98 door push button rod install

[jheck74]

Hi all. I'll try to be as specific as possible. My 98 sport was having power door locking problems. When I unlocked with the key, or remote fob, it sounded like the actuator was stripped out, or not completing it's cycle. It would unlock, then click back to the locked position. After reading several of the threads about door lock problems, I took the inner door apart to see what I could find. The push button that sticks out on top of the door sill to manually lock or unlock the doors has always been below the panel. It's been that way since we bought it used, but hasn't caused any problems until now. I removed the rod from the latch assembly to see if it might have caused binding. I also removed the power actuator and cleaned it. After reinstalling the actuator I couldn't get the push button rod back in without bending the crap out of it. I know there is a proper way like maybe taking the entire latch assembly out, putting the rod end in to the latch then reinstalling the latch assembly.
This link is from autozone and shows the parts I'm talking about.
http://www1.autozone.com/servlet/Ui..._us/0900823d/80/0b/e8/74/0900823d800be874.jsp

Any ideas would be great. I put the door back together without the push button rod, and it works with no problems so far. Usually it makes the most noise in the morning when it's cold, so I won't know until tommorow morning if this fixed my lock noise or not. Jeff