Two wrenches and a can of spray paint was all we needed to give Clampy retro-air conditioning. We're constantly on the lookout for simple upgrades and this was about as easy as it gets. We woke up at 6 a.m., and by 7 we had two new tube doors from Shaffer's Off-Road on our '86 rust-Yota, affectionately known as Clampy.
If you were to discuss 4x4s with Editor Rick Pw, you would quickly learn that such vehicles should not have doors, a roof, or a windshield that doesn't fold down. But, we don't own a Jeep, we own Clampy, and we also wanted something to keep our friends out of the cab at the next round of dirt lot demolition derby. Plus, by going to tube doors we get better ventilation (one of our primo '86 electric windows wouldn't go down anymore) and better visibility. Those of you living in a cold, rainy part of the country may think you have an excuse to keep your full doors, but after seeing the damage that most trail rigs with full cabs encounter, we would rather run tube doors that can take the abuse versus door skins that crumple.
Justice Brother's JB-80 is...
Justice Brother's JB-80 is our current choice for loosening door-hinge bolts on our '86 East Coast farm truck. We coated the bolts the night before, then again when we got started, and a 12mm wrench had the door off in no time. You'll also need to pull the pin on the doorstop, disconnect the electric window wiring, and deal with the buzzer button (ours stopped working years ago). We probably lost at least 15 pounds per side by going to tube doors (of course we carry at least that much mud coated to the frame most of the time).
The Shaffer's tube doors are...
The Shaffer's tube doors are made of 1 1/2-inch tubing with nearly an 1/8-inch wall thickness so they are plenty stout for bashing against trail obstacles or your friends' junkmobiles. We like the 1/8-inch plate that covers the hinge area and gives the doors a clean look with the race-ready dimpled hole. The supplied bolts require a 14mm wrench, and the doors are also available with sideview mirrors and cup holders.
The tube doors also come with...
The tube doors also come with a latch assembly that catches when you slam the door shut, so there is no need to hook or strap it in place as with other tube doors we've seen. This is a benefit when your arms are full of groceries, laundry, basketballs, a baby goat, or whatever you might be carrying.