Taking doors off

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FirstJeep

TJ Enthusiast
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Oct 29, 2018
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USA
I know this might sound like a dumb question but I’m looking for some tips or ideas how to take off the doors os my 2000 Sahara. I’m 51 yrs old and have a bad back so maybe y’all feel my pain and can give me some suggestions or how the older members do it by themselves. The weather is getting perfect to take the doors off and pull the soft top back. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated👍
 
I'm all ears on this - I tried to take mine off the other day, removed the nuts but those doors might as well have been welded to the hinges. Wouldn't budge! Put the nuts back on in disgust. And yea, I had the doors open when I was trying to lift them! ;)
 
Zorba said:
I'm all ears on this - I tried to take mine off the other day, removed the nuts but those doors might as well have been welded to the hinges. Wouldn't budge! Put the nuts back on in disgust. And yea, I had the doors open when I was trying to lift them! ;)
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For these, you need to put some 3 in one or WD 40 on the top of each hinge and work it back and forth while lifting. They will come out-likely rust at the bottom of the hinge pin has expanded the circumference just enough to make lifting them out difficult.
 
Spray with some penetrating oil for a day or two. Open the door after they've soaked and work the door open and closed while lifting slightly. She'll come off eventually.
 
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FirstJeep said:
I know this might sound like a dumb question but I’m looking for some tips or ideas how to take off the doors os my 2000 Sahara. I’m 51 yrs old and have a bad back so maybe y’all feel my pain and can give me some suggestions or how the older members do it by themselves. The weather is getting perfect to take the doors off and pull the soft top back. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated👍
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If you have a bad back, then definitely get someone else to help you or to do it for you. Pay with beer and pizza, or money, or Hornitos Black Barrel tequila.
 
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Remember to roll your windows down , and use the top part of the door as leverage .
Also make sure you lift straight up , so the door pins don`t binned .
 
Mine came off hard the first time. The previous owner broke off one of the hinge pin nuts over tightening it and I think they never took the doors off again.

I sanded the rust off the door hinge pins, cleaned the bushings with an oil soaked rag and round screwdriver, and lubed it up before putting them back on. They come off much easier now. Use a good metal penetrating oil, like a gun oil, on the pins to keep them from rusting in the future.
 
Let me clarify something on my initial post. I don’t have any problem with the doors being stuck and not coming off. My problem is after my Dad died, my Mom has to drive my Jeep every now and then and with her being in her 70’s she is not too wild about driving my Jeep with the doors off. So I like driving with the doors off but have to put them back on for her to drive it. So I’m looking for any suggestions or ideas that would make taking the doors off and putting them back on easier. Thanks again!
 
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I've found lifting at the right spot is very important so as to not bind the hinge pins. For the drivers door I am lifting mostly with my left hand a few inches from the hinge. My right hand is on the window frame providing a little support. For the passenger door my hands are switched. Not sure if the doors had ever been off the LJ when I got it. I was able to get them up 1/8 inch or so then squirt pb blaster in there and work the doors open/closed all the way with limit strap off several times. Repeat repeat until they came off. To make the job easier in the future after the doors are off the pins can be cleaned pretty nicely with fine grit wet sandpaper then oiled for corrosion prevention. I usually have my doors off but if I usually had them on I would periodically remove them as I think that would make it easier.
 
FirstJeep said:
So I’m looking for any suggestions or ideas that would make taking the doors off and putting them back on easier.
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Not sure of a way to avoid having to lift the doors but these make aligning the pins MUCH easier. I know the link says unavailable but there are others available. These are for putting the doors on, which can get tricky because you have to get both hinge pins lined up at the same time. These allow you to align one pin first then the other. You put one on each door, top or bottom hinge does not matter, the important part is one per door so one pin is longer than the other.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079SW4883/?tag=wranglerorg-20

I also made a cart out of a furniture dolly that I roll near the Jeep when doing doors. I only have to carry the doors a few steps.
 
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FirstJeep said:
Let me clarify something on my initial post. I don’t have any problem with the doors being stuck and not coming off. My problem is after my Dad died, my Mom has to drive my Jeep every now and then and with her being in her 70’s she is not too wild about driving my Jeep with the doors off. So I like driving with the doors off but have to put them back on for her to drive it. So I’m looking for any suggestions or ideas that would make taking the doors off and putting them back on easier. Thanks again!
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Understood.

If you have a garage, then a ceiling mounted hoist and some line (rope in landlubber terms) would be your best approach. Not sure how bad your back condition-can you do manual things like pull on the hoist line to raise your doors off? If not, then a power hoist with a remote control would be a good option.

Another method might be a cart that can be raised and lowered. You would need to modify it to accept your door or doors, roll the cart under the open door, raise the cart to remove the door, and either store the door somewhere and then take off the other door or, if you have the cart suitably modified, use the opposite side of the cart on the other door.

EDIT: Turns out, there are hydraulic table lifts. If you google this, you will find electric and manual versions. Add a double sided stand with bungee cords or lockable straps to grab each door, roll your table lift to the appropriate door, strap the door to the stand, lift the door off, then repeat on the other side. Roll the table lift and doors out of the way until you need to put the doors back on.

hydraulic table lift.jpg
 
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FirstJeep said:
Let me clarify something on my initial post. I don’t have any problem with the doors being stuck and not coming off. My problem is after my Dad died, my Mom has to drive my Jeep every now and then and with her being in her 70’s she is not too wild about driving my Jeep with the doors off. So I like driving with the doors off but have to put them back on for her to drive it. So I’m looking for any suggestions or ideas that would make taking the doors off and putting them back on easier. Thanks again!
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I feel your pain... there isn’t to my knowledge anything sold on the market... but if your handy and have some time you could make a jack stand that would either be pumped up by foot action or hand crank with 2x4s or metal with noodles taped to them and you could jack up the doors and put casters on the bottom of the stand and wheel the door to hangers mounted on the wall?!.. seems like a cool idea but not sure if it would work.. or maybe an office chair that you can pump up and down.. just place the arm rests under the door... just some ideas👍🏻👍🏻
 
I didn't read this thread because the wife is in a hurry go get some dinner and drinks. Hey I won't argue with that.

Any way, to help save your back after the doors able to be taken off get a Panel Carrier. I'm pretty sure that one is exactly what I have and I added Gorilla Tape sticky side down to stop from scratching the doors and help keep the door from sliding off the carrier.
 
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Delrin door bushings make life better later ...check em out.
 
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