Metal-tech 4x4 800-839-0684 or 503-822-1111
ANY issues or questions with Metal-tech 4x4 products, we are here to help out.
I just put one side on. It took 2 painful hours. I had to widen the slots for the piece of the latch that bolts onto the body so the holes would line up. Also 3 of the hinge bolts that came in the kit broke when I installed them. I think the bolts were stainless and the nylock nuts weren't and they galled up.
Bluegg, did you figure out some way to keep them from rattling? I need some kind of cushion at the latch, maybe a piece of rubber.
If the bolts are stainless steel as are the nuts. If our hardware vendor used the same series of stainless for both the nut and bolt, then they can gall. Typically our bolts are 304 and the nuts are 316. No issues. I will pull a pack and see if they did not do this the last time around. The other option is for us to just use plated hardware.
Putting the latch into the door: The pivot pin sticking though the latch body can be in the way for the latch to "drop in" place. Over the years even with the same Stainless Steel latch vendor this pin has varied in width. Our door cut out for the latch has not varied in width. However this pin does float can be moved back and forth. When we get the phone call with this question, the support is drop one side of the latch in place (the side closest to the tubing), push the little pin inward to make maximum clearance, then drop down the high side of the latch into place.
Rattling comes down to adjustment. They can be adjusted to close with force and not have any rattle. OR you can use a small piece of foam on the door where it can touch the door sill. This is were each truck fit starts to change.
measure the door opening from top to bottom make sure the cowl hasnt shifted.they sometimes lean forward on older rigs with the top off.
Huge issue with all of our older tucks, the door frames a quite a few are no longer square. Measure each side in a cross pattern with a tape, across each open door area. This shows twist in the tub. The adjustability for the Metal-tech 4x4 tube doors is at the latch striker AND the hinges.
Just got my MT doors in. Started the install process on my 67' 40 and so far the doors are winning. I can't for the life of me get these dang things to open and close smoothly without having to lift up or pull or torque something. Seems like there are way too many adjustment points. Anyone got these on an early rig and can offer some support? Also, the latches they sent are great but if sitting inside the rig, am I suppose to have to reach over the door to let myself out? There is no inner latch mechanism.
The latches have a small threaded point on the inside where a small threaded ball pull can go into. We used to include these, however when they were threaded in all the way it would bind on the body of the latch. Then the latch would not work very well unless lots of monkeying around was done with it. The advantage of the little ball pull was way way less than just reaching to the outside latch. We also learned that most customers just reached for the outside latch since it was much faster to open anyway.
1# tip for Metal-tech 4x4 tube doors:
LUBE the latches! Shoot white lithium grease into the latch plunger and cycle the latch why doing so. This will make the doors close and open 10x better than if the latch is dry.
Metal-tech 4x4 was the first to produce tube doors for our FJ40's, we have worked hard to make what we still feel today is still the best looking and performing tube door option for our trucks. For visibility we kept the front mid to lower area open. For form and function we arced the mid bar down to push branches down and away from driver/passenger. For protection from branches we skinned the mid part of the door where the driver/passenger upper legs are. We then build them from US Made tubing in house and have them fully sandblasted and double powder coated.
We have a full time staff of 5, three of us owning FJ40's. All three of our FJ40's have our tube doors on them and they perform flawlessly. We are here to help with any questions at anytime.
Mark
and a half guy, but I really did not have that much trouble with fitment of these doors. Reinstalling the Toyota doors is more difficult.
