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I've done a search on doorless mods and it seems that most cut the bottom of the hinge off so the doors lift off. Has anyone just knocked the pin out and replaced it with a removable pin? If so what did you use for the pin.
I did that. I have a 2000 XJ so I didn't want to cut the weaker hinge to sacrifice strength. I used some 3/8" solid rod and knocked out the small bushings in the hinge. After that I drilled out the door side hinge to 3/8" and popped the pins in. Works well.
I have almost the same thing. Personally I dont like it because I need a hammer to take out the pins, and it sucks to line back up. Im going to cut off the bottom of the hinge soon and just do the drop in method.
I did the cut the bottom hinge off method and there was noticeable slop, enough that i couldn't just swing the door closed, I had to lift the b-pillar end. What I did is found some 1/4" grade 8 bolts, and drilled out the hinge to 5/16" so the bolt will slide in easily, then I used some 3/8" steel plate as a shim for the bottom hinge, and grinded it down, layer by layer, until the door swung perfectly into its place.
I hammered em out, and used 4mm allen keys, they fit perfectly, and do not let the door rattle, but their loose enough to take out. They really work mint.
The best way to do it is to take the door off the hinges first. Then cut the bottom of the hinge off with a grinder or sawzall. You then put the hinges back on the door and work on getting everything lined up again.
There is some slop in the doors, but if you adjust your hinges properly, you can still close the door the same way you did before you modded the hinges. There is no reason why you should have to lift up on the door handle in order for it to close.
It takes time and some patience, but you can get it right. Mine has been like this for about 2 years now and I have no regrets.
The people I know that have used bolts instead of cutting the hinges always end up regretting doing it that way.....or they never take their doors off because it's too much of a pain.
When I first made my XJ doorless I just replaced the roll pins with 1/4" bolts leaving the lower portion of the door side hinge in tack. Re-installing the doors after removing them was a super pain as it was almost impossible to align the holes sufficienly to get the bolts to drop into the house...it was a two man job for sure.
After a couple months I cut the lower portion off the door side hinge and welded in some 1/4" bolts that stick down about 1" from the upper portion of the hinge. Now the doors lift off like YJ/TJ/CJ doors. Of course I had to adjust the door alignment for each change but a little patience goes a long way and the doors open and close just like normal.
As long as you take the door off first, you can use a hacksaw. The problem is that you'd have to use it upside down and you'd have to hold the hinge from swinging back and forth while you cut it.
Even when I use a grinder to cut the hinges, I've found that channel locks are nice for holding it in place.
You do know why there are two holes in the body half of the hinge, right? So you can have a straight shot at the Torx bolts on the door side. If you take out all the small Torx holding on your fenders, hold the fender out and with the door shut, use a ratchet with an extension and a Torx socket to get those bolts loose. It's also a good method of using a drill to get out stripped Torx bolts.
i thought about ways to modify the hinges, but decided to just make some tube doors instead, wal-mart sells clear vynal and industrial strength velcro, so i just made some covers to go on in the rain, I take the doors off in april and put them back on october-ish. I also replaced the stupid torx bolts with some normal hex heads that i can uses my ratcheting box head wrench to take them off
i thought about ways to modify the hinges, but decided to just make some tube doors instead, wal-mart sells clear vynal and industrial strength velcro, so i just made some covers to go on in the rain, I take the doors off in april and put them back on october-ish. I also replaced the stupid torx bolts with some normal hex heads that i can uses my ratcheting box head wrench to take them off
On my 98 I cut and removed both stock hinge pins. then I cut the bottom portion of the top hinge off the door. I went back to the jeep and welded a bolt up side down through the Hinge so that all i have to do is set the top hinge on the door on that and then line up the bottom for a pin.
You do know why there are two holes in the body half of the hinge, right? So you can have a straight shot at the Torx bolts on the door side. If you take out all the small Torx holding on your fenders, hold the fender out and with the door shut, use a ratchet with an extension and a Torx socket to get those bolts loose. It's also a good method of using a drill to get out stripped Torx bolts.
Are you talking about getting the pins lined up with the holes when you're trying to drop the door into place after cutting off the bottom of the hinge?
Or are you talking about lining the door up with the seals and the striker?
The best way to line the door up with the striker/seals is to use a trial and error method. Put the door in place and loosen all of the 6 torx bolts. Put in the door in a position that you think is about right and then tighten one top bolt and one bottom bolt. Close the door and see how it fits. If it doesn't fit, open it back up and try again. Move it up a little....move it closer to the body....tilt the top in....whatever you have to do to get it right. It takes patience, but I've usually been able to get one door figured out in under 15 minutes.
