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Easy off door mod not so easy

N

Nubster

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Romney, WV
After several hours of profanity and busted knuckles I finally got the driver side door off and completed the mod. Now on to the passenger side. No way this sucker is coming off. I was able to break loose two bolts on the top hinge and the bottom three aren't budging. Any tips? The otherside I was able to use a star bit that I had to modify but it was a huge PITA. I had to end up just cutting one bolt head off to finally get the door off. Now I don't know what to do to get the other door off. I thought about cutting all the bolt heads off then removing the threaded plate from inside the door and use bolts and nuts to reattach the hinge, but to do that I will have to cut large openings out of the door behind the door panel. HELP !!!!...lol
 
Nubster said:
After several hours of profanity and busted knuckles I finally got the driver side door off and completed the mod. Now on to the passenger side. No way this sucker is coming off. I was able to break loose two bolts on the top hinge and the bottom three aren't budging. Any tips? The otherside I was able to use a star bit that I had to modify but it was a huge PITA. I had to end up just cutting one bolt head off to finally get the door off. Now I don't know what to do to get the other door off. I thought about cutting all the bolt heads off then removing the threaded plate from inside the door and use bolts and nuts to reattach the hinge, but to do that I will have to cut large openings out of the door behind the door panel. HELP !!!!...lol
Click to expand...

I'm curious as to why you're having to modify a bit to fit the bolt. With the proper size bit, a 1/2" drive ratchet/breaker bar, and some PB Blaster, the doors should come right off. I haven't actually done this on a Cherokee, but I have removed doors from rusty 70's muscle cars and classic trucks from the 50's. I imagine that the right tools and some muscle should do the trick fine.

Best of luck. :wave1:
 
Modified it's length because It was too long to fit in the tight space. It was a 5/8" drive and I had to convert to 1/2" as well. I have tried like heck but no go. I guess I'll keep on trying and if worse comes to worse I'll cut the sucker off and hope for the best.
 
rocklandxjer said:
youll have to cut it out. its frozen solid.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:
grind it down, take it to a weld shop, get them to weld a nut on it. Can't be more than 5 bucks. or if i underestimated you, weld a nut on it
 
Stop using the wrong tool and get a set of torx. If you continue with the allen head, you will have to cut the bolts.
 
Reread, he is using torx, or "star bit," it was evil dead that used an allen.
Successfully, apparently.

I had a helluva time getting anything in there. Ended up grabbing the head of the bolt in a pair of visegrips, and backing it out 1/8 turn at a time.

And like everything else, the torx went in the trash and hex heads went back in.

Good luck,
Robert
 
Do you actually have to take the bolts out?


I seem to recall I cut the hinges on my 86 MJ with the doors on the truck. No BS with torx, no re-aligning the doors, just whacked the bottom part off with a zip disk or something.
 
That would work on the driver side but not so sure about the passenger side since the hinge pin is in from the bottom up. I'll have to look again tomorrow. I even tried to pound the suckers out and remove the door that way. No luck.

I might end up trying the trick with welding the nut on, and no Ryan, you don't underestimate me, I will have to have someone do it for me...lol
 
When we did this a while back, it was a major pain, and I would suggest anyone using the methods listed above and go ahead and cut the bottom part of the hinge off. On the passenger side, weld a nut on top or just put a booger weld on top before you cut the bottom part off and that will stop the pin from falling through since it's in upside down. I plan on doing this to my rear doors if/when I take thme off.
 
FYI, not all passenger side pins are upside down, most are, but mine weren't. Made the mod pretty easy, but I took the door off because I didn't have anything small enough to get in there and cut it. It was also easier since my bolts came right out.

Even if your pin is upside down, you should be able to cut it with it on, assuming you have the right tools. Just get a helper to support the door while you drive out the cut hinge and pin.
 
It is upside down. I might try to cut it. Otherwise a buddy of mine has a welder so I will get him to tack some bolt heads to the screws and hopefully that will allow me to get them out.
 
Welding a nut to the end of the bolt works. Yes it is a tight space. I have also used vise grips onto the bolts to get the out. Then i replaced the bolts wth hex heads.
 
What I did on mine; Get a 1.5" reinforced cutting wheel for your dremel. Cut the bottom ear of the hinge off. Don't worry the pins will not fall out unless they are broken already. Then lift the door off. You may have to work it back and forth a little. I did this on my '97 with the old style hinge. Hope it helps.
 
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