Barn Door for JK factory hardtops

[jscherb]

This morning I was in Home Depot and I came across the Husky line of tool belt pouches - they're compatible with the new tailgate panel so I picked up a few to try out:

The most expensive of them was $9.97 and the least expensive was $1.97, they've got quite a few styles: https://www.homedepot.com/s/husky%20pouch%20red?NCNI-5

I'd like to do a JL version of this panel but I don't have access to a JK yet. If there's anyone within a reasonable distance from Elmira NY that wants to be part of the design and construction of a prototype JL panel I'll make sure the company that's doing them will provide a panel once it gets into production.

 

[jscherb]

This morning I installed and tested the power lock switches in the half doors. Installation required making an oval hole in the door panel. I made two holes with a 3/4" hole saw, cut out the material between them to form the oval and used a file to get the exact size and fit.

I mounted the switches where I did because they're easily accessible but out of the way - my knee always activates the lock switch in the full door. Also, there's a hole in the inner shell of the door where I mounted the switch so there was plenty if of clearance inside for the switch.

The switches are from a junkyard PT Cruiser and match the later model JK power lock switches. The wiring is in to light up the little green LEDs in the unlock side of the switch light, although only one of the switches I got from the junkyard has the LED in it, apparently not all PT Cruiser switches were lighted. I'll grab another switch from the junkyard so both light up.

Wiring is complete for door ajar, power lock switches, power lock actuators and power/heated mirrors. I'm waiting for the lock actuators to arrive in the mail, as soon as they do I'll install them and post the details.

 

[jscherb]

Continuing the work on Donny's barn door, I made the mounting hardware today. The barn door is mounted to my test tailgate in these photos:

What's left to do before I deliver it to Donny and install it on his Jeep: paint prep and paint, and installation of the window glass.

 

[jscherb]

A few weeks ago a company sent me a synthetic winch line to test and I haven't had time until today to spool it up on my winch. This line is 95' long and is rated at 20,500 lbs. This is from their web page:

It spooled up fine on my Warn winch with a little room to spare.

I haven't done any pull testing with it yet, probably will do some quick tests dragging the Jeep across the driveway with the line around a tree.

A few small comments on the installation:

- The screw Warn supplies to secure the end of the line to the winch drum isn't quite long enough to secure this line because the end on this line is slightly thicker than the end on the Warn line. A slightly longer screw fixed that, although with this winch you have to be careful that the screw isn't too long - if it is too long it could jam the spool.

- The eye on the other end of the line was slightly too thick to fit in the hook Warn supplies. There was a little flash on the Warn hook that slightly decreased the space in the opening, but a quick blow with a hammer on the line eye gave me enough clearance to slide it into the Warn hook, it didn't take much.

I weighed the Warn steel cable and there's about a 15 pound weight savings going to the synthetic. Especially since my winch is receiver-mounted and intended to be manhandled into the front or rear receivers on the Jeep or between my 3 Jeeps, that weight savings is a good thing. The reduction in weight is definitely noticeable when installing the winch in the receiver and removing it.

I also got a hawse fairlead (on the floor in the photo above) but I think I'll stick with the roller fairlead for now. The fitted winch cover I sewed has room inside for the roller fairlead and it would be a little loose with the hawse fairlead.

So far I like the line. I'll post more as I test it, and hopefully never will need it on the trail .

The company makes their products available on Amazon, here's the page for the product: https://www.amazon.com/AUXMART-Synthetic-20500LBs-Protective-Sleeve/dp/B01MQ6EPQU

 

[jscherb]

I doubt many people will want to install power mirrors on their half doors, but if you've got fiberglass hard shell uppers with glass slider windows like I do, the doors really can be comfortable to use year-round, even here in the snow belt and power/heated mirrors are nice to have in the winter.

To install power mirrors, a door wiring harness that supports the mirrors must be installed (available from the dealer), and two mods are required to the doors.

