Hatch crush/fell off..how to build a wall?

My hatch has suffered much abuse and many cracks in the fiberglass, finally the lift strut was able to push a foot long piece of hatch away from the rest and when I opened the hatch the whole thing pretty much just fell off...

I would like to leave the hatch off and build a wall right behind the back seats to keep the ac in and the exhaust out. I was going to use plexi for the new rear window in the wall. Then I think I could lay the 36" spare down on the floor...it would stick out a bit but I wouldnt mind a little stinger-ish type projection from the rear bumper to keep the spare from getting hit. Any one got anything like this? Any suggestions on building the wall? I really want to maintain the view, have the spare, have the ac, and not have to worry about destroying another hatch...and do it cheap...

commanche rear cab wall, welded into the XJ?

try the jeepspeed.com website, too. they have to have something like this to seperate the rear shocks, fuel cell, acc oil coolers, etc from the driver....

xjdb.com
Look for Cheromanche, Goatman, chop top, etc.

Beej said:

xjdb.com
Look for Cheromanche, Goatman, chop top, etc.

Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking too....it's Sawzall time!

its a shame I just took a mj to the crusher...thought I had stripped all we needed off it. It would have been neat to install the mj back wall right behind the rear seats. I dont want to cut the top...my cage doesnt quite tie in to the subframe connectors and I dont want to take any body chances. Lots of rumpled sheet metal too...looks like I might put some down bars from cage to the floor and use card board to make a template...I searched jeepspeed but couldnt find something like what xuv-this described...i need to search that site again...off I go to xjdb.com now.

i FEEL your pain. my white hatch got crushed when a tree fell on it. luckily i had a spare xj at the time and swapped out it's rear hatch onto the white jeep - hence the brown hatch for a while.

i would say dont take any shortcuts and just go the the wrecker for a "new" one. otherwise its gonna look bad and water/gasses/the elements might still leak in and ruin other stuff as well.

Re: Hatch crush/fell off..how to build a wall?OR CHOP IT?

Ok. After much discussion with the wife and friends, I might have been talked in to a little cutting action. Just the top from behind the back seat...its a 4dr. I've got a basic 6 point cage sandwich plated to the floor and my subframe is plated with 3x3x1/4 angle from the front lca's to about a foot behind my leafspring front mounts...tough enough to chop the top a bit??? I have been checking into building a wall behind the seat and leaving the OEM body alone minus the hatch/back windows but the wife and friends seem to think that the exposed d-pillars would soon become a source of pain and annoyance. ( OK...AND the wife thinks the chop top look is hot, :kissyou: I'll take it anyway I can get it. ) And yes I've reseached this till my eyes are bleeding tonight...lots of pics to sort through but not a lot of particular talk about the rear subframe and how much strengthing I would have to add in my particular case...

Re: Hatch crush/fell off..how to build a wall?OR CHOP IT?

if you cut the top off of a cardboard box, how stiff is it? heres some food for thought:
1) the cage should have gussets
2) it should be tied into the upper unibody(seatbelt bolts, flat plates welded to the pillers, etc.)
3) consider running tube braces to the frame supports from the underside plates of the "sandwiches"
4) if you don't have kicker bars running down near the rear shackles; thats not a bad idea either.
your wife and you would be much safer, and if you roll it it all you have to do is pull the dents out, as opposed to totaling your work.

This'll fix it. Sawzall, angle grinder, dodge ram...Compromise is everything. Going to buy material for the new rear wall and windows tomorrow. And add more to the cage....and find a way to get that cat pee smell out.

I sure had fun snatching that sucker off of there!!

Why was it not just cut all the way through and just kicked off?

it was tack welded to the cage in spots and we couldnt reach all the spots with the grinder, so we just ripped the sheet metal in spots...and it was fun.