Curious About Doorless Legality?

[HeepH8erTy]

So was kinda curious... was wondering what legality issues there were with running around with no doors? I've heard before that as long as you got mirrors your good? Was thinkin about riggin somethin up with my XJ so I could take the doors on and off easier and figured id make mounts for some mirrors. I just basically wanna do this for runnin around town or whatever, I'm definitely not plannin on wheelin my unibody with no doors... id wanna make up some kewl half doors that kept the top frame of the door with some addition bracing in it for a little stability in the case of a roll over. I just wanna run doorless until i can make those. Anyone know if I can?

[tjblair]

Buy a wrangler.lol

[HeepH8erTy]

Not happening lol

[2002wranglerX]

you're going to get a lot of different interpretations. I've had police officers tell me that it's only legal if they're meant to come off. whether that's true or not, there's an attitude out there that may get you pulled over.

plus, if you want to take the doors off, buy a real jeep

[PatF10]

A. Buy a real Jeep
B. Make some kind of tube door, then you can at least claim you have some sort of door/restraint.

[HeepH8erTy]

A. not happening lol
B. Im trying to do the absolute bare minimum amount of work/ spend the least amount of money here until i get around to making some halfsies. Think I could make a net door outta duct tape or something? haha

[tjblair]

Cheapest thing you can do is leave it be. Then you don't even have to pay the fine you will most likely get.

[Seismik]

The reason that the doors were allowed to be taken off the CJ's was because they were optional equipment on the factory vehicle. Wranglers came with doors factory (not an option), so technically, you aren't allowed to remove them. As far as mirrors go, the inspection manual (from what I understand) states that you only need ONE rear facing mirror.

That being said, I drive our YJ around all the time with no doors, and the aftermarket mirrors added to the windshield frame (I actually use the driver's side mirror, and this keeps from getting into 'that' argument at least).

The only flack that I've ever gotten from a cop, was while I was driving without the doors on, I had my foot rested on the doorway (which my husband has informed me is the 'proper' way to drive without the doors on. The cop look at me and motioned with his finger towards my foot. I put my foot back inside the tub and he gave me a smile and a head-nod, I responded, no issues.

No doors on an XJ, they're going to give you shit. You at LEAST need tubes, and they still might give you shit. I don't remember where the laws state it, but you need to read them and determine what you are required and what you're willing to do.

[cityslicker]

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/r...ite-up-408138/

DO IT! Just lie if you get pulled over and say yours was made to have removable doors and show him the pins....

[Mykal]

Do not ask a police officer what the law says. *There are many documented cases of LEO's enforcing a law that is actually not a law. *If you want to know the legality of something look up your state code. *Keep in mind that the state code is open to interpretation as well. *

Here's one part of the PA vehicle code.


You can always print a copy of the state code to show the LEO that he is wrong if you are stopped. *Usually at that point he will pick your vehicle apart and find other things that are a violation. *Tact is usually key in these situations.

Good luck.

[DixieJeeper]

§ 175.77. Body.

(a) Condition of body. All items on the body shall be in safe operating condition as described in § 175.80 (relating to inspection procedure).
(b) Fenders. The wheels of a vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with fenders of a type used as original equipment. A tire may not come in contact with the body, fenders or chassis of the vehicle.
(c) Hood and hood latches. The entire motor compartment of a vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be covered by a hood. The hood shall be equipped with a double latch system to hold it in the closed position if the hood was originally so equipped.
(d) Protruding objects. There may be no torn metal, glass or other loose or dislocated parts protruding from the body of the vehicle.
(e) Fender flares. A vehicle may be equipped with fender flares not to exceed 3 inches.
(f) Doors. A vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with doors of a type used as original equipment. The doors shall open and close securely unless the vehicle has been manufactured or modified to the extent that there is no roof or side. Tailgates, except on vehicles where the tailgate gives access to the passenger compartment, may be replaced with wood planking, nets or other material that will prevent loss of load. Tailgates may be removed when optional equipment, for example a truck camper, is added.


It is illegal by the code- now like so many other things- will you get pulled in a CJ/Wrangler? like NOT if you have review mirrors on the l/f and windsheild.

In a XJ- they probably will stroke paper for the door code, pertruding object code, and a host of others becasue they will just think you driving a jalopee.

Play it safe and get at least some trail/net/tube doors and likley won't be bothered- since the doors close, latch, and are secure.

[cityslicker]

thats messed up, if you pull the doors off your illegal, if you cut the roof and the sides off it's legit? WTF?

[Super Scout]

So according to that if I lose the roof on my scout I can run with no doors... Interesting...

[Muzikman]

No, what they are saying is that if you have no roof or side that you can weld your doors shut. Otherwise, your doors have to open and close securely.

So according to that if I lose the roof on my scout I can run with no doors... Interesting...

[pittim]

fathernsonsxj or whatever on here has some sick doors for his xj. chek em out ty.

[HoodRN]

Plate it in Ohio. No doors. No hood. No inspection. No problem.

[Bellyup0389]

Also wrong. Ohio cars technically have to conform to pennsylvania inspection regs.
and technically TJs are permitted to not have their doors on because in the owners manual it specifically identifies how to remove the doors therefore its original equipment YJs do not have that, and must keep doors on. Good luck.

[XJchris98]

technically TJs are permitted to not have their doors on because in the owners manual it specifically identifies how to remove the doors

lol.....

[Muzikman]

If you want to get technical. The way it's written.

"(f) Doors. A vehicle specified under this subchapter shall be equipped with doors of a type used as original equipment."

