Went to open the door from the inside, and the plastic handle literally snapped right off.

Never experienced this before. Is there a write up anywhere on how to take the door panel off so i can replace the handle? Also, can i even buy this part, or do i have to buy a whole new mechanism?

Picture Related.

 

Its super easy to take the door panels off. Just remove all the screws around the outsides, and the one in the arm rest as well as the one where the window buttons are. You can buy them new at most parts stores. Your better off replacing them with the chrome metal door handles from 80's trucks. Never break em again.

 

Pretty simple fix. Once you take off the panel, you'll see the sheet metal ripped off from fatique. Find a 3" X 3" piece of sheet metal and form the bends to fit over it, mark the handle location, drill and rivet in place. takes a couple of hours to fix. Good side is the passenger side probably doesnt get as much use so it wont be breaking off anytime soon....

 

Streched out cables cause them to break too

 

I did the metal 80s handles on mine, but I've always changed them without taking the door panels off. I use a long 1/4" drive extension and 8mm socket. It's not easy doing it that way, but easier than removing the door panels, for me anyway LOL!

 

"look at me, I'm mr lazy, so I'm going to do it the hard way!"

haha.

I spose you could do it that way though.


Most people don't lubricate the parts involved in the door handles, ever. So they tend to stretch and fatigue.

Same with lubricating the window slides and the molding around the outside to keep the window traveling easily. Wears the motor out working to hard. =)

 

I'll show you lazy when you're swapping that axle by yourself! You know I'm just kiddin LOL! I just hate taking the door panels off.....all those stupid little plastic push pins

 

The push pins dont bother me. its all the dam screws.

 

Dem frigin push pins always break and always when no extras can be found....My impression of this thread w/o seeing a picture of the handle is that it broke the attaching metal off like mine did a week before the inspection ran out last year.....It failed due to what if the cab was ablaze and you cant get out....so back home to fix it.....maybe it's simpler...

 

They break sometimes, rare, but they do, the plastic breaks.

most people pull to hard on the damn things and over time they snap.

part of life.

I dont know what metal issue your talking about.

I'd have had my door off if I had to pull hard enough to bend metal to open the door.

You can open mine with your pinky finger and no hand movement. I got them suckers lubed.

 

The door sheet metal that the handle screws on to sheared off on mine and It was to thin to weld on another piece so I had to fashion a piece of sheet that followed the up and down bend of the door handle inset and rivet that on and drill hew holes to where the handle bolted to.

 

Here's the handle.

In all of your ramblings, you've managed to confuse me senseless. Someone is recommending bending sheet-metal to do god knows what, someone is talking about an 80s handle, and another one is talking about sticking an extension through the hole in the door to unbolt god knows what.

I'm assuming just need to buy a new handle, but the 80s handle is stronger. Is it a direct bolt on or what?

 

Yep, the 80s handles are metal. They do bolt right up. If you shine a flashlight back through the fuzzy stuff around the hole that the handle goes in, you'll see the bolt still holding the broken piece in there.

 

As Gilda Radnor said...Never mind. Its a simple replace after taking off the door panel. consider yourself lucky today. You'll find the other piece with its single screw still on the inside. If you're real good and patient: you can reach it, undo the old piece and replace it w/o taking the door panel off.

 

Like Bill said long 1/4 inch wobble extension and 8mm socket. Takes all of 5minutes to change.