Daily Driver, Go Where I Want To Build

[Apparition]

With help and guidance from Blaine I was able to piece together a set of Savvy trail doors that keep the original subtle design intents.
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The function on these is a lot of fun and so much nicer to use than my BesTop lowers.

There are two intuitive ways to activate the latch. The remote paddle latch release is easily accessible in front of your knee to get out. No more reaching behind to fight with the J handle. To get in, grab the door where you instinctively would and reach a finger down to the length of cable in front of the latch and pull up to release the latch. I built the cable to be just barely tight so that there is very little cable travel and movement required to move the latch. The latch itself is very direct and snappy.
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Once aligned and the little shim is installed on the body side door catch, the doors open and close with little effort and do not rattle. And the wide arm rest is very comfortable.

Didn’t realize you were working on this. I was very close to having one of our vendors duplicate my doors until the OG Savvy ones popped up.

I also swapped out the hex stuff for button heads, much cleaner look. I plasti dipped the paddles on my old set.

Here’s one other addition that I like on these new ones and a reason I got all new hardware for my old set. Easy enough to make if you desire.

 

[MikeE024]

Didn’t realize you were working on this. I was very close to having one of our vendors duplicate my doors until the OG Savvy ones popped up.

I also swapped out the hex stuff for button heads, much cleaner look. I plasti dipped the paddles on my old set.

Here’s one other addition that I like on these new ones and a reason I got all new hardware for my old set. Easy enough to make if you desire.

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My set came with ball knobs with threaded inserts. I don’t have experience with any other way, but they’ve worked well for entering the rig.

 

[jjvw]

...

Here’s one other addition that I like on these new ones and a reason I got all new hardware for my old set. Easy enough to make if you desire.

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The other two ways to open the door negate the usefulness for a knob on the latch. That was part of the original design intent that has been lost.

 

[Apparition]

The other two ways to open the door negate the usefulness for a knob on the latch. That was part of the original design intent that has been lost.

All good if you don’t like it was simply sharing.

I will also say someone unfamiliar with the doors operation in Moab pulled the cable so hard it broke the plastic clip that holds it in place. Even my older style latches function like a hair trigger can still happen with or without the knob so keep that in mind that not everyone knows how they work.

 

[jjvw]

All good if you don’t like it was simply sharing.

I will also say someone unfamiliar with the doors operation in Moab pulled the cable so hard it broke the plastic clip that holds it in place. Even my older style latches function like a hair trigger can still happen with or without the knob so keep that in mind that not everyone knows how they work.

The tell for when to quit tugging on the cable is when the door pops open. If the door doesn't pop open, then there is no tell for when to stop tugging on the cable.

 

[BlueJayTJ]

Years ago while we were looking at an AEV kit on a trail run, @UnlimitedLJ04 told me about a guy who made a DIY AEV style highline by splitting the spot welds along the seam joining the inner and outer fender.
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Then he added a sheet metal step or wall, just like AEV, to create the offset. This would allow me to keep all the extra stuff I have crammed into the existing engine bay, while adding more room for the larger 35" tire without sacrificing my existing suspension up travel as much, if at all. This is a compromise that falls short of a real highline, but I don't need much in the way of gains. And the work doesn't seem any more involved that some of the other ridiculous things I've done so far.

And, most importantly, the Jeep will maintain it's understated appearance. At least as much as the AEV design allows.

I suspect that there are some required modifications to the internal bracing. But I've never studied the insides of the fender.

This is a ways away, if it happens at all. I will be running through another set of 33s before I seriously consider a tire size change. And a tire change won't happen before the body can be set up to make room for the larger tires.

I hate to reply to such an old thread, but do you have any info or pictures of this? Or possibly figured out who this user was? I am wanting to modify my fenders this exact same way.

 

[jjvw]

I hate to reply to such an old thread, but do you have any info or pictures of this? Or possibly figured out who this user was? I am wanting to modify my fenders this exact same way.

Any info I learned about this specific DIY highline was almost ten years ago. It would be done exactly as described and would look very much like what AEV did, if you can find engine bay pics of that. Having installed a traditional highline over a year ago, the way it is designed is the same basic idea where the outer fender sits higher than the inner fender.