Car doors have been removed the same basic way for 100+ years: one guy on the inside, one on the outside, and a third to pull bolts and unplug wires. That’s how it was done in the past, and that’s how it was still done in 2019.
Then 2020 hit. My waiting room was empty, my techs were home, and the phones stopped ringing. But the wrecks kept coming. A door that needs to come off still needs to come off, pandemic or not. I was alone in the shop, staring at a Silverado door that weighs more than I do, and I realized I had two choices: close the doors for good or figure out how to pull one by myself.
When COVID eased, and I finally had techs again, they fought over that homemade jig. “Where’s the door tool?” became the most common sentence in my shop. That’s when I knew I hadn’t just solved my own problem — I’d stumbled onto something every PDR shop on the planet needs.
So I called an engineer friend, sketched it out on a napkin, and said, “I want the arms to automatically close and squeeze the door with a strap the second the jack reaches height — no wrestling, no pool noodles, no second set of hands.
Then 2020 hit. My waiting room was empty, my techs were home, and the phones stopped ringing. But the wrecks kept coming. A door that needs to come off still needs to come off, pandemic or not. I was alone in the shop, staring at a Silverado door that weighs more than I do, and I realized I had two choices: close the doors for good or figure out how to pull one by myself.
That’s when my buddy Bob — a friend and machinist with a garage full of tools — came into the picture. In a week, he built me a cradle that bolted to a regular door jack. Two arms reached out like a hug. I wrapped them in pool noodles so they wouldn’t scratch the paint, and for the first time in my shop’s history, I pulled a door completely solo. It wasn’t elegant. Sometimes I had to fight the balance for ten minutes and curse under my breath, but it worked.
When COVID eased, and I finally had techs again, they fought over that homemade jig. “Where’s the door tool?” became the most common sentence in my shop. That’s when I knew I hadn’t just solved my own problem — I’d stumbled onto something every PDR shop on the planet needs.
So I called an engineer friend, sketched it out on a napkin, and said, “I want the arms to automatically close and squeeze the door with a strap the second the jack reaches height — no wrestling, no pool noodles, no second set of hands.
A year later, our actuated Door Caddy was born: One System, One Tech, Zero Help Required.
What started as a lonely pandemic fix is now saving backs, saving time, and letting one-person shops stay in the game.
Because sometimes the best ideas aren’t born in boardrooms.
They’re born when you’re the only guy in the building, and the door still has to come off!
The system grips and stabilizes as soon as weight is applied—no guessing, no juggling a heavy door.
Fine, controlled height adjustment puts body lines, hinges, and edges exactly where the tech needs them.
By controlling the load instead of fighting it, HAWLASSTM reduces risk of drops, damage, and strain, while speeding up removal and reinstall.
Engineered for PDR and auto body environments, the mechanism is designed to stay consistent through daily, heavy use.
Designed to handle more than standard swing doors, HAWLASSTM supports sliders, tall rear cargo doors, decklids, hatches, and trunk lids—giving techs one stable solution across multiple vehicle types.
From passenger vehicles to commercial and specialty builds, HAWLASSTM adapts to varying door sizes, weights, and geometries without re-rigging or custom setups.
100% American Made Steel! The KaddyKat™ was born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Custom, hand-crafted fabrication in which a PDR tech and Machinist completed every cut, bend, weld, and paint job. KaddyKat™: Built the old way, for the new way.
Don’t just take our word for it — see how HAWLASS™ makes car door repairs faster, easier, and safer. With one simple system, you’ll handle what used to take a full team, all on your own.
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