BD's 2000 Explorer Limited

[BrianDye]

(On a side note)- My key works in the doors!

I had went to Ace one day to have an extra key made, (Just for the doors, to have at home, and hide one), and she didnt have the right "type" of key, but still tried it on one just to see, and it wouldnt work. I had never tried my key in the door, and never thought to. So I got home, and tried it, sure enough wouldnt turn. Same with the passenger door and hatch. So I thought for SURE that it was a different ignition or something.

Anywho, went out there today and the key worked without even using PB. (Only on the drivers door though. Which leads me to my next problem. (Or concern I should say)

My passenger door lock works fine, turn the key, its unlocked. Lift the nice firm handle, door opens.

My drivers door...it takes 3 or 4 turns of the key to get the lock "up" enough to actually unlock the door. My door handle is really sloppy and loose feeling too. And if its related, when I bought her, sometimes I would have to press unlock on the fob 4-5 times before the drivers door would unlock, but after a couple days, it had quit doing that. (I think they just let this thing sit around alot.)

 

[CDW6212R]

Lubricate the door latch itself, spray a non drying lubricant in there at several angles. The difficulty you describe sounds like just stiffness/sticking in the latch itself. It all needs lubrication, but the actual latch is most likely to have issues first. I've done that when I notice a "door ajar" light on or a key is hard to turn. Everything is connected to that door latch, so the stiffness can seem to come from any of those.

Sometimes I've used a screwdriver to "lock" the door latch, pushing the latches closed while holding the door open. The door ajar switch is inside that latch, and the striker bolt with plastic on it all get worn over time.

For the suspension, to check how much it is leaning to one side, first confirm that the front is level left to right. The fenders are not mounted evenly left to right, so do not measure from the fenders to the ground. Only measure from the suspension(at the frame) to the ground. Do that easily by measuring from the front LCA bolt heads, down to level ground. Those bolts are easy to spot, they are huge and very close to the torsion bar ends. If those are not the same distance from the ground, then the back end will be affected by that.

Turn the torsion bar adjustment bolts so the front LCA bolts are even left to right.

 

[BrianDye]

The front end isnt even, you can see the lean from both the back and front, the back is definitely worse, but the front is affected.

I have to go get ready for work, but im gonna measure those bolts tonight, and see how crooked she really is.

 

[sean99]

My drivers door...it takes 3 or 4 turns of the key to get the lock "up" enough to actually unlock the door. My door handle is really sloppy and loose feeling too. And if its related, when I bought her, sometimes I would have to press unlock on the fob 4-5 times before the drivers door would unlock, but after a couple days, it had quit doing that. (I think they just let this thing sit around alot.)

Sounds like a broken spring in the door latch mechanism and also in the door handle... All of the info is in this link:http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165081&highlight=door+handle+loose

 

[BrianDye]

Thanks Sean, I found that post shortly after I posted :

I just dont have a riveter, and im sure a replacement handle from Ford isnt already painted Pearl White

 

[CDW6212R]

The available handles were black only two years ago, about $22 each. I bought a 1/4" rivet gun from Harbor Freight for about $25 several years back. You may be able to borrow one, they are only needed for the really big rivets like the door handles and other door components.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I just use bolts to replace the rivets... You didn't pull a door handle off that Limited in Kalamazoo? You need to start stocking pearl white parts...

 

[sean99]

I used two needle nose pliers to put a new bend on the spring end. Take the handle out but dont take it apart. I did this 5 years ago and the spring still works fine...The hardest part for me was being four days out of rotator cuff surgery so i couldn't lift my arm...

 

[CDW6212R]

The handles are very reliable, those springs are usually the only thing to give up sometimes. I'd feel comfortable swapping a used handle in. If the springs can be rebent, great, I'd try that first.

 

[BrianDye]

I just use bolts to replace the rivets... You didn't pull a door handle off that Limited in Kalamazoo? You need to start stocking pearl white parts...

If it would have had a gray interior I would have bought the whole truck :

I used two needle nose pliers to put a new bend on the spring end. Take the handle out but dont take it apart. I did this 5 years ago and the spring still works fine...The hardest part for me was being four days out of rotator cuff surgery so i couldn't lift my arm...

I'll definitely have to try that. The handle opens the door fine, its just like there's no spring back action.

The handles are very reliable, those springs are usually the only thing to give up sometimes. I'd feel comfortable swapping a used handle in. If the springs can be rebent, great, I'd try that first.

I'm relaxing on my day off, but tomorrow I don't work until 2, I'll get up early and give that a shot...

 

[BrianDye]

Part 1 of retrofitting begins now! (Scored a set of clear black housings and blinkers on eBay for 80$)

Brad that means I AM still selling my headlights.

And I finally have a day off, and the girlfriends working til 11, so I'm gonna go out and mess with that handle, and measure how crooked she is, then give her a much needed pampering at the wash inside and out.

 

[BradR]

Part 1 of retrofitting begins now! (Scored a set of clear black housings and blinkers on eBay for 80$)

Brad that means I AM still selling my headlights.

And I finally have a day off, and the girlfriends working til 11, so I'm gonna go out and mess with that handle, and measure how crooked she is, then give her a much needed pampering at the wash inside and out.

*hi-five*

 

[Joe Dirt]

Thank you, edited sig line.

*hi-five*

 

[BrianDye]

This is really tempting...

I want a chrome one though over black, I really don't want to have to get it painted and black would just look like ****.

The pictures shows a chrome one though

 

[BrianDye]

 

[sport97]

I would not recommend an off brand chrome bumper replacement. My friend's mom got one on her 90s f150. In a year or 2 it was peeling and rusting.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Agreed- if you need to get a new one, don't go cheap. If nothing else, get the painted one, POR-15 it, Tie Coat primer it, then prime and paint it yourself. What happened to your other one?

 

[corkey]

his other one didn't get fixed,, either did mine, but i am in the process of collecting the stuff to fix mine and paint it,,
mine will still be fixed before his is,,

 

[Joe Dirt]

God Brian- I'm going to have another Explorer before you fix this bumper!

 

[BradR]

Brian, I have a $450 credit for Glen's car and truck on Telegraph right by I75, I'd love to actually use it, maybe we can work some sort of deal for some headlights (and cash depending on what costs more), and any other parts you need, Glen's is a junkyard, but they can get new parts as well, we can probably get a white one. (and I need a new one too)

What's wrong with yours exactly?

And Joe, don't you make fun of my hi-fiving!

Oh, and the credit is for a bad trans they sold me, and they don't do cash refunds, and I found another trans elsewhere (rebuilt) for cheaper, so I got the credit.