Broken interior door handle

[shytot4x4]

I have just replaced a broken interior door handle (the thing you pull to release the latch, not the thing you pull to close the door ) on my 2000 North Face. I searched the forums here and discovered that these handles break with alarming regularity and I was interested to note that Ford dealers in America sell new handles for approx $14 USD. That's well under a tenner!
So, armed with this info I called into my local Ford parts dept to see what the price is in Rip Off Britain... £19.63 GBP! Not bad at all for Ford UK. What's more, they even had it in stock! (it once took them 3 days to get me a tail light bulb!)
The whole job took about 30 minutes which included the time taken to retrieve the tie rod retaining clip from the far reaches of the door bottom...
An easy fix and nowhere like as expensive as I thought it was going to be

Cheers
Shytot4x4

 

[svt2000]

Parts for you Explorer

I have just replaced a broken interior door handle (the thing you pull to release the latch, not the thing you pull to close the door ) on my 2000 North Face. I searched the forums here and discovered that these handles break with alarming regularity and I was interested to note that Ford dealers in America sell new handles for approx $14 USD. That's well under a tenner!
So, armed with this info I called into my local Ford parts dept to see what the price is in Rip Off Britain... £19.63 GBP! Not bad at all for Ford UK. What's more, they even had it in stock! (it once took them 3 days to get me a tail light bulb!)
The whole job took about 30 minutes which included the time taken to retrieve the tie rod retaining clip from the far reaches of the door bottom...
An easy fix and nowhere like as expensive as I thought it was going to be

Cheers
Shytot4x4

Hi
Newbie on the forum here. I am a ex Ford parts tech.
If you need any parts for your Explorer and your local dealer has trouble supplying let me know. I import genuine American Ford Parts I have regular shipments coming over. Parts for these are readly available. I have access to Ford data ie TSBs, Recalls, workshop manuals.

 

[UK Explorer]

sounds good - welcome to the board

 

[shytot4x4]

Steven,
Thanks for the reply. You could be a very useful bloke to know!
My local Ford dealer can usually get parts within 2 or 3 days but the costs here in the UK are usually astronomical compared to the US prices we hear about in these forums. (I'm talking about genuine Ford parts, not spurious pattern parts).
I (and probably other UK Explorer owners) would be be interested in finding an affordable source for service and MoT items like ball joints, track rod ends, etc which only seem to be available from Ford at main dealer prices.

Cheers
Shytot4x4

 

[Howard]

A welcome to svt2000

At last a UK Ford tech with an explorer.

Well done to shytot4x4. You do get the odd surprise from Fords. Like the front abs sensor, which they not only had in stock but was only £20 odd. Must be the same as the ranger ones.

There are quite a number of US car parts importers around who can get items like ball joints and uj's, even powerslot rotors and hawk pads ( an upgrade I can highly recommend ).

 

[UK Explorer]

all i need to do is find someone willing to fit my superlift

 

[shytot4x4]

Out of interest, is the Superlift fit a 'nut and bolt' job or is there some fabrication and welding involved? If you'd been a bit nearer I might have had a look...
Just for the record I've been a keen off-road 4X4 trialler for the last 20 years or so. Over the years I've prepared and modified several Land Rovers and Suzukis for competition use including several coil spring conversions to the Suzukis. My current Explorer is used as a tug to get the comp motor to events. My current comp motor is a Suzuki Samurai with a 1.8 Vauxhall Carlton engine & box, coil suspension conversion, rear mounted radiator, roll cage, etc.
I'm also engaged in a long term project to rebuild a 1970's Dutton Sierra kit car as a road legal 4X4 competition motor using a stretched Samurai chassis, again with coils and this time a 2.0i Opel Manta engine & box.
Unfortunately there just aren't enough hours in a day to get all the jobs done as well as go to work full time and run a mobile disco/karaoke business at weekends... The Explorer's load space comes in handy for that, too!

Cheers,
Shytot4x4

 

[UK Explorer]

shame your not closer, sounds like you would be my man!...the Superlift is a nut and bolt job.

 

[bushman8]

Im a new member living in bedford with many years of off roading and building vehicles, 2 and 4 wheels, on and off road, as an r and d engineer for lockheed martin and living not too far from cambridge, i may be able to help with your lift kit, if not , i can probably put you in touch with people who can do it for you. regards, steve.

 

[UK Explorer]

must update my profile - I'm near norwich now!