The full doors have an additional hole to allow the wiring to pass from the mirror into the door. I made up a template by tracing the hole in the full door, scanning the tracing and drawing a template on my computer. Before and after:

There's a plastic box inside the door where the mirror mounts, I'm guessing it may be to contain any moisture that seeps behind the mirror, but there's no way out of it for the mirror wiring so a hole has to be made in the box that's large enough for the plug. There's really only one way to access the box and drill a hole. The left photo shows how the hole gets drilled, the right photo shows the drilled hole, which will allow the mirror wiring to pass out of the box. I used a 1 1/8" hole saw.

Once those mods are made and the proper wiring harness is installed, power/heated mirrors can be installed.

The last thing I need to do is install the power lock actuators. The post office says they're on a truck for delivery today, so I'll install them tomorrow and post photos of that installation when it's complete.

 

[jscherb]

Color opinions...

I've sewn several prototype HD Molle tailgate panels so far, here's a green one with brown leather (actually vinyl, I didn't have leather on hand when I sewed this one):

This one is tan with actual leather:

And here's one in black with leather:

What colors do you guys like? I want to give some input to the startup that'll be doing these.

 

[02rangeredge]

Color opinions...

I've sewn several prototype HD Molle tailgate panels so far, here's a green one with brown leather (actually vinyl, I didn't have leather on hand when I sewed this one):

This one is tan with actual leather:

And here's one in black with leather:

What colors do you guys like? I want to give some input to the startup that'll be doing these.

I think the tan and the green two look best, if I had to pick one the tan looks best though

going to look for rear half doors too, make it a matching set?

 

[jscherb]

I think the tan and the green two look best, if I had to pick one the tan looks best though

Thanks for the input.

going to look for rear half doors too, make it a matching set?

Yes, I'm working on acquiring a set of rears right now, stay tuned. Need to get a set so I can run like this next summer (I drew the half doors on this photo):

 

[02rangeredge]

Thanks for the input.


Yes, I'm working on acquiring a set of rears right now, stay tuned. Need to get a set so I can run like this next summer (I drew the half doors on this photo):

if you are trying to find rear half doors why not match the uppers to the top to follow suit with the barn door?

 

[jscherb]

if you are trying to find rear half doors why not match the uppers to the top to follow suit with the barn door?

That's exactly what I'm thinking:

I've already got factory Spice soft top fabric on hand to sew the roll-up sides for the hardtop. I bought the fabric when I was building the hardtop but have never gotten around to sewing the sides, that'll be the next thing I do after getting rear half doors (the roll-up sides are drawn in the rolled-up position in the photo above, rolled down in this photo

 

[02rangeredge]

painting the front half twice than? I swear I saw a rendering in body color- the roof match looks great

 

[jscherb]

painting the front half twice than? I swear I saw a rendering in body color- the roof match looks great

If I was only going to half front half doors, then I'd paint the uppers body color. With all 4 half doors, I think the uppers will look better in Spice like the hardtop.

 

[jscherb]

Finished up the power conversion of the half doors today, I installed the lock actuators. Mounting them was pretty straightforward, just involved drilling two holes in the inside shell to mount the actuator, bend the pushrod to the proper shape and cut to length, use suitcase connectors to connect the actuator to the factory wiring.


The upgrades to the doors are complete. Power locks are installed and working and controlled by factory-style switches in the door. The wiring harnesses supports power/heated mirrors and of course the door ajar function still works. I've also upgraded the hinges to MORryde HD hinges. And of course the fiberglass hard-shell uppers with slider windows.

Now the doors can be painted to match the Jeep, although since I won't be using them in the winter, maybe I'll wait to paint them until I get rear half doors.

The doors do match one of my trailers though .

 

[jscherb]

I've posted photos of the overhead/swing-down Molle panel in my JKU and my LJ before, here's what it's carrying right now:

Yesterday I got an email from the company that's signed up to bring it to market, attached were a bunch of photos of a pre-production test unit. I don't know if I'm allowed to post their photos, but I've asked. It looks great and it sounds like it won't be long before it's available.

 

[jgaz]

My first color choice would be the tan/leather combo.
The half doors with the power locks, power mirrors, etc are an impressive concept execution. Nice work.

Does the company plan to release a kit or instructions that will allow the molle panel to be used in an LJ?