OK, it's my first Ford truck. Bought it used. It's a 1996 F-250 Diesel. Just a month after driving it off the used car lot I pulled up on the driver's side inside door handle and the darned thing broke off in my hand!

I hate it when that happens! Now I have to roll down the window, reach outside like a contortionist and open the door from the outside.

First Question: Can someone here to explain one of the great mysteries of life: How do you get the inside door panel off so you can replace the plastic door handle? I know there are little plastic bayonet clips that will break off if you don't know how to loosen them the right way. Is there a special tool to use?

Second question: How can you fix the door handles so they will not break off again? It seems to me that the problem is not the plastic handle itself so much as it might be that the metal parts inside the door are spalling and need better lubrication?

Third Question: If anyone has had this problem before and took it to a Ford dealer or body shop, aproximately how much did you spend to get it fixed?

Musing out loud: I'm getting too old to be my own mechanic and body man.

 

To get the door panel off you have the aforementioned clips around the outside of the panel and a couple of screws in the door pull. That is about it, fairly straightforward, before you get started you might want to get a box of the clips. I have never been able to take a door panel off without stripping/braking at least one clip and usually more. If it doesn't have power window you need to take the window crank off also.

T. Roberts
UFD Local 1147

 

Umm, well I don't take the door panel off. You only need an 8mm nutdriver (or socket, extension, and ratchet). If you pull out the handle on the other side you can see what's what better before you work on your broken one.
I have a friend with a 92 who kept breaking his off. I got him a metal one from an 82. We bolted it on and I haven't heard a complaint from him since. Note that though the older ones are metal, they're just pot metal and can also break occaisonally.
I just yank my panels off. They don't have metal clips, just nylon ones. The only trouble I have is that the nylon ones tend to strip out after two or more removals. Stores that sell body shop supplies will happily sell you a box of new ones. Around here I get them from NAPA.