JK 4-door to 2-door long wheelbase conversion.....

jscherb

Expedition Leader
Building a long wheelbase 2dr out of a JKU isn't the hard part. The J8 body sides, and now some other options, make that pretty easy.

The hard part is still the top, especially if you want a hard top.

A 2-dr JKU hardtop wouldn't be as hard as you might think.

I'm working on a modular conversion of a 2dr factory hardtop right now, and the same techniques I'm using could be used to make a JKU2dr hardtop out of a JKU hardtop. The JKU hardtop would get cut into pieces the same way this 2dr hardtop was:

PartsCut1_zpsf0xvasns.jpg


The roof end back panel would be used as-is. The side panels would be lengthened, the easiest way would be to have a second hardtop and cut the two sets of side panels so they could be spliced together into the correct length for the JKU2dr, something like this - the one that will become the front half of the spliced side panel gets off at the blue line, the one that will be the back of the spliced side panel gets cut off at the red line, and then they're joined together. The glass is still in place in this illustration and obviously that can't be cut and spliced, so a new window or windows would have to be installed.

JKU2drSplice_zpspgeexu28.jpg


I'm doing a step-by-step documentation of the modular conversion and using those steps plus splicing the side panels as above and you'd end up with 2dr JKU hardtop.


Or, a JKU 2dr Safari Cab could be built the same way ;)...

JK8SwingUp4b_zpsbe8c261b.jpg
 

jscherb

Expedition Leader
But you are the fiberglass master!

That is another skill that is on my list to learn....

I'm documenting the modular conversion of the factory hardtop in a very detailed step-by-step way so hopefully people who haven't done fiberglass before could follow the steps and successfully convert a factory hardtop to modular. There isn't really too much fiberglass work required for the conversion.
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I'm documenting the modular conversion of the factory hardtop in a very detailed step-by-step way so hopefully people who haven't done fiberglass before could follow the steps and successfully convert a factory hardtop to modular. There isn't really too much fiberglass work required for the conversion.

I will check it out!
 

Metcalf

Expedition Leader
I recognize this thread is dead but could you just bolt on a panel like this tj6 conversion?

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f22/108-tj-tj6-1125818/index2.html

Since the door is already open it shouldn't mess with the structural integrity of the tub. You just remove the door and bolt this over it, you just have to figure out what to do with the hinges. It might even be able to go back fairly stock once you want to sell or need the doors again.

Good threads never die!

I believe that there are a few companies doing overylay style 3-door conversions now. One big difference on the JKU vs J8 is that the J8 doesn't have the B-pillar post behind the door. It is more like a true stretched 2-door profile.
 

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