Making Jeep Cherokee Doors Removable
Removing the doors on a Jeep Cherokee not only add to the open air feel of the Jeep Cherokee of road but it also greatly increases the visibility. Making the doors easily removable and replaceable can be accomplished by modifying the door hinges. Because this modification reduces the strength of the door hinge in a crash, it should only be done on off road vehicles.
At least a few hours before you begin, remove the inner door panels and spray penetrating oil on the bolt threads inside the door. This will help get them loose with the torx bit and reduce the chance of stripping a bolt head.
Remove the speaker from the door and disconnect the wire. If you have any other electrics in the door also disconnect the wires to these.
Remove the rubber tube that covers the wires. Remove the pin from the limiting strap on the door. You may want to remove the limiting strap entirely from the door or just push it in out of the way.
There are six bolts that hold the door to the hinge. They have a T40 torx head. They are often very tight and you will need a quality torx bit to get the out. I have twisted quite a few bits removing door bolts.
The outer single bolt on each hinge is accessed with the door open. The other two bolts will require either a very short torx bit or you can access them from inside the fender well if the fender liner is removed and the door is closed. There are two holes in the hinge for this purpose. (Thanks to Brian Klotz for teaching me this trick.)
Support the door and remove the bolts. Take care to keep the shims and backing plates in order so they can be put back in the proper places. Set the door aside in a safe place.
Now, use a grinder and a cut off wheel to cut off the lower ear of the hinge. Knock it off the pin with a hammer. I use a heavy open end wrench to distribute the blow to both sides of the pin. If you can’t drive it the entire way off, knock it down enough to get a cut off wheel in the slot and cut the pin.
Discard the lower part of the hinge. Pull the upper part of the hinge off. If, the lower pin came out intact, cut it to the length of the hinge so that it no longer sticks out the bottom. If you had to cut it to get it out it is already cut at the right place. Cut the upper pin at an angle so that it is shorter than the lower one. Make it about an inch long.
The backing plate has a flange on the bottom that will interfere with putting the doors back on. To make it easier, cut the flange off of the bottom just below the pin. Make about a one inch wide opening.
Put the backing plates and shims back in their original positions and bolt the hinges back where they came from. Use the paint marks to help line it back up in its original position. If you have trouble putting the door back on, move the hinge toward the outside to give more maneuvering room. Use a ¼ inch drill to open up the hinge holes to allow them to slip in and out easily.
To make hooking up the wires easier you can add quick disconnect plugs to the lines. Reinstall the speakers and inner door panels.
To put the door back on, hold the door from the inside so you can see the hinges. Drop in part of the longer lower pin. Then maneuver the upper pin in place. Be careful because the door is heavy.
Make sure the door opens and closes properly. If not, adjust the hinge mounting as necessary.
Enjoy the open air feel. Enjoy being able to see where your tires are. Be careful of the limbs and mud in your face!
See my earlier article on Jeep Cherokee door removal here.
Note that the dome light fuse may have to be pulled and the door chime removed as the striker will not be depressed with the door removed.
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