The Jeep Gladiator is the only midsize truck with removable doors. The ability to remove its doors and roof offers you the ultimate freedom-driving experience. You can also remove the windshield, especially during the hot summer months.
If you want to remove your car doors and roof, you have come to the right place. Keep reading to learn how to take your Jeep gladiator’s doors and top off.
Are the jeep gladiator doors removable?
Yes. You can remove the doors on Jeep gladiator just like other Jeeps. You can also take off the roof of a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The pickup truck comes with a tool kit, so you don’t need to buy extra tools.
What tools do you need to remove the jeep gladiator doors?
Jeep provides you with a ratchet, two Torx bits, a 15mm socket, and laminated Ikea-like instructions. For example, you’ll need the short T-50 bit and the long T-40 bit to remove the doors. The toolkit comes in every Jeep gladiator truck’s center armrest storage bin.
How do you take the doors off a jeep gladiator?
Follow these steps to remove the doors on the jeep gladiator;
Remove the door’s plastic cover.
The first step is to remove the plastic cover that protects the wiring assembly. Once this is done, the connection there must be disconnected.
Remove the hinges
Remove the hinges that hold the doors in place. Inside, the doors are held in place by a bolt that must be unscrewed. A similar operation must also be performed outside to free the door completely.
To do this, use the ratchet and T-50 bit to remove the lock nuts from the underside of each hinge on the vehicle’s exterior. Next, pull the ratchet toward the front of the vehicle on the driver’s side and toward the rear on the passenger’s side to loosen.
Remove the door straps
Next, you will need to remove the strap that prevents the door from swinging on a hook located just in front of the connection you have just disconnected. The hook is also located under the plastic hatch that you have removed.
Here, you must be careful because the door is free to swing back against the vehicle’s front side panel once the strap is removed.
Remove the front two roof panels.
This gets the roof panels out of the way for when you’ll need to remove the front doors. Plus, it’s the easiest step. As its name suggests, the optional three-piece hardtop comes apart into three pieces.
The two front pieces, located above the driver and front passenger, come off extremely easily and can be removed in seconds. Remove the big latch beneath the sun visor. And the three L-shaped latches along the rest of the panel. Lift it up and off; they’re not heavy at all. Find a place to store them.
Roll all the windows down.
This is useful because you can grip the doors more easily along their frame with the window rolled down. Also, you reduce the risk of accidentally smashing the glass if something slips.
Undo both bolts in all four doors.
Looking at the Gladiator, you’ll notice two exterior hinges holding the doors to the body. Using the T50 bit and the ratcheting socket wrench, unscrew and remove the bolts from both hinges of all four doors. You’ll wind up with eight screws in total.
When unscrewing, place your hand behind the wrench, so you don’t mess up your paint.
Undo electrical harnesses on the front doors.
Since the Gladiator has electronically adjustable windows, wing mirrors, and lane-change alerts, many wiring connections go into those doors that need to be undone.
To do this, get down into the footwell of the front row and pop off the black plastic panel next to the doors. Under that, you’ll see a wiring harness. Push up on the red piece to unlock the mechanism and flip up the white piece.
The wiring should be able to unplug after that. Unloop the vinyl loop hooked to the door and put the whole thing into the cargo net for safekeeping. Pop the black plastic panel back into place. Do the same for both sides.
Undo electrical harnesses on the back doors.
Like the front doors, the back doors also have electrical harnesses that must be undone. At the base of the B-pillar or in the rear passenger footwell, another black plastic panel can be popped open.
You’ll see all the wiring bunched into a gray clip. Pop that clip off. Unloop the vinyl loop. Tuck all that into the door mesh pocket for safekeeping. Replace the plastic panel.
Unscrew the door anchor bolts.
Each door is held in place by one final anchor bolt. Using the long arm T40 Torx bit, unscrew those and put the bolts aside for a second. Jeep has placed a convenient storage rack under the rear passenger seat on the driver’s side to make sure you don’t lose your lock nuts.
