Why the Smart Door?

There are several reasons why Star Fabricating created the Smart Door…

The new Jeep Wrangler JK comes standard with power locks and windows, making the doors extremely heavy like a regular car door. The traditional fabric factory door straps no longer serve a purpose or a function, other than housing the electrical connections. The new Jeep Wrangler JK needed a new part designed that would hold the door open and also keep it from slamming shut, but still allow the doors to be easily removed.

Star Fabricating took on this complicated challenge, spending over 2 years of building and testing prototypes, learning exactly what the part needed to become.

We looked at the problem as if we were the original vehicle manufacture. The parts needed to have the same look and integrity as if it came standard on the vehicle.

After several prototypes and literally hundreds of hours, we found that the part needed to be installed inside the door as an internal working part, and not installed externally. This eliminates all pinch points and the possibility for injury. We also knew that we needed to engineer ONE part for all four doors.

Using Wave Spring Technology, we were able to reduce the overall size of the part, making it possible to function properly inside the door. With a strong internal steel skeleton, our Thermal Plastic Arm has 2 detent stopping positions, along with an innovative design that will allow the part to be easily installed without having to remove the doors. This also allows the door to open an additional 2 inches, making your entry and exit much easier. Simply remove 2 fasteners and your doors come off.