Door Installer

[jimvannoy]

Bought a door installer at HF a few months back on sale. It is the best 60 bucks I ever spent at HF. Trying to remove or install doors by yourself is nearly impossible, try it on a 77 TA, the doors have got to be over 100 lbs each and are long and bulky. This thing works great and is also a great stand to hold the door while you work on it or paint it.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Bought a door installer at HF a few months back on sale. It is the best 60 bucks I ever spent at HF. Trying to remove or install doors by yourself is nearly impossible, try it on a 77 TA, the doors have got to be over 100 lbs each and are long and bulky. This thing works great and is also a great stand to hold the door while you work on it or paint it.

Usually items like your example are the stuff that H/F really shines at, fairly straightforward proposition, hard to mess it up. BTW, It looks as handy as a pocket on a shirt!

 

[Danglerb]

I'm planning on 17 year old son as a door holder, with maybe the cherry picker as a back up, or some quick and dirty bottom support. One thing that comes to mind is that I am pretty likely to sit my heavy rear end in the car seat during install or removal, and that is going to shift the car height a bit. Some kind of support that clamped to the car might be nice, like a section of bent tubing that hooked under the seat support or something.

I hope door alignment doesn't turn out to be some magical impossible to learn skill. I've seen it done poorly so many times.

 

[PAToyota]

I've considered that, but had a question not answered by the HF description. They state it works for cars and trucks, but how high does it reach? I'm just not sure that it would work on a 4x4...

 

[Danglerb]

I've considered that, but had a question not answered by the HF description. They state it works for cars and trucks, but how high does it reach? I'm just not sure that it would work on a 4x4...

Depends on how many plastic milk carton boxes you put under it. Doesn't seem like it has much of a range, but thats likely fine for 98% of doors except for trucks.

 

[PAToyota]

Depends on how many plastic milk carton boxes you put under it. Doesn't seem like it has much of a range, but thats likely fine for 98% of doors except for trucks.

Ummm... I sort of knew that much and was asking someone who actually had the thing for their opinion...

 

[-lecroix-]

Depends on how many plastic milk carton boxes you put under it ...

or how much air you let out of those 44's

 

[Theo]

I've considered that, but had a question not answered by the HF description. They state it works for cars and trucks, but how high does it reach? I'm just not sure that it would work on a 4x4...

I don't own one of these but based on th pictures it looks like you could modify it fairly easily by replacing the square tubes I've highlighted with longer pieces. I think stability may suffer though. Perhaps someone who has used this could confirm that as well.

Come to think of it how low could that thing go? I'm more of a low Cg guy than a ground clearance guy.

 

[jimvannoy]

Ummm... I sort of knew that much and was asking someone who actually had the thing for their opinion...

It's about 10" to the top of the jack where it meets the bottom of the door. Looks like the jack will raise it about a foot above that.

 

[jimvannoy]

I don't own one of these but based on th pictures it looks like you could modify it fairly easily by replacing the square tubes I've highlighted with longer pieces. I think stability may suffer though. Perhaps someone who has used this could confirm that as well.

Come to think of it how low could that thing go? I'm more of a low Cg guy than a ground clearance guy.

It's about 10" to the top of the jack where it meets the bottom of the door. You would have to cut out the cross support the jack is on to make it go any lower and then the door bottom is going to hit the cross supports the casters are mounted on.

 

[PAToyota]

It's about 10" to the top of the jack where it meets the bottom of the door. Looks like the jack will raise it about a foot above that.

So it will position a door roughly 10" to 22" from the ground to the bottom of the door? Just the information I was looking for! Thanks!

 

[Tim G]

Body guy here,on the cheap,Steck {I think} makes a toggle bolt set for bolt on doors,you screw a bolt in the upper mount on the door w/the toggle closed,put the door up to the car,guide the toggle thru the hinge,and flip it open to hold the door while you start the other bolts.
I've just seen them in tool truck flyers,never used a set.....
I usually squat next to the car and rest the door on my knee,hold the top at the belt moulding w/ one hand,and start the bolts or pins w/ the other.
Can get REALLY painful if you don't get the fastner on the first shot!