Half door vs full door for noise

braydon

New Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Messages
19
Location
Australia
Hi all,

After about 1 year of tinkering on my jeep I finally got in on the road last week šŸ˜

I knew that sound was always going to be something that I'd work towards lowering when driving. After driving my jeep on the highway it's become one of my higher priority items. Sound deadening the tub is definitely on my radar.

One thing I noticed was a lot of sound coming from my half doors + sliding windows. My question is how much of a noise difference do full doors make in comparison to half doors + sliding windows?

If I did go ahead with purchasing the full doors I'd also install sound deadener to the insides + new seals.

Thanks in advance,
Braydon

IMG_20200315_150006.jpg
 
In theory the 1/2 doors would be twice as noisy. I have only run mine hardtop with full doors or no top and half doors. Radical difference between the two. I went on a crusade to reduce heat and improve AC so improved sound deadening was a natural byproduct. I insulated the floors underneath the carpet, installed a hardtop with a boom mat and installed full doors. The Jeep is not a quiet rig, but it can be improved some. A new exhaust helped with both heat and noise as well.
 
I have a 97 w half doors and an 05 with full doors. Lots more road noise with half doors, I have the soft windows and they just dont seal out the noise.
But I like the looks of the half doors better.
I run the half door tj with the soft top off most if the year anyway so the noise issue is only a winter time issue here
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fonz54
Anyone tried the UCF trail doors with soft uppers? These are really getting my attention lately. Seems like I could head to work when it tends to be pretty chilly and then pop the doors and windows into the back during lunch or keep them back there in case I go somewhere where I need locks.
 
I switched from half doors to full. And never looked back. The problem with half doors (or mine anyway) was visibility and noise. I couldn't see out of the soft uppers I had. And it was noisier. But really I just don't like the look of half doors anyway. Once you roll the windows down. I don't see that big of a difference between half doors and full. Other than the half doors are just annoying. ;)
 
I myself have only ever run full doors on mine, but half doors are definitely more noisy. My full doors compared to riding in my buddyā€™s Jeep with half doors it was a huge difference. Also think about a hard top. That also plays a huge role in overall noise because then you donā€™t have all that annoying flapping from the soft top.
 
I've owner 3 with full doors and 1 with 1/2 with slider uppers. I miss that combo, didn't buy any one of these Jeeps thinking it would be a quiet ride though. Wish you were here, would trade you in a second!
 
Thanks for the replies everyone, it seems like full doors are the way to go for me :)

I've found a relatively cheap set at one of my local wreckers that i'll check out on the weekend. Half doors + sliding windows are quite rare here so I should be able to get my money back that i spend on the full doors.

I'll report back once i get everything installed!
 
  • Like
Reactions: FJQue
I have both sets and only run full doors in winter, the rest of the year it's half doors. I hate driving off road with full doors, I just have to much problems looking out of the windows on full doors. With half doors I can easily look over the top of the door and see the trail MUCH better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FJQue
I agree with full doors during the winter, but I like running no doors in the summer, which is why I'd like to go to the UCF trail doors with some uppers I can throw on in a pinch, but throw in the back when I want no doors.

I only like running the hard top. I hate getting sunburned and stuff with no top, though off-road and no top is pretty nice.
 
Always won
I agree with full doors during the winter, but I like running no doors in the summer, which is why I'd like to go to the UCF trail doors with some uppers I can throw on in a pinch, but throw in the back when I want no doors.

I only like running the hard top. I hate getting sunburned and stuff with no top, though off-road and no top is pretty nice.
Always wondered what hard top no doors was like. I keep the softtop up with no windows no doors so pretty close, but not really, lol
 
Always won

Always wondered what hard top no doors was like. I keep the softtop up with no windows no doors so pretty close, but not really, lol
I like the hard top the most. The soft top I loved until I tried a hard top and now I'm no top or hard top and I like hard top 95% of the time vs no top. If I don't run a top then I still end up putting one of those shade things up. I've seen a 2 piece hard top which sounds pretty cool, but probably not really worth it in the long run.

The other issue I have with soft tops is that I tear them in the woods constantly and the zippers are always a PITA. Also I've got an old Willy's for around town and no top. Those are a lot more fun anyway since you feel like if you hit a bump you may go flying from the Jeep.

