Has anyone attempted to make their own hard doors?

[infidel got me]

$249.99 that's Trump change!!!!

 

[BLK HMMWV]

That would be great. If you can send me some high resolution photos that would be great. I'll PM you my email address. I'm looking for pics of the inside, especially all the details (rails, seals, etc etc). Also if you can take some precise measurements of the height and weight that would help.

I sent you an email to the address you sent me

 

[Utahm1045a2]

I'm actually planning on using the frames off of a set of soft doors I got for $100 to attach aluminum too. Then with some reinforcement add some slides and a window. Also there is a Facebook group, hmmwv owners of California. Ask there. Or go talk to someone at the march field air museum in riverside. They let me crawl all over their Humvees to take pictures and measurements

 

[98G]

I'm actually planning on using the frames off of a set of soft doors I got for $100 to attach aluminum too. Then with some reinforcement add some slides and a window. Also there is a Facebook group, hmmwv owners of California. Ask there. Or go talk to someone at the march field air museum in riverside. They let me crawl all over their Humvees to take pictures and measurements

Consider the differences in hinge design...

 

[drivebymashing]

I'm interested. 2k for doors is insane. I could ls swap it for that...

 

[therooster2001]

I know someone with HMMWV door molds, but as someone said, it's all the fiddly-bits that would have to be sourced. I can put you in contact with them.

 

[Chagawaga]

Good morning fellow HMMWV owners,

So I've had my Humvee for nearly 6 months now and I have already begun doing many upgrades. One of the first upgrades that I started doing was converting the soft top over to a hardtop. My only problem was the hardtop conversions are way too expensive. So I decided to make my own version out of fiberglass. I know, I know it's not authentic. But being in America were allowed to do whatever we want to our vehicles.

Anyhow, I'm about 75% done with the roof and I will be getting started on the doors very soon. Military X doors are getting very expensive and they're only going up. $2000-$2500 for a set of doors in OK condition seems like a lot and I rather put that money into something else. Has anyone ever tried making their own X doors (or similar)? No I'm not talking about a door made from just a sheet of aluminum or metal. I'm talking about a door with a good functioning window thats similar to the X doors.

Let me me know your thoughts.

where you ever able to make those doors ?

 

[McSpeed]

Any updates on this? So...I have generally no issue with the soft doors. Easy to get on and off - they do the job. BUT - going off road they take a beating and I've punctured one now. So, a hard door is suddenly interesting to me - but...prices are $3,500 or so now for a set of four plus crazy shipping to my area. I would consider even a nice plywood door skin bolted to the frame - that could be epoxy sealed and painted with an RV slider window....It would look okay at 20' and keep limbs and branches from crashing in on narrow trails. BUT - it probably would like like crap - and so I'm hesitant.

The current price of sheet aluminum is also crazy - so while that would be probably easy - and durable - it would be crazy spendy for a DIY door - that would look like a DIY door.

 

[VP0985]

In on this. I have a friend that has a cutting table. I'm going to see if he can cut me some out of sheet aluminum. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll see if he can do it.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[SmartDrug]

I've kicked around the idea of making simple half doors out of plywood, maybe that'll be a "fun" winter project this year.

I would love some hard doors, but can't stomach 1/3rd the price of the truck for some sheets of aluminum/fiberglass.

 

[McSpeed]

I've kicked around the idea of making simple half doors out of plywood, maybe that'll be a "fun" winter project this year.

I would love some hard doors, but can't stomach 1/3rd the price of the truck for some sheets of aluminum/fiberglass.

I was just looking at a ABS plastic sheets. Amazon and others sell them. Rough on one side and smooth on other. Flexible. Can be shaped with heat. Can be drilled and screwed to the soft door frame. Just leaves an opening window as the next part. But would shape easy and be durable.

 

[Autonomy_Lost]

I was just looking at a ABS plastic sheets. Amazon and others sell them. Rough on one side and smooth on other. Flexible. Can be shaped with heat. Can be drilled and screwed to the soft door frame. Just leaves an opening window as the next part. But would shape easy and be durable.

ABS may not be the best option. It tends to expand and contract with temperature swings. I was actually thinking about trying to make doors out of the solid PVC sheets you can get from Home Depot. It's something like $130 for a 4x8 sheet of PVC 3/4" thick.

 

[thoner7]

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Half price of some other companies selling aftermarket doors.

I can’t imagine thy melted Home Depot pvc would be better……

 

[McSpeed]

Just an update on this thought process. We have an RV manufacture plant near us and I visited them yesterday afternoon. They sell raw materials to the public including the various gauge of aluminum and fiberglass that they skin RVS and windows. I can get a sheet of 8' by 8' Fiberglass skin for about $330. That would be enough to skin four doors. It can be painted, glued, screwed, riveted, and modified and or repaired with standard fiberglass technique.

They also have RV slider windows. Looks like a 15x30 is the most common in-stock horizontal slider. However, actual size it about 31x16 outer lip to outer lip and while it would be wonderful to have such a large window - that won't fit...or not at least as I can currently tell.

They also have door handles of various types - I need to go to a flush mount to keep from snagging and breaking one off when I'm off road.

I also called the local metal supply - They have all sorts of sheet aluminum. I can to a 1/4" or 3/16" for about $350 per 4x8 sheet - would need two sheets. This would require costly metal cutting blades but would not require the use of the existing soft door frame. the 3/16" would weigh around 25 lbs per door before any hardware. This could be made to fit more flush - put a bend at the belt molding area to make it fit the cab, but you are back to the same window issue.