Unless you can buy a vehicle from the factory without doors, it's going to need them. It specifically states OE doors. This means that aftermarket tube doors would also be illegal. However, factory half doors would be fine.

There are a lot of things in the PA Vehicle Code that both inspectors and police allow to slide. Hell, based on the PA Code, most of our vehicles would be illegal.

[Azzy]

so modifying a set of doors to be half doors for the XJ, if it is a factory door and can open and close... would not fly?

IMHO, no doors on an XJ looks like you left home without one shoe.... incomplete and silly. But each to his own.

[DixieJeeper]

comes down to who is behind the badge thats pulling you over... and their interpretation of the code and your rig, how their day is going, and what if any 'targeted enforcement' tasks forces that department has. Trust me there is some VERY good advice on here when it comes to this thread. Out of state vehicles are subject to the laws of the state in which they travel.

i.e. radar/lidar detectors legal in 49 states but once you travel to into DC or VA your legal radar detector is now illegal- likewise agregious equipment violations- no doors with out of state tags will give somone PC to stop you-likley won't stroke paper to an out of state for tint or ride hieght, but radar, lidar but you might get a equipment vilolation.

[Mykal]

Id like to see the state code on that. I dont believe that for one second as far as the equipment goes.
Radars, sure. Though Im not sure how they would know you have one if they never see it.

[chux72vette]

Id like to see the state code on that. I dont believe that for one second as far as the equipment goes.
Radars, sure. Though Im not sure how they would know you have one if they never see it.

Get this, they have Radar Detector Detectors. A friend of mine got popped by it and to keep from getting a fine, he had to destroy it. He asked the LEO how he could do that and the LEO told him put it under his tire and run it over,,,LOL. He tried to fight for the state invoking the cause of Destruction to Private property and they LOL. I always unplug mine when going through the little bit of VA heading south. Its also posted everywhere! 0 tolerance~

[DixieJeeper]

46.2-1079. Radar detectors; demerit points not to be awarded. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth when such vehicle is equipped with any device or mechanism, passive or active, to detect or purposefully interfere with or diminish the measurement capabilities of any radar, laser, or other device or mechanism employed by law-enforcement personnel to measure the speed of motor vehicles on the highways of the Commonwealth for law-enforcement purposes. It shall be unlawful to use any such device or mechanism on any such motor vehicle on the highways. It shall be unlawful to sell any such device or mechanism in the Commonwealth. However, provisions of this section shall not apply to any receiver of radio waves utilized for lawful purposes to receive any signal from a frequency lawfully licensed by any state or federal agency.
This section shall not be construed to authorize the forfeiture to the Commonwealth of any such device or mechanism. Any such device or mechanism may be taken by the arresting officer if needed as evidence, and, when no longer needed, shall be returned to the person charged with a violation of this section, or at that person's request, and his expense, mailed to an address specified by him. Any unclaimed devices may be destroyed on court order after six months have elapsed from the final date for filing an appeal.
Except as provided in subsection B of this section, the presence of any such prohibited device or mechanism in or on a motor vehicle on the highways of the Commonwealth shall constitute prima facie evidence of the violation of this section. The Commonwealth need not prove that the device or mechanism in question was in an operative condition or being operated.
B. A person shall not be guilty of a violation of this section when the device or mechanism in question, at the time of the alleged offense, had no power source and was not readily accessible for use by the driver or any passenger in the vehicle.
C. This section shall not apply to motor vehicles owned by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof and used by law-enforcement officers in their official duties, nor to the sale of any such device or mechanism to law-enforcement agencies for use in their official duties.
D. No demerit points shall be awarded by the Commissioner for violations of this section. Any demerit points awarded by the Commissioner prior to July 1, 1992, for any violation of this section shall be rescinded and the driving record of any person awarded demerit points for a violation of this section shall be amended to reflect such rescission.


§ 46.2-1049. Exhaust system in good working order
No person shall drive and no owner of a vehicle shall permit or allow the operation of any such vehicle on a highway unless it is equipped with an exhaust system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual levels of noise; provided however, that for motor vehicles, such exhaust system shall be of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment. An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.
The term "exhaust system," as used in this section, means all the parts of a vehicle through which the exhaust passes after leaving the engine block, including mufflers and other sound dissipative devices.
Chambered pipes are not an effective muffling device to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and any vehicle equipped with chambered pipes shall be deemed in violation of this section.
(Code 1950, § 46-305; 1952, c. 455; 1956, c. 651; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-301; 1960, c. 120; 1970, c. 266; 1972, c. 66; 1989, c. 727; 2006, cc. 529, 538.)


as you will notice VA laws (again I use VA as I am more familar with VA code as an example) make the delination that "ANY VEHICLE" operated within the commonwealth- there is no excemption for where it is registered. Most states' codes are written similarly if that state.

Like I said there are a few PA LEO's that are more versed in PA code than a former VA LE guy- but if they say its so- I'm going with them.

[tjblair]

Out of state vehicles are subject to the laws of the state in which they travel.

.

I disagree, There are many situatioins when an out of state vehicle does not have to comply with the laws that they are traveling in. The first one that comes to mind is.... The front licence plate. MANY states require a front licence plate to be affixed to the vehicle. Pa is not one of those states. so if what you say is true then any Pa registered vehicle can be pulled over and ticketed for not having a front licence plate that they were never issued.(when taveling out of state) I have always been told that your vehicle needs to comply with the laws that the vehicle is registered in. same goes for tire coverage/flare laws, bumper height, max tire size/ min tread depth. I cant cite it, but I beleive that there is a federal statute or something reguarding the matter. Im just a dumb mechanic. Im sure someone who is smarter that I can cite this statute