Ford Ranger security alert

[Steve Bullman]

Seeing a couple of threads on Ford Rangers today reminded me something a friend suggested I should post the other day.

 

He was contacted by the local police as he just bought a used Ford Ranger, to inform him that they are regularly targeted by theives who steal the catalytic converters. I guess they are particularly easy to get out on those models.

[woodworm]

A friend of mine had his stolen off his ranger just outside his front door on the drive. I wonder if there is a way you can box them in with some sort of guard or frame

[Tyz05]

Only 4 bolts holing them on I think (maybe wrong!) only thing I could suggest is securing the bolts,tack of weld or some sort of security bolt. Any thing to slow them down.

[Chris Gagen]

my vauxhall brava needed a new exhaust and so i took the old cat out and didn't replace it. still passed emissions test for mot and now have improved power... win win

[Mason48]

Yep had this happen to mine a while back. Was taken over nite as it sat on my drive! Had the new one welded on.

[scraggs]

I welded the bolts on mine when one got stolen just around the corner, only to find out that they used some heavy duty pipe cutters and never touched the bolts to steal the cat.

So I don't really know what the answer is.

[gensetsteve]

my vauxhall brava needed a new exhaust and so i took the old cat out and didn't replace it. still passed emissions test for mot and now have improved power... win win

 

Keep your eyes open for a used cat so you can stick it back on for the ticket.I think They have changed the rules this year if it had one new it needs one now. Unfortunately.

[gensetsteve]

I welded the bolts on mine when one got stolen just around the corner, only to find out that they used some heavy duty pipe cutters and never touched the bolts to steal the cat.

So I don't really know what the answer is.

 

Knock up sump guard type arrangement it wont stop them but they will need to make some noise before they unbolt or pipe cut the cat.

[Treewolf]

Remember that there is no legal requirement for a diesel to be fitted with a cat except at manufacture, so you can quite legally remove it. This is popular with Landrover owners, and there are severl firms that supply decat pipes for Landrovers to replace the cat with plain pipe.

 

Removing the cat from a diesel will not cause problems at MOT time and the changes to the MOT test which came in recently (ie if the vehicle was built with a cat, it must have a cat to pass the MOT) only apply to spark-ignition (ie petrol) engines, not compression-ignition engines.

 

My advice would be to replace the cat with plain pipe.

 

Perhaps the government's long-overdue determination to do something about metal theft will impact this particular crime, since the only reason for stealing a cat is to flog it for the scrap value of the platinum it contains, and this is only possible if you know a bent scrappy.

[nelsyboy85]

this it what they use the left 1 at our yard when we got done

EXTRA WIDE RATCHET TUBE CUTTER / RATCHET EXHAUST PIPE CUTTER 28 - 67mm - NEW | eBay