Just got done fabbing up my front tube doors!
They were real simple and the 2 of em took me about 3.5 hrs to plan, cut and weld (oh yeah, paint too). Now I just have to figure out how to latch them. I have an idea in my head, I just have to try it out to see if it works.

Here are the pics:

Keep up the good work. I still need to do this to my trail rig.

Keep up the good work. I still need to do this to my trail rig.
Thanks,

This should be lots of fun. This is still my Daily Driver. The AC went Kaputz, so I said, damn it, I'm takin' the doors off!!

Next week I will probably do the rears!

Thanks,

This is still my Daily Driver. !

It doesn't rain much I guess in AZ does it? Oh well It looks tight man

It doesn't rain much I guess in AZ does it? Oh well It looks tight man
No, not much rain here. Just in Monsoon season, which is in July-early September. I will probably just throw my other doors on during the rainy season.

I figured out the latch. I just used a barrel latch from Ace Hardware and I mounted it to the pillar between the front and rear door. It just slides in and out of the back of the top tube. It is pretty secure too. I don't think it would hold up in a crash, but at least it stays closed.

Tomorrow I will probably go to Auto Zone and pick up some side mirrors. It is gonna be weird driving with out them, cause I use 'em all the time.

Thanks for all the kind words.
It is a pretty fun project, and it is helping me to get better at welding before I start my sliders. Maybe one day this will just be my trail rig.
You never know!

Later,

Andy

Since I took my doors off, I had no tunes! Well, I solved that problem today. I had some old Polk Audio 6" speakers laying around my house, so I took an old gallon size paint can, cut the bottom off of it and took the top off and ran some wires into it, painted it black (to get the "Glidden" logo off of it) and slaped the speakers on each side. I set it right on the center "Hump" right under the ash tray and secured it with some blank dog tags I had laying around. It sounded a little "tinny" at first, so I ripped open an old pillow and stuffed the can. Now it sounds great. This solved my problem of no speakers!!
I will take a picture later and post it.

Later,

Andy

nice job!!

*Subscribed*

Since I took my doors off, I had no tunes! Well, I solved that problem today. I had some old Polk Audio 6" speakers laying around my house, so I took an old gallon size paint can, cut the bottom off of it and took the top off and ran some wires into it, painted it black (to get the "Glidden" logo off of it) and slaped the speakers on each side. I set it right on the center "Hump" right under the ash tray and secured it with some blank dog tags I had laying around. It sounded a little "tinny" at first, so I ripped open an old pillow and stuffed the can. Now it sounds great. This solved my problem of no speakers!!
I will take a picture later and post it.

Later,

Andy

Thats great! :p

How hard are the doors to put back on though? Do you have to line them back up? I would do this too but thats a ways down the road! Need a roll cage first! ;)

Those look great. Wish the weather aroundhere was a little more cooperative so that I could something like that. Post some pic's of the barrel latches installed. Good Job.

Those look great. Wish the weather aroundhere was a little more cooperative so that I could something like that. Post some pic's of the barrel latches installed. Good Job.
I'll probably get pics tomorrow of the latches.

Yeah, it hasn't rained here in like over 25 days, so, yeah, the weather cooperates pretty well. Makes it a lot easier to see all around you. I can't wait to try it out while wheeling now.
Thanks for the compliments. I can't wait to do the rear doors now.
Laurie wants me to chop the top next. I guess if I do that, I will need a roll cage and the stock doors will be no good any more.
Oh well, a roll cage means more tools for me to buy!!

This is a very good welding project for me to practice my welding. Next after the doors are done, I will move on to the sliders and rear bumper. I am going to model my bumper after the KMA ones.

Later,

Andy

Thats great! :p

How hard are the doors to put back on though? Do you have to line them back up? I would do this too but thats a ways down the road! Need a roll cage first! ;)
I dunno yet. I'm hoping pretty easy. I already have all the wires spliced with quick connectors.
I figure if I put the doors back on and tighten the bolts just enough, I will be able to manipulate the doors back close enough where it seals and works.
I guess I will find out shortly when Monsoon season comes and it rains like every day at 4pm.