More research and thinking to do....

 

[Mullaney]

Just an update on this thought process. We have an RV manufacture plant near us and I visited them yesterday afternoon. They sell raw materials to the public including the various gauge of aluminum and fiberglass that they skin RVS and windows. I can get a sheet of 8' by 8' Fiberglass skin for about $330. That would be enough to skin four doors. It can be painted, glued, screwed, riveted, and modified and or repaired with standard fiberglass technique.

They also have RV slider windows. Looks like a 15x30 is the most common in-stock horizontal slider. However, actual size it about 31x16 outer lip to outer lip and while it would be wonderful to have such a large window - that won't fit...or not at least as I can currently tell.

They also have door handles of various types - I need to go to a flush mount to keep from snagging and breaking one off when I'm off road.

I also called the local metal supply - They have all sorts of sheet aluminum. I can to a 1/4" or 3/16" for about $350 per 4x8 sheet - would need two sheets. This would require costly metal cutting blades but would not require the use of the existing soft door frame. the 3/16" would weigh around 25 lbs per door before any hardware. This could be made to fit more flush - put a bend at the belt molding area to make it fit the cab, but you are back to the same window issue.

More research and thinking to do....

.
If you decide to go with a sheet of aluminum, a local sign shop could cut the door shapes out for you. The trick will be somebody has to draw the shapes for the machine to cut from. AutoCad DXF or whatever other CAD program you might have access to.

 

[McSpeed]

So...for me after doing a LOT of looking, measuring, reading, and counting costs...I opted to take the "expensive/easy" way out and order a set of doors. There are a handful of people making this happen - I've seen fiberglass, steel, and aluminum. In the aluminum, I've seen 1/4" and 1/8" and more. There are roll up and down windows, slide windows...and even hybrid doors that split at the belt molding to make for 1/2 and 1/2 doors for summer running.

Prices are grouped close depending on the type of door.

I put my order in this morning - went with the military X door design on a one piece door - 1/8" aluminum for the skin and 1/8" aluminum for the structure/trim - making it a total of 1/4" by profile. It has a roll up and down window - decision due to emergency access if needed when the door won't open - and more air flow - and more view.

They come tinted - I may have a local shop re-make tempered glass in clear as I'm not sure how this will be at night.

I'll share the vendor I selected (part of it was who would ship to Alaska) - and the doors when they arrive.

 

[Autonomy_Lost]

So...for me after doing a LOT of looking, measuring, reading, and counting costs...I opted to take the "expensive/easy" way out and order a set of doors. There are a handful of people making this happen - I've seen fiberglass, steel, and aluminum. In the aluminum, I've seen 1/4" and 1/8" and more. There are roll up and down windows, slide windows...and even hybrid doors that split at the belt molding to make for 1/2 and 1/2 doors for summer running.

Prices are grouped close depending on the type of door.

I put my order in this morning - went with the military X door design on a one piece door - 1/8" aluminum for the skin and 1/8" aluminum for the structure/trim - making it a total of 1/4" by profile. It has a roll up and down window - decision due to emergency access if needed when the door won't open - and more air flow - and more view.

They come tinted - I may have a local shop re-make tempered glass in clear as I'm not sure how this will be at night.

I'll share the vendor I selected (part of it was who would ship to Alaska) - and the doors when they arrive.

Federal Military Parts?

 

[McSpeed]

Federal Military Parts?

No - I looked very close at their doors - they have a lot of coverage on even Amazon and more....but I have to ship to AK - so shipping and flexibility with that is part of my decision process.

 

[wjeeper]

I also called the local metal supply - They have all sorts of sheet aluminum. I can to a 1/4" or 3/16" for about $350 per 4x8 sheet - would need two sheets. This would require costly metal cutting blades but would not require the use of the existing soft door frame. the 3/16" would weigh around 25 lbs per door before any hardware. This could be made to fit more flush - put a bend at the belt molding area to make it fit the cab, but you are back to the same window issue.

Alumimum cuts easier and cheaper than you think it would!

I have been modding my 1152 top into a 1151. Its like 1/4 ish thick? Strait lines cut easily with a standard skill saw and an Irwin Metal cutting blade. The blade is about 50 bucks and I have made 8-10 feet of cut and it isnt dull yet.

A high quality router bit (I have had good luck with Bosch) will blast right through aluminum as well. Make a good plywood pattern and trace what you want.

 

[Mullaney]

Alumimum cuts easier and cheaper than you think it would!

I have been modding my 1152 top into a 1151. Its like 1/4 ish thick? Strait lines cut easily with a standard skill saw and an Irwin Metal cutting blade. The blade is about 50 bucks and I have made 8-10 feet of cut and it isnt dull yet.
View attachment 885683
A high quality router bit (I have had good luck with Bosch) will blast right through aluminum as well. Make a good plywood pattern and trace what you want.

.
Definitely Right!

We ran our sign shop with a router and a skill saw with good metal cutting blades / bits. Upgraded to a Panel Saw (skill saw on a trolly) to keep cuts square. Eventually a home made Router Table was built too. Finally just before the WooFlu hit, we bought a CNC powered Cutting Table (Machine). Shapes other than a square are easy as pie now... (and we survived that mess)

Still @wjeeper , The right set of blades and some determination will get the job done!