Barn door conversion (1 Viewer)

[Augie]

I am getting tired loading/unloading anything from the back. The tailgate are just way too high for easy loading/unloading. Especially after i gain about 3" in height. I am 6' tall and this is too tall already for me. My wife are only 5' 3" which makes it almost impossible for her to load/unload grocery from the back of the cruiser.

How hard is it to convert the tailgate to barn door style? Are the hinge point already build in? Do I need to cut and weld a lot of reinforcement? Anybody could attach the body diagram for barn door equipped model? I need to check the hinge point. I have connection in Sydney, Australia so getting the door is not a problem. 8)

Any other idea to overcome this problem? Lowering the truck back is not an option since I drag the back end too much already, so is replacing my wife with taller model

Another option is using BedSlide but nobody makes a slide that is removeable so I could still use the 3rd row seat when needed.

 

[Gumby]

I want to say i heard the reinforcements are not present in the body already, so that might be a lot of work. Maybe I'm thinking of the swing away spare though.

More importantly, you will kill your rearward vision with that big ass pillar in the way

 

[snowcruiser]

Augie

I've considered this also but ran in to cost issues to the tune of $3000 just for the doors. If you are successful I'd be interested in seeing pics, and getting a cost breakdown. Can your friend in oz ship the doors inexpensively? I lived there for a while and should have brought some Cruiser stuff back with me. Live and learn. Keep me posted!

 

[bjowett]

... barn doors won't work with soft top conversions, either.

 

[cruiserdan]

The whole rear opening is different and there are inner quarter reinforcements. It would be a very involved conversion. The only practical way to do it, as I see it, would be to have a donor vehicle available so you could keep "going back to the well" when you find something else that is different. :-\

Almost anything is possible if you have a good fabricator that has a soft spot for wierd projects and a well-stocked billfold to pay him with.

 

[Junk]

Aguie, I asked that question on the 80-aus list about a year or so ago. The response was it would not be easy or cheap. It's an entirely different design. That said, almost anything can be done, so assuming you have some fabrication skills, you could design up a drop door that would shoot out your wife's groceries on the way home while keeping the #6's chilled in the fridge.

 

[IdahoDoug]

It would be far cheaper to have a talented fabricator change the tailgate from a simple hinged mechanism to an elaborate articulated hinge that would move the tailgate rearward and down to a final resting position that's 6" lower than stock. Check any Lexus SC400's doors for an example. Or, have the tailgate split in half. Far cheaper options, IMHO.

DougM

 

[ppc]

I would say if you’re going to do custom fabrication then leave the top section alone and make the bottom hinge from the side. It could be split in half and hinged on both sides. I think the F**d Excuse-sion has a model like that. The tailgate then would not be in the way from reaching into the back of the truck. As compared to the top section there is far less weight on the lower section(s) and wouldn't need the amount of bracing as the barn door setup. The only problem I see is that there would be no place to sit to have a or two .

 

[semlin]

I believe I remember that james at cruiserparts.net has a set of barn doors which he hoped to install before giving up.

 

[Landpimp]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2457806018&category=36607

 

[96Cruiser]

ONLY problem there is that the big glass(drivers side) is on the WRONG side.....

plus Augie has a 100 series so those just wont do at all.......

doug(who had a '93 trooper with those nice barn doors)

 

[Gumby]

[quote author=ppc link=board=2;threadid=11266;start=msg102252#msg102252 date=1076379683]
I would say if you’re going to do custom fabrication then leave the top section alone and make the bottom hinge from the side. It could be split in half and hinged on both sides. I think the F**d Excuse-sion has a model like that. The tailgate then would not be in the way from reaching into the back of the truck. As compared to the top section there is far less weight on the lower section(s) and wouldn't need the amount of bracing as the barn door setup. The only problem I see is that there would be no place to sit to have a or two .
[/quote]

I beleive the model you refer to is the Excretion. it does have the lift up glass and quarter doors, but so does a vastly superior vehicle, -

The pre-amby (barn) door 40 series.

 

[Landpimp]

ah hell just weld em on the 100, 100......80 their close enough

Good point......I wonder, do they make right and left hand drive barn doors? can't say I have ever noticed......I suppose they do but?

[quote author=96Cruiser link=board=2;threadid=11266;start=msg102272#msg102272 date=1076380652]
ONLY problem there is that the big glass(drivers side) is on the WRONG side.....

plus Augie has a 100 series so those just wont do at all.......

doug(who had a '93 trooper with those nice barn doors)
[/quote]

 

[Augie]

So I would need the whole hinge and suport frame to to this? That is way out of my capability then. I am just arent that good doing any body work.

Anbody seen that new envoy XUV? I guess I better take a look at that design a litte bit closer. I believe that tailgate design was available on some early/late 70s station wagon also.

It seems the easiest right now is to get a custom made BedSlide using 3rd row seat hardware so it would be removeable in case the 3rd seat need to be deployed.

 

[Hltoppr]

...or how 'bout a small $10 stepladder or step to keep in the back?

...or even better! Buy another 80 (so you'll have two) and keep it stock!


BMT and I also looked into the barn door conversion. I think it would be easier to hack the back end off a donor vehicle and weld it onto the US models. Once again, a heap of work for what you end up with.

-H-

 

[theferg]

[quote author=Landpimp link=board=2;threadid=11266;start=msg102376#msg102376 date=1076388788]
ah hell just weld em on the 100, 100......80 their close enough

Good point......I wonder, do they make right and left hand drive barn doors? can't say I have ever noticed......I suppose they do but?
[/quote]

In the International section there is a BJ70 for sale that is left hand drive and it has barn doors and the bigger one is on the right still...

-Ferg-

 

[BMT]

Do you need another switch for the second wiper ??? Just more things to think about.

 

[Russell Hansen]

Aussie trucks have barn doors. 55's are already set up for them. Finding a pair will be difficult.

 

[-Spike-]

Aussie trucks have barn doors. 55's are already set up for them. Finding a pair will be difficult.

Holy wayback machine Batman! A peek at 14 years ago. I'm guessing the OP got over this.

 

[Russell Hansen]

Wow, my pig is 46 years old. Don't know what world you live in.