safari doors

just started the hack and slash on my doors today, cut the top frames and the dip down on the main doors, to re-enforce the inner door i welded in a piece of 1x1 angle, tomorrow i will weld in some 1/4" or 3/8" bar stock to the out side of the door for support and rigidity not to mention a thick area to weld in the new sheet metal to top off the doors, i know this is a quick blurb but i am not a body man i am a welder/ fabricator with an eye for detail ( or at least i think i do ), i will post pics tomorrow

Troy

for got one of the most important things, gut the doors first, every thing but the latch and six inches of the latch control rods( well actually you only need the one for the door handle ) well i said last nite i would post pics today so here they are



exterior cuts are the ones needed to be the cleanest, but all is fixable in the end


note, inside of door will be covered with a piece of sheet metal and welded shut with the exception of an access pannel close to the latch mech.

first rough fit

shot of the angle iron, i know i aint no photographer, but i tried

after some adjustment, the doors looked much better, today i will be putting in the 1/4" bar stock around the top ( the nwe top ) of the doors so i will have more of a welding surface, i only have the little wire feeder you see in the pic here to work with, wish i had a tig then the whole project would be easier.

the rear doors will be done after i finish the fronts, more pics on the way as i go along.

...........to Be Contenued.........

Troy

Have you worked out a door latch solution? I'm going to be hacking some doors in a couple of weeks. I'm doing a complete body transplant on my XJ. He unibody is so flexy that I broke a windshield by flexing too much.

actually, i have. the door latch on the out side is the key to my method for the latch, the only door rod you will need is that one, the rest will be removed.

before i weld the skin on i am going to weld 2 5/16 washers on the rear ( above the latch ) panel of the door near the top about 1.5 inches apart on top of one another, so you can look strait through tham both, as you look through you will see the last door latch rod, if you push down on it the door opens. i am taking a 6" piece of bar stock machineing ( grinding ) a flat tab at the lower end and drilling a hole through to fit the end of the door rod through it and rounding the other ( top end ) off. the last step is to feed the 5/16 bar down through the washers and put the door rod in the end and secure it together with wire or a small cotter key ( what ever ) then you drill a hole in the skin of the door that will be on top where you will need the NEW push rod, (add a ware grommet if you wish) i am going as far back on the door and as high as i can get it so i wont accadently hit it while wheeling.

that is the baisic plan, if you wish you can use tubing instead of washers whitch might keep the 5/16 lined up better too.

i will post pics when i do this too

Troy

P.S. 5/16 is only what i have available, if you want you can use any thing you want, heck even flat bar would work for that matter.

well here they are, i just wish i was a better body man with the sheet metal, i am going to do a little filler but it is a trail rig and they will be beaten by rocks, so perfection is not required ( yet, i will get them better )






minor filler and then paint

looks good . it has been pretty good building weather the past couple weeks. :sunshine: :repair:

i had always thought about these, but what does one use to keep from burning the hell out your arm once the sun has been beating on the door all day and you decide to use it as an armrest

oh looks good btw

steagall9301 said:

Its hard to be origional when every thing i try has already been done

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So true. Looks good. I did my doors with one handle that can be reached from inside or outside.

Ramsey said:

i had always thought about these, but what does one use to keep from burning the hell out your arm once the sun has been beating on the door all day and you decide to use it as an armrest

oh looks good btw

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I was worried about that. But the red isn't too bad. I've taken a rag to the water in the cooler and laid it on there once or twice to cool it down. Haven't been burnt yet.

Daryl

good to know. might be offtopic but i'm gonna ask. is there any way to adapt pre 96 doors to work on a late model. i have heard the latches arent compatible but i would think it would be to hard to adapt something. i say that but i havent gotten my hands on a set yet.

Ramsey said:

i had always thought about these, but what does one use to keep from burning the hell out your arm once the sun has been beating on the door all day and you decide to use it as an armrest

oh looks good btw

Click to expand...

thought about that too, and i am making pads for them and using tan canvas type material and super velcro to hold them on ( no screws to get hot )

thanks to all for the complements, i still need to do the inside though. i just need to take a break from the jeep and re coupe a little, i am burnt out a touch, just need to get my seccond wind i think.