Been giving thought to a way to make opening the door from outside an easier thing. I entered a search term, this popped up, and the opening poster describes it.Outside door handle hard to open - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums Yes, it is a soon to be 14 year old thread. I've replaced the doors a few years ago and with that, clips, lube, etc. They work pretty much as always. The lift to open handles worked super well on a Mustang or Pinto or other Ford car where the handle is down low and pulling outward and up is a natural move.
On even my not lifted truck, it's a pull and push up then pull some more operation.

I'm not having an issue but I can imagine it being easier with a thumb, but my wife has long had to semi-struggle with the outside door handles on the '77 which is described pretty well in that opening post. She has adapted pretty well to it over the years, but at 71 years youth, I can see she sometimes struggles, more lately. She'll use the palm of her hand to push up on the handle, then after it's up, she'll pull the door outward with the other hand.

Of course, if I'm near enough, I grab it for her but she would rather do it herself. She is just that way. If I'm already in the truck, I have an easy to grab and use 2 foot long interior door handle grabber hanging on the gun rack. I can snag that interior handle with it and give a quick tug and it is done.

I have given thought to add an extension of aluminum plate to the handle, make it nearer 2" wide top to bottom, effectively doubling it's use as a lever. I just thought might be some others here that have crossed this bridge.

 

We used
Good old fashioned Ford polyethylene grease (in a spray can) at the dealer
Trick is getting it in the right spot
They make a bees wax stuff from the 50's called "door ease" came in a metal tube we used it on V belts that squeak
Google "door ease" and find some and use it
If you get some of that wax in the right spot and the door will open like brand new.
Fun stuff

 

Youn ever buy a new latch or door handle part, from Ford, they come in a bag all greased up
You have to grease them back up after the install where you are wearing all that grease
You pull your door handle and latch out and grease it all up
Don't be surprised if you find the latch worn out and barely working, also might be fine and just needs lube

 

Thank You .... I have an old metal tube of Doore Ease, Dad kept some in his toolbox.

My doors open & shut well, no squeaks, no real effort once the handle is manipulated successfully against the spring load in the latch. It's more the door handle motion of "pull out as push up" from below where those handles really were meant for cars where one was "pull out as pull up" in the same motion. I have had this truck since 1986, never gave it any real thought, just accepted it I guess ... but in recent years I notice it more as I watch my wife. I still just do it without much thought, usually with my thumb hooked under it and palm on top, rotating my wrist. There is a lot of grease in them doors too.

Odd how Ford only used them on the '73-'79 light trucks, then went back to the thumb button type.

I was just fishing .... as short of grafting on thumb button latch handles from a F-700 there really ain't a lot of options. What would be sweet is if some entrepreneur came out with a basically same handle but with a 2" or wider face, in same design as OEM .... at a competitive price point.

UPDATE 05-27-2026 EVENING ... I did some "tests" thinking maybe I had the tape on the strike posts too thick, nope, was not it. Those two coil springs are the stiff boogers, the actual trip action unlatching the door is pretty light. I have my originals and an extra pair of new ones, so I have some to tests. I did a little cutting, mock up, I'll post pics after I get there. My originals worked for 45 or so years, and of course were pitting some. They will be my base since I anticipate modifications that will cover the chrome and pitting.

 

My solution was to pick up some F700 (medium duty dentside) doors. They have the thumb button handles like the other generations. They need disassembly and lubing just like my lift handles did, but are nicer and cooler in my opinion. The downside is the same people that are short and struggle with the lift to open handles also often have smaller weaker hands, and in my experience it isn't any easier for my kids to push in a thumb button that is a little stiff compared to lifting a stiff handle above their shoulder.

 

I bought my new doors in the 1990s so I never give thought until very recently that those doors would have worked. I had wondered once about modifying a regular door for push button, but that lasted maybe 15 minutes. Yeah, thumb buttons can be tough too, and as a kid that grew up in the '50s-'60s, was times two thumbs were needed.

 

Might get 6 hex socket head SS screws, same length. Maybe bevel the lower half at the ends, to match the angle of top half ends, in reverse. Gonna take them in the shop and add a 3/8" wide strip across the hidden side at bottom to let a person's finger tips grab for the pull open part, better than just slick as is. We'll see.




I'll maybe dress them up sometime, but for now, they work (I mean opening is near totally effortless now). I was gonna use the pitted OEM ones, but then I do have another set of new ones in a box, and these on the truck had one little pit on the passenger side one. Really these are an easy grab, and those 3/16" screws are stainless steel and there are ny-lock nuts hidden. Hardest part was getting the bend straight length wise (didn't really need the lengthwise bend, but it's there now and It does pull the lower edge inward some, in line with the body) and the same angle on both after I got them cut out on the saw, longest time was spent polishing the 1/8" x 2" x 5-3/4" aluminum. I know they are maybe a hair longer front to rear than need be, but that's an easy fix if I decide to change as those screws allow for easy R&R. Also, being aluminum, easy repolish. I don't anticipate it setting in a car show, so if they get noticed ... it'll be out on the highway or in the parking lot at Lowe's, or a gas station pump isle.

 

I rounded the lower corners 1" radius, added a 3/8" wide, 1/4" thick piece behind the lower edge to aid grip when opening. I used 4 rivets to secure them and the 1/4" thickness let my counter drill slightly larger and the pop rivets are about flush on the back side.


I don't think 1 in 234 drivers will take notice.

In my driveway trials afterwards, I found these extensions to do might near exactly what I was hoping they would do.

I know they don't look big enough to do a whole lot, but they probably halved the effort required to pop the door latch ..... and the start point being lower with the included angle make for better geometry. Works very well to just hook finger tips under the edge, maybe to first joint of fingers so tips end up far enough to far side of strip, then just pull straight out horizontally, all in one motion. No pushing up is even needed. Going bigger would likewise increase travel at the hand in a bigger arc, this is a super compromise in my book. Wife loved it and that is OK too.


One last up close, the blue reflection is that of a covered car with a red plastic carry thing setting on the trunk.


The 1/4" high lip will be a help with gloves on too.

 

Makes sense on halved effort; you doubled the leverage.

Those look pretty darn good, and I bet the non riveted version cut down and polished with torx pan heads would never get noticed.

Im tempted to do this on mine for my kids. The 4yr old can’t reach yet, but the 7yr old seems to struggle just a bit, and I’ve always wondered what possessed ford to put a lift handle on a 4x4 truck.

Nicely done!!

 

Thank You for commenting. The shorter one is, the more benefit they'll get. I would guess Ford used them on the trucks because they had them, or at least the new look.

I was going to attach the hidden strip on the back side with J B Weld, but even as confidant in it's powers of attachment, I could imagine a failure over time even though I have no real reason to. I have plenty of stuff to try. Once a set is made, the mounting screws & holes laid out, be a good rainy day in the shop making a revised design. Those two outer screws are 3/16" just 1/2" long stainless with a ny-lock nut hidden, the center one is 3/4" long and since it goes through the center has a washer between the ny-lock nut and handle face. They really did not need the bend, might work better for the 7 yo and soon the 4 yo having the lower edge already out some. My early testing used a flat piece, was fine.

Looking back and forth between the two, I almost wish I had stopped without rounding, etc. .... so might yet be another set like in #7 in the making. No pop rivets, just test J B Weld to bond a grip strip out of view.