Does anybody have any experience with the exterior door handles from LMC or NPD? I am rather alarmed at the price difference.

 

I got my door handles from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard and think they're pretty darn nice for the price. They've been on for about 6 months now and still look great, I think I paid around 30 bucks for the pair, with new hardware.

 

thats good to know.thanks

 

Do all these aftermarket handles come from the same place or are there varying qualities? Does anyone know?

 

Well, I decided to be a guinea pig and bought a handle from NPD. It cost $7.

Here it is.




It's at least shiny.

I got it in last night and lubed up the mechanisms and it is working fine. We will see what happens with time.



You can't see much, but here you go.

 

Hey Grasfarmr73, what is the black plastic piece for, I can’t figure it out? is it for shipping, does it go inside or outside of the door somehow?

 

Outside . it's a seal of sorts.

This thread is 7 years old by the way.

 

X2 on goes on outside. Broke spring and side of cast handle.

Remove door panel carefully.

Lube spray the nuts, they can break off. Pop the one rod end out. You can see the broke piece.

Go thru the door to access nuts.

Better view of broke cast handle. Door handle was left in when the PO repainted, you can see the blue painted plastic piece.

One broke stud, and you can see the lack of R/H tension spring.

Lube the window track since the door panel it off.

Done. The black plastic covers the flush fit studs that hold it to the door.

 

Maybe the OP will give us an update on his $7 door handles.

 

The $7 handle has held up with the caveat that I don't remember if it's on the driver's door or passenger door.
I also don't drive it more than a 1000 miles a year and it is protected from the sun.

 

I just put new ones on, I noticed the stock ones used studs through the mount bracket that didn't turn, the black plastic covered them. The new ones which have been in my stash for years had flush head studs through the mount bracket that turned with no means to stop them, and the black plastic had large round holes to clear the flat heads so you could not even reach them to stop turning with pilers, plus the plastic wouldn't be pulled to the body surface.

I just dropped the flush head studs out of the bracket and used 1/4-20 thread 3/4" long stainless-steel Philips head screws in place but first I used some thin stainless-steel washers that are bigger than the plastic hole and a smaller regular washer that fills the hole to act as a shoulder against the bracket, and I added a smear of sealer on the door. Ny-lock nuts inside the door. I think the plastics are to prevent fingernail scratches in paint maybe, but so far in using, I haven't hit the screw heads either.

The shoulder washers hold the bracket tight, the thin washers pull the plastic snug too. I made 4 thin washers using stainless-steel cupped finish washers, a hammer and anvil to smash them flat, then run a 1/4" bit through them each.

 

I used a set of repops because I couldn't find NOS one. they look and work fine.

 

I just pulled a set of nice door handles off my 1979 parts truck.

These were held on with big pop rivets in place of the stud and nut combo. I had to drill them out to get the dog gone things off..... I plan to get the studs off one of my crummy sets and spot weld them on my new set.

I am retiring from this nut house in 6 more weeks.... then it's "Katie... bar the door... I am gonna get something done!"

 

The new ones I used came in an order years ago from DC, but one side originally used 1/4-20 flat headed bolts, the other side use same style, but were smaller 6mm threads and nuts used 10mm wrench. Those all 4 are in my "odd screw" bin now. The wrappings differed too, as did some of the coloring of parts. The Driver side one is really stiff in operation too, but I kept my OEMs as "back up".

I did order another pair for less than I paid for each of them from DC years ago, I'll see how they are made, if stiff, etc. Weren't but like $28 and change for the pair whereas an old receipt says I paid DC $29.50 each. ... Since I wrote this post, like just an hour or so ago, the mail delivery lady brung the two newest new door handles. Both are ambidextrous in that they both will work on either side of the truck as they each have the lever the actuating rod connects to, on both sides, they are identical and look and feel like my better one from DC. Very smooth, I'll likely swap them in tomorrow. They both have the 1/4-20 flat head bolts and just like the others, have a gold spring on the right, and a silver spring on the left. Chrome looks great, even is covered with static cling clear vinyl protector, like that passenger side one.
Exterior Door Handle For 75-79 Ford F-150 F-250 Set of 2 Front Chrome Metal | eBay

03-03-2022 edit just to say "got them in" and it sure is a pleasure opening these doors now, that other set that I bought years ago were not matched and while the pass side was OK, that drive side was a PITA. Even my painter buddy commented on them last I was by there.