You CAN remove them without much issue; their main purpose is to retain heat so the cats heat up faster to eliminate unburnt fuel.
But you know what I say, pour oil on a seagull and fvck the environment!
Andrew
__________________
A.K.A. Whore Without A Cool Whore Name
Here's my truck and an angry little force-fed 4-banger:
I'm looking for a chrome bug shield and a sub box for under the rear bench seat. Please PM me if you have one / know where one can be located.