Lift the seat bottom, and you’ll find a foam holder with holes for all the door hinge bolts, plus the bolts for the roof and windshield, which we’ll get to later.
Remove the doors
Once done, you only have to lift the door to remove it, and that’s it. Note that the door is heavy, and you may want to have someone around to help. Lift straight up because the doors are attached to the body via a hinge. Pull the pin on the door out of that hinge, and you should be good to go.
The front doors are heavier than the back doors since they are larger and equipped with more electronics. Jeep has molded handles into the underside of each door’s armrest to lift from when taking the doors off, but it’s easier to roll down the windows and lift from the top of the window frame. Get a good grip and lift straight up, and the door will pop right off.
Find a place to store the doors.
Figure out where you’re going to put it. You’ll be setting it down on the painted bottom edge of the door, so find a soft spot or put down a blanket.
Set it down carefully in the spot you picked, and repeat three more times for the rest of the doors. The panels covering the wiring connector are shaped differently for the front and rear doors, but the same procedure.
Replace the door anchor bolts.
Since there isn’t a readily available compartment for those door anchor bolts, screw them back into the truck’s frame. That way, you would know exactly where you left them.
Unscrew the rear half of the roof.
Okay, now it’s time to remove the final piece: the remainder of the roof and the rear window. Locate the two bolts holding the front half of the rear roof piece in place. Undo them and place them in the under-seat compartment.
Next, locate the two bolts holding the lower half in place. These are found at the base of the C-pillar, near where the rear passengers’ outer biceps would be. Again, plastic panels don’t cover them up, so they’re easily accessible.
Once you have those two bolts, store them in the compartment, too.
Undo the electrical harness for the back window.
Near the driver’s side rear passenger seat, where you unscrewed the roof bolt, is also an electrical harness that controls the rear window defroster. Unclip that.
Remove the piece of black trim.
Below the rear window is a piece of black trim held there by some Velcro. Peel it off and put it aside.
Unscrew the rear window/roof bolts.
You’ll see four bolts holding that final rear window/roof piece down. Unscrew those four. Place them with the rest in the compartment. Then remove the final roof panel.
Notes:
- The Gladiator and Gladiator come with a tool kit in a handy little nylon pouch, so you don’t have to worry about finding the right-sized tools. It comes with all you’ll need to remove the doors and the roof.
- To create extra room to work and access the last four bolts, fold down the headrests.
- Reinstalling the doors is as simple as doing everything in reverse. Pop the door back on, bolt up the retaining rod, reconnect the wiring, thread the locking nuts back on the hinges, and you’re done.
- Be sure to check your state laws regarding the legality of driving a car on public roads, as it comes down to the wing mirrors. Different states have different wing mirror requirements.
How long does it take to remove jeep gladiator doors?
Taking out the doors will take about 20 minutes. Depending on how prepared you are regarding tools needed and help to handle door removal. Though, with practice, it will probably take way less time.
Removing jeep gladiator doors: Best time to drive doorless and when to leave them on
It is legal to drive a Jeep gladiator with doors off, as long as you meet certain state requirements. If you plan to drive on the road without doors, which is not recommended because the doors are part of the crash structure, if you get T-boned, you’ll need to buy accessory mirrors that bolt into the upper door hinges.
When you remove your Jeep doors, you will also be removing the mirrors. To remain in compliance with state laws, you must re-attach your mirrors. All states require that a vehicle have a certain number of mirrors.
And because your side-view mirrors are attached to your Jeep doors, you must find another way to attach mirrors to your Jeep to stay safe and abide by the road rules.
Some states specify that a vehicle must have at least one side mirror and rear-view mirror, while others state that you must have “two mirrors.” Check your state’s requirements to ensure you’re making the Jeep Gladiator side mirror replacements correctly.