Post some pic's of the barrel latches installed. Good Job.
Here are the pics of the barrel latches. I just used 4 self tapping sheet metal screws to hold em in. The bottom 2 screws I had to pre drill a very small hole, because there was some tougher metal behind there.
Well, here ya go.
I put some sticky foam between the body of the truck and the tube doors to make the latch a little more firm.
My next projects will be rock sliders, then a new rear bumper with a tire carrier.
After I get real good at welding, then I will be choping the top (Right behind the front seats) and putting in a roll cage. With the top chopped, it will resemble a 3rd gen bronco with the hard top off.

Looks good but that latch would worry me.There has got to be something better.Let me think about it.....

What about something like a gate latch, like the ones where the little bar on the gate lift up a thing in the latch which secures it in place?

What about something like a gate latch, like the ones where the little bar on the gate lift up a thing in the latch which secures it in place?
I thought about that, but it just seemed like too much hardware to put on there. This is actually really secure. I'm sure if you hit it hard enough from the inside, it would bust off, but why would you do that. I decided that if it started to slide out by itself, and open up that I would just use some sort of string, or bungee and tie around the pin that sticks up and bringing the other end of the bungee up farther on the door. I could put a little screw in the door or something to hold onto the bungee untill I wanted to unlatch the door. I have a bunch of Ideas in my head. I have to think up something for the rear doors now. There is no pillar back there to do the same thing. I'm sure I'll figure something out.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Andy

Is there any way to remove the latches from the door itself and fab up a bracket so you will still have a door handle and stock latches?

That would be a lot of work...and he still wants to use his doors.I think something spring loaded.

Is there any way to remove the latches from the door itself and fab up a bracket so you will still have a door handle and stock latches?
Sounds like way too much work. I wanted to keep these as simple as possible, which they are. They are meant to be totally removable, so I can put the stock doors back on. Basically this is just one step up from having no doors at all.

Now you got me thinking about doing this, but first our 40 days/40 nights of rain has to stop.

What about something like a gate latch, like the ones where the little bar on the gate lift up a thing in the latch which secures it in place?
Get Rick to send you a picture of his latches. They are solid - spring loaded - and work well. And - they look much safer than the small barrel latches that you used.

About re-installing the doors...
Why not add a couple of locating pins to the hinges that would pierce the door plates? That way, when it's time to hang the doors, the pins would locate everything right back where it goes - slap them on - tighten them down and go. I have been thinking of the same thing, but I would need to put the doors on and off a LOT (Kentucky gets too much rain and it's cold in the winter).

Get Rick to send you a picture of his latches. They are solid - spring loaded - and work well. And - they look much safer than the small barrel latches that you used.

About re-installing the doors...
Why not add a couple of locating pins to the hinges that would pierce the door plates? That way, when it's time to hang the doors, the pins would locate everything right back where it goes - slap them on - tighten them down and go. I have been thinking of the same thing, but I would need to put the doors on and off a LOT (Kentucky gets too much rain and it's cold in the winter).
I have already looked at Ricks latches. They are not way complicated, but more than I want. Have you seen the bracket attached to the pillar? It is pretty involved though. I'm sure down the line I will figure out some better way to latch them. Rick also had his built by a major fabrication shop, FST. All I have is myself and limited funds.
About reinstalling the doors, that is a good Idea about the pins. I could even just drill some small holes too and use some kind of rod or something small, and line it up with that too. Good Idea.
Thanks for everyones ideas though.

they all help.

