by Quadratec
With the calendar once again turning its eye towards longer and warmer days, many out there are not only pulling off soft or hardtops to enjoy some open cabin fresh air, but they also opt to remove those metal doors for tubular versions.
And while tube doors are usually easy to install right out of the box, some are finding that their Jeep doesn’t want to play nice with this new modification, either not fitting correctly or rattling.
So, if this sounds like you, here are some steps to follow that should get those doors synced up properly.
The first step, if you haven’t already, is to remove the current full or half metal doors. This is a fairly easy process if you’ve never done it before, and it begins by unhooking the door retainer straps, then unplugging each door’s wiring harness, which connects electrical components to the vehicle.
Once that is set, you can then remove each Jeep’s door hinge retainer bolt either with the Torx bit that came with your newer Wrangler, or normally a T40 or T50 depending on the year of your vehicle. This bolt will thread upwards from below into each external hinge, and you’ll need to remove two per door. Also, keep in mind that the older the Jeep, the more set in that bolt it may be, so some penetrating oil (or another loosening agent) could come in handy.
Once the bolts are out, you can then lift the doors off. This is pretty simple for newer JL/JT owners with aluminum doors, but can be more difficult for older Jeeps with steel doors. So it definitely helps to have someone with you during removal.
One thing to remember before removing those doors is to fold in the mirrors (if possible) and have the windows rolled down to prevent damage when away from the Jeep.
Now, after those factory doors are stored away, take each tube door and slide both pins into the now-exposed hinge mount openings.
After they are both seated, take a 5mm hex key and a 13mm wrench or socket and slowly loosen the tube door’s four hinge bolts.
Once loosened, take that original door retainer bolt and reattach. Then swing the door closed against the striker plate. With the door closed, work out any height adjustments you want until you are happy with the way the door fits in each opening. From there, tighten all four tube door hinges and check that the door opens and closes smoothly.
If there is still a fitment issue, then you can make some small adjustments to the three Torx bolts on each door’s rotary latch.
Finally, the last step is to adjust the bump stop on each door until it just barely makes contact with the door sill. This will ensure rattle-free performance from your tube doors.
Of course, once everything is set how you like, make sure to install the adjustable door retainer straps so each door won’t wildly swing open when unlatched.
