Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator are mostly preferred by Jeep enthusiasts because of the ease with which its factory doors can be removed. For off-roading adventures, going doorless is highly desired among the jeep owners. When nature is calling, you can hardly resist the temptation to make your jeep fully door-less and enjoy that fresh breeze of air through your vehicle. Despite being a popular choice, we will shed light on why installing jeep tube doors can be a great move for those worried about the issues going doorless entails. Read on to know all the details that may help you decide better for your jeep!
What are Tube Doors?
As the name suggests, tube doors are made of tubular-shaped steel or aluminum sheets that are used in place of factory jeep doors. With spaces in between the tubes, there is greater openness and one feels like they’re riding in the open air instead of feeling totally packed. Since Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator are designed in a manner that their doors can be unhinged with ease and even tool-kits are provided with them with clear instructions and illustrations, the designers have kept in mind the wishes a jeep owner might develop while setting off for trails in rural neighborhoods.
These after-market tube doors also come with side view mirrors to help you drive legally on streets even. Most of these doors come with all the tools required to carry out the installation process and even instructional guides. So, you don’t have to worry about the hectic procedure or the legality issues. You might just ponder over the benefits tube doors can bring to your adventurous expeditions in the wilderness. Though choosing a place for off-roading can be tough, you can always make a good choice after knowing the options. Go ahead and read further!
Are They Really Worth the Effort?
If you are wondering if carrying out the entire process is really worth your time and efforts, you should weigh the benefits tube doors can bring to make an informed choice.
Enhanced Safety: A Jeep Wrangler or Gladiator is designed for rough trails. When riding on these trails, it is natural for the driver and the passengers to desire to remove the doors entirely. However, with all the doors removed, you get an open-air touch but with severe safety risks. In case of any collision at a T-intersection, any vehicle colliding sideways will injure the passengers. Moreover, in case of any untoward incident, there will be no barrier to keep you seated within the vehicle and a person may fall out of the jeep. All of these scenarios are too dangerous to even imagine!
Why take the risk when you already have a solution available in the market? Tough-style tube doors will provide a safer traveling experience without compromising on the openness a door-less vehicle offers. Moreover, on unfamiliar tracks, you will be safe from any wild animals directly attacking you as tube doors will act as a fence and barricade their entry. With tube doors, even pebbles and dirt wouldn’t be as welcome inside the jeep as these are without the doors. Hence, tube doors are a great way of enjoying nature openly without having to worry about falling off the jeep!
The Open-Air Feel: As discussed earlier, despite being made of rugged material, tube doors do offer openness. The spaces between the tubes make you feel like you are sitting with no doors on your Jeep. So neither you get unsafe while exploring nature on unfamiliar trails nor do you feel trapped in a confined space.
Better Maneuver with Increased Visibility: Jeeps are designed to move on rough terrains. But on such paths, it becomes supremely difficult to get onto or off an obstacle that’s protruding from the ground. With tube doors, the spaces between the tubes allow for greater visibility and an unobstructed view of the obstacle the vehicle approaches. If you are driving solo, these doors are a great advantage. Sometimes, rear-view mirrors fail to cover certain angles. In those situations, these doors will come in handy.
Legality Perspectives: Well, though it depends on the location, completely removing the doors of your Wrangler or Gladiator and driving it on roads is not legal in most places. Also, the issue of side mirrors makes it even more illegal. In that situation, installing tube doors that come with side mirrors will be a lilifesaverYou are saved from the hassle of removing and reinstalling the factory doors while driving within the city. Moreover, if you feel your vehicle is too open during parking times, you can consider using a cab cover.
Do watch this video to get a clearer picture of why installing tube doors on your Gladiator JT and Wrangler JL can be a great idea.
How to Install Tube Doors
With all being said about the benefits of tube doors, it is important to shed light on how to install these and remove the factory doors. We are listing down the steps below following which you will be able to do this process on your own.
- One critical step towards doing it will be to roll down the windows while removing the factory doors so that the glass doesn’t get shattered during the entire process.
- Next, take out the tool kit present in the central console provided by the manufacturer. Use No. 52 Torx Head driver to remove the hinge pin screws from the upper and lower outside hinges of the jeep doors.
- Next, locate the plastic wiring access door under the instrument panel. Slide the cover straight back toward the rear of the vehicle to detach the tabs and remove the cover.
- Now, disconnect the wiring harness. Firstly, pull the strap off the hook to provide more slack. Now push the locking tab upward to unlock the harness. Now push and hold down on the security tab located on the lower side of the wiring harness and simultaneously lift up the harness lever. Once it is up, pull the harness straight down to disconnect it. You can store the harness in the lower door basket.
- Use the No. 40 Torx head driver to remove the check screw from the center door check. Store the screws in a safe place.
- Now open the door and lift it clear of the hinge pins and remove it. You can use a door hanger to safely store your factory Jeep doors and prevent them from getting damaged anyway.
Please watch this video for a better understanding of how to remove the factory Jeep doors.
In Summary
Installing tube doors in place of the factory ones can prove to be an exhilarating experience for all jeep owners. However, the thought of the gruesome process keeps some back from working on this idea or some are not fully aware of the benefits the tube doors bring while moving on rough terrains. In this article, we have shared the benefits of greater safety, openness and visibility as the most prominent features associated with using tube doors for your Jeep Gladiator JT and Wrangler JL. We have also covered the process of removing the Jeep doors to help you do it with ease. Happy traveling!