Will an aftermarket air filter with less depth still catch debris?

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

1. 1
   Buying standard filters like Purolator instead of performance filters for dusty environments
2. 2
   Searching eBay or a scrapyard for replacement parts
3. 3
   Switching from an electrostatic filter to a traditional pleated filter
4. 4
   Installing a 4-inch pleated air filter that matches the box dimensions
5. 5
   Replacing the damaged filter housing with a standard modern air cleaner box

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.