hey, I ran into this http://community.webshots.com/photo/...68776484ShBwgk and am wondering if anyone removes there doors for off-roading. Is this a bad thing to do, and is it difficult to do? The last few times I have been off-roading in Colorado it was a pain to open and close the door every 5 seconds, and sometimes try to get in the car without the door slamming into me.

 

they wer doing it at EC4RJ

 

I read somewhere that there was a mod you could do. I'm sure you could make your own quick disconnects like a jeep or something but I'm sure a problem is that you'd have to deal with wires... at least I would.

 

guys,

maybe i'm not (ok, im not) a 'hardcore' off-roader. and maybe i do not understand why anyone would remove the doors. i see no practical purpose other than to look cool and easy to get in/out.

i would never do this based on the fact that my friend's leg was severed below the knee because he was riding in a jeep w/ no doors. he was riding w/ a friend who swerved left to avoid an accident. the motion caused my friend's leg to swing out to the right and at that moment, his leg got slammed into the rear of a PU truck bed. it was so badly damaged that they cut it off. i suppose it could happen more easily while on the trails too, so thus, i think its a bad idea.

bob

 

The reason to remove the doors is so you can lean out and more easily see the obstacle in front of the tire.

If you remove the door by removing the bolts then I hear it's a pain to get everything aligned again. The pirate FAQ shows a way to remove the factory pin and replace it with another more easily removable pin. At that point, you just have to deal with the electrical.

You can also run tube doors or half doors.

 

Doesn't door removal compromise the integrity of the roof if/when the vehicle rolls, too? I've seen those 1/2 doors. Those look cool

 

I run them off all the time on the trail. Had them off yesterday in fact I usually try to drive with them in place up to the trail then remove them if I have a place to store them. Yesterday it was in the bed of a Tacoma on the run. Sometimes, if it's really warm and they say no rain, I may drive up to the trail without them but this is rare.

Quick-release door hinges are the only way to go if you want removable doors. Takes about 15 seconds to remove one and maybe 30 seconds to put it back. All you do is remove the hinge cut and remove the hinge pin and replace it with a hinge pin like this one:


As far as structural integrity, the door frame isn't gonna help out the roof at all, it's much too thin and fragile. The body of the door does help in the event of a head-on collision and that's why I usually leave them on when on the highway.

 

Plus you have to disconnect the power functions. I think it's a PITA on the newer trucks.

 

That would throw a wrinkle in an otherwise easy job.

 

those disconnet pretty easily.

you know what I had in mind, was to make a simple tube door. mainly just so the cops don't bust you. another project for this winter is to design a removable exo cage. but these are just idead right now, nothing on paper yet ..

 

there are two plugs behind the kick panels to remove, very easy.

someone correct me if im wrong, but not having doors is NOT illegal. having no side mirrors IS illegal.

 

The jeeps with the plastic doors, still have a small door at the bottom. A lot of them do run without any doors, but I don't know for a fact that it is illegal. I did a search but didn't come up with anything.

One the side mirrors, there are a lot of low end cars that come without passenger side mirrors.

 

It is a state-by-state thing. In Colorado, you are required to have one intact, unobstructed mirror. The rear-view mirror on the windshield counts thus door mirrors are not required. In the case of a cargo van or something simlar where the rear-view isn't functional, then a driver's side mirror is required. The passenger side window is just optional unless the vehicle is 8' wide or has a trailer of a certain length and/or width.

 

Where can I get one of those door hinge pins?

 

I thought there was also a law that you have to have something to prevent anything from rolling out of the car if you have no doors. For example jeeps have a rising below the door that you have to step over to get in the vehicle.

 

I get mine at the local Ace Hardware store. Couple bucks each.

 

I did the pin thing, but my doors rattled to much, way to much. So i did something different.

I cut open the tops of each hinge into a V down to the hole. This way you can leave 2 bolts in each door loose, and set the door back in place. Tighten the bolts and you are on your way. I only use the two bolts, i dont put the others back in, dont see a point to it. I can actually remove my doors and replace them faster and easier than the jeep guys i wheel with.

 

hmmmmmm

Colorado in the summer rainy season- are you gonna carry the doors with ya on the trail? I've been caught in a heavy monsoon storm down here doorless- it ain't no fun. The other major draw back to going doorless is the increadible amount of dust that rolls off the front tires. I pretty much gave up keeping the interior clean after a couple summers worth of Forest Service roadin'.

I run the harder trails doorless for better visability. It really helps being able to spot the front and rear tires over stuff.

3 summers ago, I was wheelin' on an easy local trail while doorless. I got to foolin' around on a large boulder- ended up floppin' the truck on the drivers side. No big deal- if I'd had on 4 Point harness. I had on a lap belt. The impact slammed my left shoulder onto the trail. It seperated at the AC joint- not a lot of fun 35 miles from home. It took me a couple of hours to roll the rig over and drive out with one arm........

Needless to say, I now use 4 point harness and use AOR tube doors for a little added protection. The tube doors ain't worth a hoot in the rocks - they don't really provide anything to use as a rock rail.

The hinge pins are what I use for easy removal. The truck is bent up pretty good, so it takes me a minute or to to get'm on and off. as for the minor rattles, it's no biggie for my beat POS

later

 

jeeps have a tub body which allows stuff to not fall out around turns and stuff on the street. That's why it is legal for them to not have doors. Toyota has nothing to prevent this so it's not legal for one to ride on the street without doors. this is the case in georgia anyways. But asfar as the tube doors go, i would love to get a set for AOR or another place that sells them for 200 compared to the 279 for the AOR ones, but b/c i have power windows and locks, and mirrors, will the wiring be alot harder for me? and how did you guys with tube doors mount side mirrors to them? any pics for them on?
thanks,
alan

 

If anyone is looking for the wire lock pins that Toy283 found for the door removal contact Joe Citari at 800-323-1923. He has them for about a buck a piece, they are item Wire-3SQ. It is 5/16" x 2 3/4".

As far as the tub body, I dont know about legal/illegal, but I am going to try (that is the key word here) to make removable fiberglass thresholds to keep stuff in.