lifted 2022 taco...
So your cross member was not modified or cut from your lifted 2022 Taco? I have the factory TRD Lift and was wondering if the shield would still be compatible. I do not believe the cross member was cut/modified because it's a modest lift. Just wanted some confirmation.
@@frankvelasquezjr.101 I had no problem. Installed it myself. Cross member is intact. The only issue I ran into was a couple holes did not match up perfectly so the bolt is in a bit wonky. But I think that was my fault. It was a real hot day and I didn't want to stay under the truck any longer lol. Still is in tight and works fine though. I recommend getting the shield. Best investment I have made.
Have you noticed any extra heat underneath? Im worried that the catalytic converter may overheat and go bad or worse catch on fire because lack of ventilation
Going through this sh$t right now. Thieves stole 2 of the 4 in my 2020 Tundra. It is draining to be dealing with Austin PD who are so slow and backed up then throw insurance adjuster in there. Definitely buying a MillerCat.
Great idea, will save quite a few cats! Minor point of contention. The torx security bits can be purchased at your local tool store, like Harbor Freight, Northern Support, or Ace Hardware. The bolts won’t stop a motivated thief, but it will make the process take longer and the thief might move on to easier targets.
True. One can hope that they aren't expecting people to have any type of deterrent for them. Unless these shields become more common then they might start to keep those bits on hand...
We don't use common torx bits. These are not something you can buy anywhere on the market. We maintain strict control over our hardware because of this. Trust us, we've had people who tried to test and see and they see why ours are not like what you buy anywhere else. Thanks!
At 6:36 it looks like you install the threaded top plate upside down. I believe the instructions say to make sure the rivnuts are pointing up. Perhaps you fixed this during your install but I didn't notice it noted in the video. The only reason I noticed this was because I recently installed this shield and on my top plate the middle screw backed halfway out after my first test drive (~10 miles) - I rewatched your video to make sure I didn't install incorrectly, but after checking the instructions again I'm pretty sure I did it right. I retorqued the screws and will try to keep an eye out for any further issues with them vibrating loose.
My catalytic converters were stolen a week ago. Contacted MillerCAT, but they do not have a shield for 2.7 tacoma yet. Still in research phase, they said about 4 months until production
All you need is a battery power grinder to shave off the bolts…yes many thieves only carry a saw zall …info only.. I use my grinder many time time to cut off bolts/ screws.. Nice metal plates..Aloha
Sounds like a lot of work! Our front screws are actually recessed in so you'll have a difficult time cutting through those, and the rear bolts are M8 screws with one custom head and the other the factory flange bolt. We believe our product offers the best deterrence for the cost. There are other ways to deter theft, but this product is designed to protect as many tacos as possible at the best possible price point. Thanks!
Sometimes it's not about making your vehicle an impenetrable vault...it's about making it annoying enough that they will move on to the next target. Doesn't fix the problem of cat thefts, just reduces the chances of it happening to you. Right now it takes less than 5min to remove a cat (I've heard as low as 2min)...if you can bump that up to 10-20 min, it's not worth their time.
hell yea thanks for the discount. just ordered the steel one....been looking at some others but didn't want to buy one where i had to drill holes or rivet anything.
Thanks for the video. My catalytic converter was stolen from my 2022 Tacoma 4 cyl. 2 weeks ago. Im just waiting for the dealer to replace it. Im going to buy a cat shield and a alarm with shock sensor.
I've been looking into these since my cat got stolen (factory cats are 3+ months backordered, and the aftermarket Magnaflow the insurance mechanic put on it almost immediately throws codes), but they don't make one for my Tacoma (2014 4cyl). I'm going to have to get one of the strap type protectors, but I would have preferred a cat shield from this company.
i would just get skid plates and then gets some metal and add the wings that cover the cats. that way you have a skid plate and your cats are protected.
Btw it appears you put the small top-plate the wrong way. Millercat installation instructions shows the the threaded nut on the small plate facing up (this makes sense cuz the rivet nut acts also as a washer to counter the downward axial forces). Also, after you remove the cross bars, you don't have to hold the shield with a jack or anything. All you need to do is place the cat shield in position and thread in the original bolt a few turns at left and right without the cross bars. This will allow you to hang the shield on those bolts while you work on the front part. Once front part is complete, remove the bolts one side at a time, re-attach the cross bar over shield using security bolt. Once all bolts are threaded, all you need to do is tighten it.
I’m using a CatClamp MAXX for my 2004 taco. A few different mechanics have commented their concerns about the fully enclosed cat shields and heat build up. Would like to hear ab out your cat shield after a few months.
We do thermal testing for all our Cat Shields to ensure overheating is not an issue as we understand how hot these catalytic converters get! (Manufacturing CARB-compliant catalytic converters is our bread and butter for over 30+ years).
you say these are special bits thief cant buy but I literally snapped mine 3 bolts in. HOME DEPOT has them in any size security torx for $9 on 3/8' drive. 30 mins later I was back to install the cat shield and this doesn't prevent cat theft, it'll just add an extra minute of work to an experienced thief to take off. Its a matter of time before they catch on and start carrying a few security torx with them
Just installed mine on a 2021 Taco SR5. Got the SS version. Used a small scissor jack to hold up the assembled plate. Secured all bolts and took it for a test drive. Now there is vibration noise and some rattling over every uneven road. Probably going to have to remove it. Might be a waste of money and time. The wings are not secured to the frame and that is causing the under carriage vibrations and noise. They need a version 2.0. Was so wishing this would be a great product. I doubt I can get a refund since where I live it's been about a month since I got around to installing it because of cold weather and rain.
Man I needed this info 6 months ago I spent like $500 on a shield at the dealership it’s a pretty thick aluminum metal ,but of course if they want it and got the time they still gonna take it ☹️
