Eric's cage build

[Jeep450r]

Eric, how do you feel the doors handle chassis flex? not the doors themselves, but the body. Do you think they'll offer similar structural support as the stock doors?

Rumor has it that the doors offer very little to no structural support to the unibody to begin with.

 

[POSJ]

Doors don't keep the Jeep from flexing, they just limit the amount of body flex. Once the body flexes to the point that it binds on the door the door stops in from flexing essentially. The only way to truly control body flex is to put frame stiffeners and a cage.

 

[EricsXJ]

Do doors add structural support to the body? The answer is yes and no depending on the context.

If you are going down the highway and are involved in a rollover accident, the doors do provide support as the cab will be likely be crushed more without doors.

But as far as body flex goes no they do not provide support, or more correctly they should not provide structural support to the body. The engineers that designed your jeep never intended the doors to act as bumpstops for body flex. Then again, when the XJ was first designed they had no idea that we would be doing the type of rockcrawling and extreme offroad driving that we do today. The fact that the body flexes to the point that the latch puts pressure on the striker is in no way a good thing for the body or the doors. Based on this reasoning taking the doors off cannot be blamed for causing damage to the vehicle because of increased body flex. The body flex is a separate problem and should be addressed regardless if you take the doors off or not.

 

[EricsXJ]

Do you think they'll offer similar structural support as the stock doors?

Considering what I wrote above it is a non-issue on my jeep. After plating the frame rails, adding the 2x6 rockers and a full cage that ties into all that as well as the bumpers, I have virtually no body flex at all. So it doesn't matter if I have the stock doors, tube doors, or no doors, there is no difference on my jeep.

 

[Vanimal]

i have stiffeners but no cage yet.
some soft doors would be cool... i like my wind protection on the highway. maybe i'll make up some sometime. i like your wrangler door handle idea.

 

[SanDiegoOverland]

How has the cage install been as far as waterproofing at the roof penetrations?any leaking/seeping?

thanks in advance.

Very nice end product here, sir!

 

[EricsXJ]

How has the cage install been as far as waterproofing at the roof penetrations?any leaking/seeping?

thanks in advance.

Very nice end product here, sir!

Zero leaking. The plates are sealed with silicone and the bolts through them and the roof ensure that they don't move.

 

[Phil]

Zero leaking. The plates are sealed with silicone and the bolts through them and the roof ensure that they don't move.

So it has been outside of the garage during a rain storm?

 

[EricsXJ]

So it has been outside of the garage during a rain storm?

It hasn't even been out of the garage for the last 8 months LOL and the rain storm we just had would have been a good test...

But yes it has been in the rain and from when I have washed it. Those plates are 100% sealed.

 

[chedisme]

hey any updates?