Andy

looks sweet, im not worried about the barrel latches either. what can happen? oh no the tube door might open. so what? in an accident that wont protect no matter what kinda latch you use so why does it matter? oh well...

i dont agree with the latch being oriented with the locking slot upward... gravity and vibration will cuase it to fall back down... that lock may prove to be ok, if it was flipped 180*

i dont agree with the latch being oriented with the locking slot upward... gravity and vibration will cuase it to fall back down... that lock may prove to be ok, if it was flipped 180*
I originally was going to mount it that way, but it would have been impossible to unlatch it. If you look at the picture, you can see if it were flipped upside down from the way it is, the little handle would have been really hard to grab. It would have almost been contacting the hinge for the rear door. Beleive me, I really wanted to mount it that way, but it just turned out easier to mount it the way it is now. Like I said in an earilier post, if I find it unlatching itself, I will just put a string or bungee around the latch and attach it to the tube door to hold it closed. Right now, I haven't had any problem with the door coming unlatched. The padding between the door and the body of the truck keep it pretty secure.

looks sweet, im not worried about the barrel latches either. what can happen? oh no the tube door might open. so what? in an accident that wont protect no matter what kinda latch you use so why does it matter? oh well...
Thanks, my sentiments exactly!
Even if the tube door did open, I'm still buckeled in. The door isn't gonna prevent me from falling out.
Seatbelts Save Lives!!!
Just like the sticker says, "Together, we can save lives" (Ford).

Got the rear doors built today. I will post pictures once I get them mounted.
I'm just waiting for the paint to dry.
Don't worry, the barrel latches this time are going to be attached to the door, not the body of the truck.
Will post pics of this too.

Damn, my welds just get better and better the more I weld. Its amazing how that happens.

-=Edit=-
Here are the pictures:

Good Job Andy! What did you do for the side mirror(s)? I would like to take my front doors out also. I'm back in Tucson for a month and a half.

Good Job Andy! What did you do for the side mirror(s)? I would like to take my front doors out also. I'm back in Tucson for a month and a half.
YOU'RE BACK!!!
For the side mirror I just bought a cheap sport mirror from Auto Zone. It works good enough.
Tomorrow I am welding up my sliders. Should be fun!
I'm using 2x2 steel. I think its 1/8". Should be thick enough I hope. I think later this week I may be building my bumper too. The steel place does not have 3x5 tubing, so I have to figure out another size. I may just go with 4x4 and make it work. It is going to have a tire mount on it too.
Can't wait!

I'm on leave this week, New baby and all. There is a pic in my album at the bottom of my post. Hope to see ya around. Did you get your 9" and 37's yet?

Later,

Andy

I need to stop by and take a look at your projects. The 37's are on backorder, now I have to look for another size and brand tires. The 9" only needs the brake calipers and the sring perches welded.

Congrats on the baby!

Did you see my sliders?
You should just get some TRXUS MT's. I hear those are pretty good. Or just go and get some regular plane jane TSL super swampers. You aren't gonna get any sort of gas mileage anyway with 37's.
I'm still waiting for my 33's to wear out so I can justify new 35's.

Yup, I've been doin' a lot of cutting, measuring and welding the past couple days, but it is fun! My welds are always getting better.

Yeah, stop by any time this week and see my stuff. I have a ball game tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1930 over by the hobby shop/cop shack fields if you are over that way.

Later,

Andy

Hey What did you do with the wiring from the doors? Did you design it so you cold put the doors back on?

What I did was just put some quick connectors on the wires. The guy that bought it from me bought some multi pin connectors at radio shack and hooked those up so it would be a lot quicker. Yeah, the doors were designed to go back on.

Do you think you could post some picts of the quick disconnects? I have been seriously thinking about this, but need to get over this hurdle. Thanks!

I don't have pictures of the quick disconnects, as I didn't put them in. Daddy_ja put them in. They are pretty straight forward though. Just go to Radio Shack and get 4 sets of them, or more to facilitate all of your wires. You just crimp or solder the pins on the wires and push them into the connector. Once you see them, you will see how easy it will be. The doors are heavy and awkward, so 2 people would make it easier to get them on and off.
I used a stud in place of one of the bolts to put them back on. I just put it in one of the bolt holes on the door and was able to slide it into the door hinge to balance the door. I then put in the other 3 bolts, pulled the stud out and put in the last bolt. Pretty easy. Don't let the wires prevent you from taking your doors off though. Like I said earlier, very simple process. JUST DO IT!!

Andy

there is a few plugs in the body....http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159807