Interior door handles keep breaking
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Interior door handles keep breaking
I have a '94 Bronco and a '97 F-350 crew cab 4X4. The interior door handle on the driver's door of the 350 broke. I figured it was just an old handle, went to Checker's and bought a new one($8). Put it on and it broke within three pulls. Took the door panel off, checked everything I could think of to check, and didn't find any problems. So I took the handle off the back door, put it on the front, and it broke with just a couple of pulls. Then the driver's side handle on the Bronco broke. Put a new one on that and it broke right away. Now the passenger's front door handle on the 350 broke.
At $8 a pop, I ain't buying no more 'til I can figure out why they are breaking.
The latch mechanism seems to be okay and everything moves freely.
Any ideas? Is this a common/semi-common type of problem?
At $8 a pop, I ain't buying no more 'til I can figure out why they are breaking.
The latch mechanism seems to be okay and everything moves freely.
Any ideas? Is this a common/semi-common type of problem?
Freshman User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Grand Valley, On
mine siezed up on the passenger side of my 96 and a friend ripped the whole assembly out of the door, ripped the metal not broke the handle.
i cant bieleve your breaking handles and theres nothing siezed
can you pull on the cable by hand or with a small pair of pliers while you have the handle off??? it should not be very hard to pull
i cant bieleve your breaking handles and theres nothing siezed
can you pull on the cable by hand or with a small pair of pliers while you have the handle off??? it should not be very hard to pull
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 805
Likes: 1
From: Small town Iowa
buy a handle from ford dealership more expensive but hasnt broke on dads 96 yet (went through 3 advance auto handles) i think if you do a search dealership handles are mad of a different plastic with a slight different molding
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2010
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Thanks for the replies, I didn't expect so many, so soon
The mechanism works pretty easily, nothing binding or seized. I tried the metal handles out of my '86 Bronco also. They snapped.
I may have to try the factory handles.
I think I'm going to try the taking the whole mechanism out of the '86 and see if it makes any difference. I was going to try that a while back, but work got hectic, and I actually forgot I had the'86 until just now
. I got laid off Monday, so now I have time to play with it.
The mechanism works pretty easily, nothing binding or seized. I tried the metal handles out of my '86 Bronco also. They snapped.
I may have to try the factory handles.
I think I'm going to try the taking the whole mechanism out of the '86 and see if it makes any difference. I was going to try that a while back, but work got hectic, and I actually forgot I had the'86 until just now
. I got laid off Monday, so now I have time to play with it.
New User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 7
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i had the same problem with my 92 f150 until i bought the metal door handles. they havent broke yet. and i have had them on for 4 months now
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New User
Joined: Nov 2010
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Where do you buy metal handles?
Any other suggestions from experts here? Very frustrated...
Thanks!
Bill W.
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 184
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From: pasadena tx.
brocken handles
What Ive seen is people dont realize it but they are just pulling too hard on the handles like the one dude said his bud pulled the whole assembly out that is just a little too much force and for those aftermarket handles can almost bank on it they came from the world off total JUNK China its hard to change but try just a little less force use one finger don't put a death grip on it and jerk it like your pulling a tooth just a simple one finger pull ya'll were saying it has no tension on the cable is this being checked with the door latched or unlatched also it helped on my 92'&96' just a small amount of lube on the latch changed opening and closing the door and like you stated they are plastic but ive seen the metal ones snap as well you say metal it's some kind of potmetal hope this helps you out a little
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,473
Likes: 4
From: Lafayette, IN
I'd say be a little (okay, a LOT) more gentle when pulling on the handle. No need to yank it. If the mechanism is fully lubed and operational, I'd say it sounds like operator error.
Just because they are trucks doesn't mean that they can take any and all abuse thrown at them.
Jason
Just because they are trucks doesn't mean that they can take any and all abuse thrown at them.
Jason
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 979
Likes: 40
From: Colorado Springs CO
^What the previous posters have said-don't pull too hard. If you still break handles, you need to replace the handle/latch/cable mechanism, but if you think $8 handles are bad the price of it will shock you (about $130 from Ford).
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Benbrook,Texas
i've been through about 6 handles... 2 from the ford houose , the rest from auto parts stores.... i even broke one using the one finger method described above...now i just buy one right before i need to get it inspected... it will last about a month...maybe..
Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
Likes: 76
From: Gilbert, PA
The cable is stretched. And you are not getting the full trow at the latch so you pull that much harder on the handle then it breaks. The aftermarket handles are GARBAGE and will break with a new cable. The OEM ones are the only way to go. As for using metal handles, that will work for a while untill you rip the door from pulling then you will need to weld the door.
Either get a new cable and handle from ford or go the the junk yard and get the old rod linkage from a 80-91 and do away with the cable linkage
Either get a new cable and handle from ford or go the the junk yard and get the old rod linkage from a 80-91 and do away with the cable linkage