Doors off with the hard top is my preferred summer setup, but I don't like going to stores without doors. I don't have AC so more airflow is great, but overhead, my white hardtop is actually better in my experience than no top. But removing the doors makes the southern heat and humidity manageable.

I'm just hoping that if I drop the $500 on the UCF trail doors that they won't be something that collects dust like my soft top. I'm not interested in the tube doors either, because I'm not worried about falling out, I just want to either have some wind protection when it's cool or just the minimum to stop a thief.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FJQue
So, butting in here a bit. I've only got hard doors and can't find any 1/2 door up here in salt alley that are worth having. Puppy (and me also) like to go doorless in better weather, but even with a full harness and strapped in to the seat (it is her seat. No chance of her in back.) she loves sticking her head out so much I think se would ride on the hood if she could get there. So, does anyone think she could use a 1/2 door upper without destroying it in under 2 tail wags? Or should I just get some tube doors (possibly weld on an outer skin) instead? Do any of them allow the install of uppers? Or should I just stick with the full doors?
She goes everywhere with me. In the store, in the bank, post office (you kids look it up). If I go without her I (honestly) get yelled at for not bringing her in the bank and scolded at the store.
20171224_112746.jpg
 
This was when she got run over by a car. Big 4 door. Under both front and rear tires. Took days to get all the rubber off of her. Could see the tire track right across the side of her chest.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: derekmac
This was when she got run over by a car. Big 4 door. Under both front and rear tires. Took days to get all the rubber off of her. Could see the tire track right across the side of her chest.
I'm glad to hear of her recovery. My only remaining dog I just can't let her in the front seat, because she'll try to shift for me. She can't be trusted in the back either. She's much of the reason I have a roof rack so I can keep her from tearing stuff up and she whines the entire time in a vehicle. I've been thinking of getting a really heavy duty crate for her in the Jeep, but then she can't stick her head out the window, which she currently does from the back seat. She's better in my truck since she has her own window and seat and she can't sneak her head into my blind spot.

If you're worried about her falling out from the seat. You could try to get her a very good harness and tether her so she can't fall out. Btw I don't trust the seat belt tethers. I typically use climbing rated slings and hardware mounted to places that won't give or won't unlatch when pressed by a paw.

Lily F150.jpg

That was Lily when she was a Pup and she'd work herself up and then have to nap a lot. Most pictures of her are fuzzy cuz she won't stay still.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FJQue
So, butting in here a bit. I've only got hard doors and can't find any 1/2 door up here in salt alley that are worth having. Puppy (and me also) like to go doorless in better weather, but even with a full harness and strapped in to the seat (it is her seat. No chance of her in back.) she loves sticking her head out so much I think se would ride on the hood if she could get there. So, does anyone think she could use a 1/2 door upper without destroying it in under 2 tail wags? Or should I just get some tube doors (possibly weld on an outer skin) instead? Do any of them allow the install of uppers? Or should I just stick with the full doors?
She goes everywhere with me. In the store, in the bank, post office (you kids look it up). If I go without her I (honestly) get yelled at for not bringing her in the bank and scolded at the store.View attachment 150032

If you got hard upper slider windows. She'd be ok hanging out. But with soft uppers - when you unzip them and fold the window down. She would probably destroy the windows with her nails. As they are just folded over when open. And the clear plastic is what her feet would ride on. Even if she sat up and put her paws on the window it would scratch the hell out of them. I personally would feel safer with full doors. As you can adjust the window where her head can stick. But her body can't get out.

My dogs the opposite. She sits up in the passenger seat. OR in the back.
 
While in motion she "sits like a lady" when riding windows up according to my ma (whoe drives to my house just to take the pup for a drive around! Crack a window and she strives to get her nose in the air. Too big an opening and it's like she wants to car surf on the hood! Guess I'll get some thick padding on the door and see if she can learn to calmly stay seated. I love doors off.
 
I test drove another TJ before I bought mine and it had half doors and it was definitely louder, but the one I purchased sadly had full doors. I only drive it when the weather is nice so I wish I had half doors, but admit that the full doors are more convenient. I'd love to have OEM half doors or the core door from bestop, but they don't make them for TJ's.
 
Figured I'd add my input to this since i finally made the move to full doors :D

I swapped my doors with an 06 model and the difference is huge! Previously anything >70km/h was unbearable for long periods of driving but now i can drive at 100km/h with relative ease. I suspect that the seals were going on my half doors which was causing extra noise but yeah, still a big change

1600759497369.png