Tube Trail Doors $100-Home Depot Special

[moe d]

can you cover the outside with thin sheet metal and tack or screw it to your frame?

 

[bptommy]

looks good now, except the latch ...hhhmmmm;D

 

[79driver]

Whmoorejr- The wizard of shit.

Bax, please ship me a new keyboard and monitor to 76401. I just ruined mine with coke!
I was going to say it looked kinda like an erector set...an erector set on meth...

 

[whmoorejr]

Did you flip your rear bumper over yet?

I use my trailer too often. Right-side-up, the hitch is about 6" higher than it is now. I need a 10" drop hitch to pull a trailer (with it upsidedown).

My wife gave me a coupon good for one free Man thing (under $500) for Father's day. I'm shopping for welders.

If you like what I can create with the home depot erector set (79driver) ... wait till I get a welder (muh-haa haa) <- should sound like an evil villain laugh.

moe d: Sheet metal, no... I'd rather go back to the stock doors.... was thinking about snaps and vinal to match softtop.... maybe just put the cyclone fencing material back on it.

 

[Explorer]

This is one of the stumbling blocks and biggest problem I have with the tube doors out on the market.

1) They are located behind your butt. Fine for the double jointed Chinese Contortionist in the family.

2) They are gravity controlled. The weight of the latch arm keeps the door closed. From looking at the other designs, one good bump in the right direction and your door flys open. (unless there is something in the design I'm not seeing)

I had a hood fly open at 65mhp once. Sucked butt. Every old car since then gets hood pins. Door opening wouldn't be as bad, would still suck.

Solution... something with a spring or locking mechanisim. I thought about snagging the lock mechanism from the stock door, but I didn't want to bastardize them any. = home depot spring and "L" bracket. %) ?:?

There is a rubber bumper that squeezes against the striker and holds the latch tight.

 

[bax]

Bax, please ship me a new keyboard and monitor to 76401. I just ruined mine with coke!
I was going to say it looked kinda like an erector set...an erector set on meth...

keyboard sent, clean the monitor.
Whmoorejr- Sorry man I should not of been so harsh. No excuse for being an ass. Press on regardless.

 

[73AnneBoleyn]

OMG I am dying laughing. Y'all are a trip!

Definitely looking better in that second round of pics. I bet you could get some pretty thin gauge wire and some small pulleys and route your opening mechanism along the the tubes to clean up the look a little bit. Or maybe even route it through the inside of the tubes so it's not visible at all.

Onwards and upwards!

 

[Buldozer]

This is a funnnny thread. Keep working, those doors are looking a lot better already!

 

[whmoorejr]

This is a funnnny thread.

Well, at least my hours of running around homedepot with a tape measure, sneeking behind the garage to cut metal (so my wife doesn't see what I'm doing), catching the side of my truck on fire when getting old pins out, swallowing about a tablespoon of rust (which might be why I started to sh*t blood) has helped bring laughter to the masses.

 

[70_Steve]

Definitely looking better in that second round of pics. I bet you could get some pretty thin gauge wire and some small pulleys and route your opening mechanism along the the tubes to clean up the look a little bit. Or maybe even route it through the inside of the tubes so it's not visible at all.

I agree. It may blow the budget on your doors, but maybe you could look into using bicycle brake or shift cables to actuate the door opener.

I applaude your creativeness!!

 

[FerrumCampitor]

maybe you could look into using bicycle brake ... to actuate the door opener.

This is exactly what I was thinking. They can be routed along or inside the tubes this way without needing pivot points or pulleys. I wonder if there will be enough pull distance on them though.

(which might be why I started to sh*t blood)

Dude, TMI. And you need to get that resolved before you come to my house.

 

[whmoorejr]

look into using bicycle brake or shift cables to actuate the door opener.

I still have to overcome the latch. I think this will be a junkyard find rather than a welding miracle. I have been looking at door latches online... around $65 each. That's $130 right there. Might as well throw in a extra $40 for the electric door lock upgrade. Why use a bicycle cable when I can have a remote.

Since the hinge is my other main obstacle... maybe I should go for a custom butterfly hinge. Lamborghini style trail doors.

 

[ep67bro]

Hey they may be a ugly but the guy has put the time and effort into trying to do it his self. And every product that the vendors sell started with an idea and a crapy prototype. Keep going next thing you know you will be selling them to the vendors. I wish I had the drive sometimes to make more of my own parts!!!

 

[daddyg]

This isn't pirate4x4 guys..

Your making good progress. Keep us updated..

 

[whmoorejr]

Score

Did you flip your rear bumper over yet?

Picking this thing up tonight.

After some cutting and welding, should yeild:
1 new (to me) rear bumper.
1 hitch hauler.

All for $25. God bless craigslist.

 

[Explorer]

The metal is worth that much.

 

[sprdv1]

Picking this thing up tonight.

After some cutting and welding, should yeild:
1 new (to me) rear bumper.
1 hitch hauler.

All for $25. God bless craigslist.

There ya go... Can't beat that

 

[SACHEM]

maybe this will help with your latch problem.

http://www.getbent.4t.com/custom4.html

 

[whmoorejr]

maybe this will help with your latch problem.

http://www.getbent.4t.com/custom4.html

Nice! I was thinking of something like that. I need to have a junkyard day. I'm sure there are several vehicles that have a latch mechanism that would work with the bronco striker.