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Hoist hard doors?

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Jim_Lou 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a hoist in the garage to lift my hard top. You think I can use it to remove the doors. I've ruptured a disc in my lumbar spine. I'm thinking about where the balance point is and a hand on the door.
 

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#2 ·
Time to find some half doors. Not sure how much lighter they would be. I thought my full doors were bad on the scrambler until I took the doors off the JK. I would run a strap all the way down and back up in the middle of the door and maybe an oh **** handle around the top of the window frame with the loop running through it, if that makes any sense....
 
#3 ·
Jumpin' Jehosophat! Sorry about your back, Man! Lower back pain makes every move a miserable experience. Looks like you should be put out to pasture.

The balance point is almost exactly at the midpoint of the door body, not counting the upper window frame. But I don't think the balance point is what you want. My experience is that there's a lot of drag at the hinges, so you need to lift closer to them. It would be best if you could keep two hands on the door while someone else works the hoist. No matter where you position the lift, the door is going to jump around when the pins come out of the hinge. You need to keep swinging the door back and forth while lifting it.
 
#4 ·
Seems like every time I take the doors off, I have one hand under about where the front window track is and one on the side of the door by the latch. I lift with the hand under the door and apply slight pressure up or down with the other hand to guide it straight up out of the hinges. You might make the first try with the strap as far forward in the window opening as it will go. Then you can apply slight down pressure at the back of the door as you lift. Maybe even roll the window up to hold the strap.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Good ideas, Thanks. Yeah Jim, some think I wont be able to do my job, standing for long periods wearing a full lead apron. But I hope I can be tough. My favorite cardiologist said of the image, "Can he walk?" For about 2 or 3 weeks. I walked like I was trying to catch a chicken. I feeling better now and will try work early July if the neurosurgeon releases me.
I'm thinking a rubber bungee around the window frame. You can lift a jeep door by hand but I doubt you could break a rubber bungee.
 
#6 ·
You can easily use a hoist to lift the hard doors.

The problem, as I see it, is in the hinges. They ten to fill with rust, get out of alignment and bind as you attempt to lift the door. If that is happening it's best to realign the door and the hinges so that lifting off and shutting the doors is both easy and smooth. Constant slamming of doors crack the sill and misalign the door to the body. Body flex on the trail can do the same thing by actually moving the hinges a small amount. It's a constant battle.

When I had my CJ I used a T-fram hoist and a come-along to lift the top. I just used a sling type strap around the top windshield frame. Did it swing, or become off centered? Nope, it found its own COG as I lifted the door and there wasn't a lot of swing.

Today, if faced with the same task, I'd use an inexpensive Harbor Freight hoist to do the lifting. Then just hang the doors on some wood bolted to the garage stud walls. It's cheap and easy.

There use to be a company that made full fiberglass doors for a mere $800 each. some of those may still be floating around. You may be able to find some if the metal doors become too much of a burden.

Of course, CJ.YJ half doors with uppers would be nice.

Another alternative IIRC the TJ lower half doors will fit on the CJ, however the uppers will not because of the windshield angle. You could use a CJ/YJ half door upper modified to mate with the TJ lower half door. That would cut weight in half as you attempt to wrestle the door if you don't go with a hoist.
 
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