How to Remove the 2020 Jeep Gladiator's Doors, Roof, and Windshield
Looking for a brand-new vehicle with a factory warranty that combines the attributes of a pickup truck, a hard-core off-roader, and an open-air convertible? Jeep's badass 2020 Gladiator pickup truck is your ticket.
We’ve already tested the Gladiator and pitted it against its mid-size-pickup rivals, so all that was left for us to do was to take it apart. More specifically, we mean taking advantage of the Jeep's removable doors, roof, and windshield for some open-air fun (after a bit of wrenching).
The how-to video below explains how to take off the Jeep Gladiator’s doors, roof, and windshield. Because our test vehicle came with the available three-piece Freedom Top (this is Jeep-speak for a hard top; a soft top is standard), we've zeroed in on the steps necessary for taking off the Freedom Top.
As you might expect, the process is similar to that of the latest Wrangler. (We've covered that process separately.) In fact, the parts for the Gladiator's doors, windshield, and roof are identical to those on the Wrangler, save for the connection points and screw locations for the rear of the hard top, which is shaped differently than on the two- and four-door Wranglers.
Remove the Hard Top
Begin by removing the two small roof panels over the front seats by unlatching them from the roll bar. To take off the rest of the roof, remove the six screws that hold it to the body using the tools Jeep provides with every hard-top-equipped Gladiator and Wrangler. (These tools are conveniently located in the center console and come with a brief instruction guide for the processes explained here.) Once the roof is unscrewed, grab a friend to help you lift off the main hard-top section; the top is unwieldy enough to make this a two-person job. If your Gladiator is equipped with the hard-top headliner package as ours was, some screws might be obscured by panels in the headliner; those are easily removable thanks to Velcro.
Lay the Windshield Flat
As on the Wrangler, the Gladiator's windshield is hinged at its base and can be laid down onto the hood for off-street driving. To get the windshield in this position, start with the roof lowered or removed (depending on which top you have). Then remove four screws, which are awkwardly located where the windshield header meets the roll cage, by the sun visors. You also need to remove the windshield wipers; fair warning, they're somewhat difficult to detach. Once we pried them off, we carefully lowered the windshield onto the rubber stops on the hood.
It's worth mentioning that the windshield isn’t held in place by anything other than gravity and the hinges it is attached to-i.e., it doesn't lock in its lowered position and thus can bounce around. This is why Jeep explicitly states that driving with the windshield lowered should be restricted to low-speed, off-road situations (less than 10 mph). You don't need us to tell you that driving on the road without the windshield can be dangerous, especially at high speeds, and likely isn't legal. If you would rather completely remove the windshield from the car, that’s possible, too: Simply remove the four screws at the base of the windshield and lift the entire assembly off the Gladiator.
Remove the Doors
Driving a Jeep with its doors removed is fun and breezy. Taking the doors off a Gladiator (or a Wrangler), however, is not easy. First, open the doors and remove the electrical connections between them and the doorjambs. These need to be pried off with a screwdriver or the key fob. Also be advised that, once the swing guide and electrical cable strap are disconnected, the door can swing out without warning if it's windy outside. Additionally, the door-hinge screws take ages to come out if the only tools you have are the ones that Jeep provides and your two hands. We recommend getting a screwdriver or a drill to speed up the operation.
Other Stuff
Jeep provides a handy bag to store the two smaller roof panels, and just about everything else can fit in the bed, so you can take the top and doors off anywhere, not just in the comfort of your own driveway. There is also a nifty screw holder located under the rear seat cushion to make sure you don't lose any critical parts.
You don't need to have an all-or-nothing approach when taking apart your Gladiator; you can drive with the roof off and the doors on, or vice versa. Just make sure that, whatever the configuration is, you and your passengers are safe. When it comes to putting it all back together, the process is pretty simple: screw everything back in, connect all the wiring, and latch everything down. We hope our video helps you spend less time in the garage and more time with the wind in your everywhere.
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