States that require one mirror include:
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wisconsin
States that require two mirrors include:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- New Hampshire
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- Washington
There are a few states that go by their own more specific rules;
- Ohio, for instance, is the only state that specifically states that three mirrors are required.
- New York, Maryland, Kentucky, and Kansas states require you to install a left-side view mirror and an interior rear-view mirror to comply with state laws.
- Michigan and Nevada’s laws only state that mirrors are necessary if a vehicle is over a certain size.
- Missouri doesn’t require any mirrors for vehicles made before 1968 (for you classic Jeep CJ owners), but any vehicle manufactured after then must have the same amount of mirrors as provided initially from the factory.
How To Attach Mirrors to Your Jeep
Whatever model of Jeep Gladiator or CJ you have, there are many aftermarket Jeep mirrors available for purchase in stores and online. You can choose to buy aftermarket mirrors that install into the door hinges or use brackets to attach the mirrors to a section of the windshield or body paneling.
These aftermarket mirrors are very simple to attach and detach with a few bolts. There are a variety of options available to you for where you can choose to install your replacement Jeep mirrors:
Mirror Relocation Option 1: Stock Mirror
We recommend installing them in the same position as the stock mirror, as this is where Jeep determined the ideal height and location for the best angle of driver visibility. You can do this by mounting bracketed mirrors to the side panel of your Jeep at the same height level that your stock mirrors would normally reside.
Mirror Relocation Option 2: Door Hinge
Another common relocation point, though, is within the Jeep door hinges. Again, this is one of the least expensive options and provides a quick installation and removal method for when you’re ready to put your doors back on.
The main issue with this option is that the side mirrors are much lower than the stock ones attached to your Jeep doors. If you’re looking for the simplest way to comply with state laws, this is your best route, but it comes with less visibility and more concerns at highway speeds as wind noise and vibration are common.
Pros:
- Inexpensive solution
- Quick installation/removal
Cons:
- Poor visibility location
- Unsteady position on highways
- Wind noise
- Vibrations
Mirror Relocation Option 3: Windshield Pillar
Another popular option among off-roaders is the windshield pillar location for replacement Jeep Gladiator side mirrors. These do a much better job positioning the mirrors in a higher spot that is more in line with the original factory mirror location.
Many of these mirror options are also available in a quick-release form with a base bracket secured to the windshield pillar frame bolts. The initial installation is rather seamless, and you still have the option to remove and reinstall the door hinge system quickly.
While it may seem like the windshield pillar mirror option is the best of both worlds, it still comes with some drawbacks. Similar to the door hinge mounting, there can be a significant amount of wind noise and vibration since the mirrors extend so far away from the Jeep body. They also come with a heftier price tag in most cases.
Pros:
- Better visibility location
- Quick installation/removal
- More stable and consistent visibility
Cons:
- Some models can still result in vibrations and wind noise
- Price
- Semi-permanent base attached to the windshield pillar
Mirror Relocation Option 4: Tube Door
Another viable option for your Jeep Gladiator side mirror replacements to remain street legal is on a pair of tube doors. Most Jeep tube doors allow for a direct relocation of the factory mirrors.
While you can save money by not buying replacement mirrors, you would still have to buy tube doors, which is even more costly. However, if you plan to use tube doors regardless, this might be your best option.
Pros:
- Best factory location relocation
- Ideal visibility solution
- Permanently attached to the tube doors allows for simultaneous installation/removal of tube doors
- Can often utilize manual factory mirrors for a quick relocation solution
Cons:
- Requires the purchase of tube doors
Now that you know you can take your doors off your Jeep and cruise with the assurance that you are street legal, you need a simple and efficient way to hang and store your Jeep doors for those beautiful summer days!
Note: Several aftermarket companies also offer Half-doors with mirrors.
How To Take A Gladiator’s Hard Top Roof Off
Opening the roof is easier than ever on the new Gladiators; soft tops simply open with a pair of latches and fold right back. these steps are for removing the hardtop, which requires the use of a toolkit.
