How To Remove The Doors From A Jeep Wrangler

Doorless cruising — one of the most defining characteristics of Jeeps dating back to the original World War II models — remains a staple of the modern Wrangler. The design practically begs you to remove the doors and top, and thankfully most Jeeps allow this easily. Whether you have a classic CJ or a brand-new off the lot JL, removing the doors is a relatively straightforward step-by-step process. Of course, modern Jeeps sport more electronics than classic ones, so the process for these models naturally gets a little more involved and takes longer to complete. You should always carefully place the door someplace where it won't be scratched, and take care when lifting and re-seating the door so as not to damage the doors or hinge pins.

Most open-top Jeep models feature a wide array of customizable door options. You have the factory doors, obviously; these can be either canvas or metal in older models and either half- or full-length doors. The half doors usually have no window glass, instead featuring canvas and clear plastic uppers like the ones on the YJ Wranglers from Jurassic Park. A variety of manufacturers also produce aftermarket door sets, ranging from basic tube frames to uppers with sliding plexiglass windows. These replacements can cost over a thousand dollars for a complete set depending on the style of door. It's fairly simple to remove the doors from most Jeeps, so let's start with classic CJs and older Wranglers.

Older Jeeps are the most straightforward in terms of removing the doors, with even the mid-2000s TJ still featuring manual locks and roll-up windows. As such, there's no need to remove any wiring harnesses, just a little hardware. As always, the first step is preparation. If you have full doors with glass windows, you'll want to roll down the windows to protect the glass. This will prevent needless expense and headaches if you drop the door after removing it, especially if you have vented windows like on some CJ7s. Just inside the door hinge, you'll find a nylon strap used to keep the door from opening too far; just lift the loop up and off the vertical pin. Unlike later Jeeps, CJs and YJ Wranglers have no hinge retaining bolts or pins. Open the door fully, grab the bottom of the frame, and pull the door up on the hinges – the door should come right off. Pull slightly away from the Jeep rather than pushing into it to avoid damaging the door or the bodywork.

The TJ replaced the YJ Wrangler in 1997. These Jeeps have a 13mm retaining bolt with its head at the bottom of each of the door hinges, so remove those first. After that, roll down the window, remove the nylon loop, and lift the door straight out. In many cases, rust invades the hinge and the door gets a little tight and squeaky. Rocking the door back and forth as you lift and squirting a little WD-40 on the hinge pins should help loosen things up.

The JK Wrangler was the first four-door version of the model when it debuted in 2007. Much like earlier Jeeps, removing the JK's doors starts with rolling down the windows to protect the glass and finding a safe place to set the doors down. Remember, concrete and pavement can easily scratch your paint. You'll need the Torx T50 bit and ratchet handle which Jeep provides in a toolkit with all 2015 and later models. Fold the mirror inward and open the door, then remove the retaining pins on the underside of each door hinge with the T50 bit. These will come off completely, so be sure not to drop them on the ground. The JK actually has little wells to store the pins in under a panel in the rear of the cargo area. After that's done, the next step is to remove the electrical connectors. 

If you have power windows and locks, look at the bottom of the door opening and you'll see a long, fat wire that ends near the clutch pedal. Push down on the tab at the bottom of the connector, and pull down to disconnect the wiring. Tuck the loose end into the door pocket, then remove the nylon limiting strap next to the wiring. The door should simply lift right out after that. As for the rear doors of the JK Unlimited, there's a little plastic cover on the bottom of the B-pillar by the footwell. Push the front seat forward and remove the cover to expose the wiring. Remove the hinge retaining pins, wiring, and nylon strap, and lift the door out.

The JL is the newest of the Wrangler's four generations, and all JLs come with the door removal toolkit, so be sure to have that on hand. After that, the process remains similar to the JK/JKU door removal. Again, prepare a safe place to set down the doors and bear in mind that they're quite heavy and bulky. Roll your windows down and fold the mirrors in to give you more purchase when you lift and protect the glass, and let's begin.

First stop is wiring. There's a plastic cover located on the bottom of the door pillar near the footwell — remove this to expose the door wiring. The harness is held in place via a pair of plastic retainers. Push the red tab on top of the harness's housing up until it clicks, then push the black locking pin and lift the white yoke to release the connector. Next up you have the retaining pins for the hinges. Unbolt these from the hinge's underside with a T50 hex bit. 

Finally, there's a limiting stop on the inside of the door to supplement the nylon strap. The stop is held in place by a T40 bolt at the top of the door hinge. Remove this bolt with the T40 bit from the kit, but be careful because the door will now swing freely and may slam into the fender. After that, just firmly grasp the door and lift up. The process is almost identical for the rear doors, although the wiring harness is locked in place with just a single tab at the bottom.