How to Remove Your Jeep’s Doors

Question: What’s just about the only vehicle you can own that would mean no one could ‘blow your doors off’, no matter what they drove?

Answer: A Jeep.

No, they haven’t dropped a Hellcat HEMI into a Wrangler (though you can get one in a Cherokee). But you can’t blow the doors off of something that doesn’t have any.

If you like driving a vehicle that you can ‘make your own’, even if you’re not into build-your-own customizations just yet, Jeeps are your best bet. Starting with just the soft top/hard top options, the different configurations that you can put a factory-equipped Jeep into are almost endless, from removing the front panels of a hardtop, to unzipping the rear window of a soft top – or going completely ‘topless’ and folding down the windshield – your Jeep can have a different look and feel for every day of the week.

How to Remove the Doors of a Jeep

Jeeps are unique vehicles, but not just for their iconic design. We don’t know of any other vehicle with a toolkit complete with a tool for removing the doors.

While taking the doors off your Jeep is a relatively easy process, taking your time and being ready for some of the issues that might pop up will make it an even easier, less ‘damaging’ job.

Use the following steps to remove your Jeep’s doors without damage to the door or body of the vehicle. These steps apply to the Wrangler JK and JKU models, but many of them would apply to earlier Wranglers too.

1. Set-Up Before You Start – Sometimes people are so anxious to go ‘door-less’, they rush to take them off and then realize they haven’t set up a place to properly store and protect them. You’ll need a piece of wood, solid cardboard or fabric to rest them on if you’re planning on storing them on a bare garage floor. If you’re standing them up against each other, you should have a blanket or cardboard separating the doors. Make sure they can’t be knocked over. If you plan to take your doors off often, or for extended periods, it might help to build or buy storage hangers for them. Also, fold in the mirrors before you start to take the doors off.
2. Remove the Lock Nuts from the Bottom of the Door Hinges – Using the correct bit from the toolkit that came with your Jeep, or a 13mm Torx bit and ratchet, loosen and remove the nuts from the bottom of the upper and lower hinges of the door and store them in your toolbox. The bolts are attached to the door, so it will stay in place after you remove the nuts.
3. Disconnect the Wire Connector and Safety Strap – Disconnect the wire connector first. To remove the rubber safety strap, which prevents the door from opening to widely, close the door so that there is slack in the strap. Slip the end of the strap off the hook it’s connected to on the inside of the Jeep. At this point, the door can swing completely open, which could damage it or the front fender, so keep your hand on the door to prevent that from happening.To disconnect the connector and strap on the back doors, you’ll need to remove the inspection cover that’s at the base of the body pillar in front of the door.
4. Lift Off the Door – The front doors weigh about 50 lbs. Get someone to help you lift them off if you’re not comfortable handling that weight. With the door open perpendicular to the side of the vehicle, lift it straight up until the hinges on the door are completely clear of the hinges on the body. Place the door in the spot you’ve set up to store it.

That’s it! You’re now ready to enjoy motoring down the road in a way that you can only do in a Jeep. And you can ‘customize’ your Jeep even more with one of the many factory and after-market door options available. If you have an older Jeep and the doors are sagging or hard to open, TMR Customs Jeep Delrin Door Hinge Bushings/Liners are the perfect solution.