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Best way to replace a roof

M

Motornoggin

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Beaverton OR
I rolled my XJ last weekend and need to replace the roof on it, including the A pillars and possibly one B pillar. Will I be able to "remove" the pillars from the rest of the body, or will I need to splice the new roof onto the old pillar?
 
Dan dont worry i have you covered

what do you thing i did befor i joined the marines. auto body work.
a roof swap is easy. its going to take time to mueasure everything out. then it just a matter of cutting and welding. you just going to have to pay to get the wind shield swapped

dont worry
it will take less then a weekend
 
Its a very good idea to put slugs into the pillars to help align the two pieces and add strength (if you didn't already know).
 
89Daytona said:
Its a very good idea to put slugs into the pillars to help align the two pieces and add strength (if you didn't already know).
Click to expand...

we will use back up plates and do a roll cage at the same time
 
YOu wont need to pay to have your windshield replaced.

I think if you can put a roof on yopur jeep, you can purchase a urethane windhield kit, foll the tape around the opening and then squirt the tube of urethane around the opening, and with a buddies help lay the glass into the opening.

YOu will need the glass when doing the metal work anyways to make sure the opening does not get to big or small (dont forget to figure width for the trim) due to saw kerf and grinding.

I ahve done several with the largest being on a 92 buick roadmaster wagon (HUGE GLASS!)

Brad
 
In a nut shell - Drill out all the spot welds that hold the skin on. Do the same on your donor skin and weld it on. I don't waste time with the "spot weld" drill bits. I just get a high quality, high speed bit and drill them out. When it starts to wear, I carefully sharpen it on the side of a grinding wheel.

This will take a LOT of time to do right.

A body man I know who can clip cars did the windshield pillars this way:

Make a "track" on the inside of the remaining pillar on your jeep so that the new pillar can "slide" over it. Leave enough of a gap between the new pillars and the old remaining pillars so that when you weld it, you will be welding directly to your "track" which will also act as bracing.

I watched him do this on a '68 Mustang Fastback . He had one that was smashed in the rear and one that was smashed in the front. He put them together and made a hell of a car out of it.
 
Last edited:
Ted Young said:
Make a "track" on the inside of the remaining pillar on your jeep so that the new pillar can "slide" over it. Leave enough of a gap between the new pillars and the old remaining pillars so that when you weld it, you will be welding directly to your "track" which will also act as bracing.
Click to expand...
The "track" is usually called a slug.
 
Ok...here's some progress pics.

The donor rig.


Mine stripped and ready to go.


Removing the damaged roof.




Can't go back now!


Whoops! :laugh3:


Harvesting the new roof.


Sad, isn't it?


Getting the "new" roof in place.


Madmax making it fit.


Getting there!


Here it is in place and about 1/2 way welded.


That's it for now.
 
I think your rolled roof was better than mine now. :)
Neat to see the job in progress. After mine flopped we portapowered the twisted unibody back straight then built the cage inside to help keep it straight.
 
yellowxj said:
I think your rolled roof was better than mine now. :)
Neat to see the job in progress. After mine flopped we portapowered the twisted unibody back straight then built the cage inside to help keep it straight.
Click to expand...
Mines a DD, so I had to make it suitable for the PNW rain, and I figured this was the best way.

I do want to thank Raven, Trainwreck, Madmax, Avanteone, Twisted and Powder7. They are not all on this board, but they will see it and I wouldn't be doing this without them.
 
that windshield didn't look damaged before you "removed it". I'm assuming it was damaged though, otherwise that was a $200 whack with a sledge.
 
I would have expected both those rigs to fold like tacos as soon as the roof came off. :) Good job!
 
goodburbon said:
that windshield didn't look damaged before you "removed it". I'm assuming it was damaged though, otherwise that was a $200 whack with a sledge.
Click to expand...

Yes, it was cracked. BTW, an air chisel works real well for removing them.:)
 
damn i do good work.
so when are we going to finish it.
i have time on saturday and sunday if any one is going to be home
 
Last edited:
madmax said:
damn i do good work.
so when are we going to finish it.
i have time on saturday and sunday if any one is going to be home
Click to expand...

Yes you do!
I'm gonna be out of town, but if you wanna go over and work on it, I won't stop ya.
 
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