- Removing the roof starts above the front seats. Every hardtop has a pair of square removable roof panels over the front seats it calls the “Freedom Top.” Each is held on by one latch and three L-shaped knobs.
- Start in the driver’s seat and flip down the sun visor to expose the latch. Pop it down, then locate the three L knobs. Each only turns 90 degrees, so give each a twist to the left/counter-clockwise.
- Climb out of the Jeep and carefully lift the panel to remove it. If you buy a hardtop Gladiator, it will come with a large bag to store the panels. Unzip the pockets, and slide the panels into the bag. Repeat on the passenger’s side.
- Now it’s time for the rest of the roof. It’s one big piece, but Jeep’s made it as light as possible so two people can easily lift it off and on. Before reaching the toolkit, though, you need to disconnect the wiring for the rear window defroster.
- Open the driver-side rear door, and look inside to the right. Just behind the door opening, next to the roll bar, roughly at shoulder height, you’ll find a square black plastic cover hiding the wiring connector. Pop off the cover, set it aside, and lift on the red tab as you pull the connector apart.
- Once the wiring is disconnected, it’s time to start unbolting. First, put the short T-50 bit back in the ratchet and down the rear seats. To do so, push the button on the side of either headrest to fold it down, then pull the release strap next to the headrest and lower the seatback.
- Look back in the corner next to the wiring connector you removed, and you’ll see a bolt holding the roof on. There’s another one in the same place on the other side of the truck.
- With those two out of the way, it’s time to peel off the black cover below the rear window. Hiding underneath are four more bolts.
- The last two bolts are on the top of the truck, so open the front doors if you haven’t already removed them and stand up on the door sill. Finally, there’s a bolt-on on either corner of the leading edge of the hard top. Remove each, and store them with the rest.
- With everything disconnected, it’s time to grab a helper and remove the top. Open the rear doors, and take your places on either side of the truck. Press up gently on the leading edge of the hardtop above the door opening to pop it loose, then work your fingers under the edge of the hardtop behind the doors and lift.
- Then walk together toward the truck’s rear, carrying the roof over the bed until it’s clear of the truck. The roof is heavier at the rear, so be prepared for it to tip backward when you lift.
- Reinstalling the roof, like the doors, is just reversing the process. Put the roof back on, replace the bolts around and behind the rear seats and on the top of the roll cage, reconnect the wiring, and replace the Freedom Top panels first on the passenger’s side.
How To Put The Gladiator’s Windshield Down
Before you can put the windshield down, you need to remove the windshield wipers. First, pop off the round plastic cap at the base of each wiper arm to expose the nut holding it on. Then, use the 15mm socket provided in the toolkit to remove the bolt.
The wiper arm should pull straight off, but it’s very common for them to get stuck the first time. The best solution is to strike the bolt you just removed the nut from with a hammer.
Be very careful doing this, so you don’t miss and hit the hood or the windshield. One sharp strike should break it loose. Once the wiper arms are off, store them in a safe place and replace the nuts to keep dirt out of the threads.
Switch the 15mm socket for the long T-40 bit. Climb inside the Jeep, and flip up the sun visors. Behind them are four evenly spaced holes in the roll cage. Inside each is a bolt holding the windshield up. Remove each bolt, and store them under the driver-side rear seat in the marked holes.
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To lower the windshield, get out of the truck and grasp the windshield edges; frame from the outside. This will allow you to control the windshield, so it doesn’t slam down on the hood.
Once it’s resting on the pads on the hood, use the provided hook and strap in the center armrest bin to strap the windshield down to the loop on the hood, so it doesn’t flop around.
Finally, locate the black plastic rectangle in the same center armrest bin and carefully install it over the cameras and sensors behind the rear-view mirror to protect them from dirt and rocks.
To reinstall the windshield, reverse the process. Remove the cover, unstrap the windshield, tilt it up, reinstall the bolts behind the sun visors, and bolt the windshield wipers back on.