I have a 99 Ram Van 1500. Has anybody ever figured out a way to get the doors (both back and side) to open further? they only open 90 degrees, whereas I see chevy vans that have doors that open 180 degrees? I know the chevy van doors are mounted on the edges of the body, but the dodge van doors can open up alot further than the "keepers" allow them to. I would like to retain the function whereby the doors are kept open when open, so no cords or fabric limiters.

thanks,
DG

 

Just remove the pin from the travel limit arm.

 

Thanks for the reply.

That's it? It's that simple? Is the pin inside the door cavity? Will the door still stay open on its own?

thanks again, sorry for all the followup questions.

 

I removed the pin on the limiter, and just use a pan head screw, so I can easily remove and return it.

Actually, originally, I lost the stock pin, and found a pan head screw to be more convenient and would not interfere with door closing.

The doors with the limiters removed respond to the whims of wind and gravity, depending on how well lubed the hinges are.

My back doors are another matter. The spare tire on the carrier and the ladder will smash the taillights if the limiters are removed and sufficient force applied.

 

oh, okay, thanks. I was looking for a solution that wouldn't entail having the doors respond to the whims of wind and gravity.

thanks anyway.

 

dgrun, your 99 has the spare under the back of the van body, so removing the screw will allow the doors to open really wide. When I get large items from Lowes, I open the doors the full way to load and unload. The door limiters on our Magnum era van is mid section on the inner door. They are like a plastic link of sorts.

 

Thanks for the reply and the info. I guess what I am really asking is if anybody has found a way to lengthen the door limiter arm. Maybe I could have someone make me a longer one out of aluminum or something.

Thanks again for the info.

 

I don't think using a longer one would allow it to clear the corner when the door is wide open. You might want to check out that possibility before having one made.

 

Remove the pin...And if the spare is mounted on the back....remove it too Just don't forget to toss it in the back of the van or you may be lacking a spare when you need it most (experience)

 

He doesn't want the doors to swing in the breeze. He needs a way to have the doors supported so they don't swing closed and hit someone, if the wind should blow just right.