How to: How To: Drivers Exterior Door Handle Replacement

[gmanter]

Does anyone have a part number for the linkage fastener, (yellow clip) which connects the driver side exterior door handle linkage to the door latch. I have a 2004 explorer and that clip is broken.
Tks gary

 

[swshawaii]

First page #10
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1516718&postcount=10

 

[curt1007]

I just replaced my handle for the 2nd time. My latch is in bad shape, and it does not always unlock. So a pull on the handle to quick, and it is broken. I have fixed it, and lubed it enough. I just ordered a new latch assembly to get this thing done right.

 

[varg]

Well, I attempted the door latch fix with a ~4" spring, and springs aren't as cheap here as they have been for a lot of you ($3.19 for one at Ace hardware!) but I am happy to say that I can now unlock my driver's side door with the key and the remote. Thanks for the tips, guys! I did it pretty much like this except I had the top hook the other way around and hooked the bottom over the rod itself instead of the plastic clip.

This also adds value to my explorer, since I'm selling it soon for a car that is a little more fun to drive, especially after adding a turbocharger.

 

[Steeda04SVT]

Thanks for posting the pic. About to attempt this soon on both of my Explorers.

 

[koda2000]

Thanks for posting the pic. About to attempt this soon on both of my Explorers.

the spring fix worked great for me. i had a floppy driver's door handle on my '01 EB, but it worked okay otherwise. i just didn't like the feel of it. it's been about 2 years now and it still works fine. my '00 2WD Mountaineer has developed the same problem, but i haven't gotten around to adding a spring yet. i also recently replaced the exterior driver's door handle on my '00 AWD Mountaineer as the plastic was broken (and it's black so no painting was required). it was pretty easy to do. i replaced it with a Dorman piece from Rock Auto. either fix will be made much easier by first removing the rear lower window channel (one 10 mm bolt and pull down).

tip: if you replace the handle, drive the center pins out of the rivets before drilling the heads off and use dish-head Phillips screws with ny-lock nuts (or star washers) to replace the rivets. the nice thing about the star washers is that you don't need to hold the nut while tightening the screws (take you new handle to the hardware store to insure you get the right size).

 

[Steeda04SVT]

the spring fix worked great for me. i had a floppy driver's door handle on my '01 EB, but it worked okay otherwise. i just didn't like the feel of it. it's been about 2 years now and it still works fine. my '00 2WD Mountaineer has developed the same problem, but i haven't gotten around to adding a spring yet. i also recently replaced the exterior driver's door handle on my '00 AWD Mountaineer as the plastic was broken (and it's black so no painting was required). it was pretty easy to do. i replaced it with a Dorman piece from Rock Auto. either fix will be made much easier by first removing the rear lower window channel (one 10 mm bolt and pull down).

tip: if you replace the handle, drive the center pins out of the rivets before drilling the heads off and use dish-head Phillips screws with ny-lock nuts (or star washers) to replace the rivets. the nice thing about the star washers is that you don't need to hold the nut while tightening the screws (take you new handle to the hardware store to insure you get the right size).

Yeah once I get it fixed I gotta take a look at the back 2 doors on both Explorers. You can't let yourself out without somebody having to open the door from the outside. And yes I did check the child safety locks and they were both disengaged. Thank you for that good idea with the different hardware. Just waiting for my handle to come in to get to work on it.

 

[koda2000]

Yeah once I get it fixed I gotta take a look at the back 2 doors on both Explorers. You can't let yourself out without somebody having to open the door from the outside. And yes I did check the child safety locks and they were both disengaged. Thank you for that good idea with the different hardware. Just waiting for my handle to come in to get to work on it.

if the interior door handles look like they're sticking out a bit too far, the interior handles are probably broken (pretty common problem). either that or your child locks are on.

 

[Steeda04SVT]

if the interior door handles look like they're sticking out a bit too far, the interior handles are probably broken (pretty common problem). either that or your child locks are on.

I checked the child locks the first time they didn't open. I would have to pull like really hard on the interior handle just to get it to open up from the inside.

 

[koda2000]

I checked the child locks the first time they didn't open. I would have to pull like really hard on the interior handle just to get it to open up from the inside.

then the problem might be a lack of lubrication or bend/out of adjustment rods between the handle and the latch.

 

[Steeda04SVT]

then the problem might be a lack of lubrication or bend/out of adjustment rods between the handle and the latch.

Thank you for the info. My latch came in today so I'm gonna get the hardware I need to replace it and try to do all the doors in a day.

 

[thegarman]

Driver's door lock won't unlock with the key!

THANKS for a great thread! Clearly this information has helped many of us! My goal was to somewhat duplicate the photo in thread No. 19.

On my '99 Explorer Sport, I pulled off the door panel and followed the instructions seem earlier on adding a spring. I picked up a 2.25" long (No. 104) spring at Ace Hardware for $2.44. Instead of putting the top of the spring over the door lock mechanism keeper as ttbit did, I used a Dremel and regular drill to drill a small hole for the spring. (It was VERY difficult to drill thru the thin brass keeper of the lock mechanism!!) I slipped the bottom of the spring around the bottom of the bolt going thru the yellow plastic thingy and the top of the spring thru the small hole I drilled. Now I can unlock my driver's door with the key!! YEA!!!!!

I wish I could share my photos, but I'm not an elite member. (Wouldn't the ability for ANYONE to add photos benefit EVERYONE on this forum? I'm just sayin'.)

 

[koda2000]

THANKS for a great thread! Clearly this information has helped many of us! My goal was to somewhat duplicate the photo in thread No. 19.

On my '99 Explorer Sport, I pulled off the door panel and followed the instructions seem earlier on adding a spring. I picked up a 2.25" long (No. 104) spring at Ace Hardware for $2.44. Instead of putting the top of the spring over the door lock mechanism keeper as ttbit did, I used a Dremel and regular drill to drill a small hole for the spring. (It was VERY difficult to drill thru the thin brass keeper of the lock mechanism!!) I slipped the bottom of the spring around the bottom of the bolt going thru the yellow plastic thingy and the top of the spring thru the small hole I drilled. Now I can unlock my driver's door with the key!! YEA!!!!!

I wish I could share my photos, but I'm not an elite member. (Wouldn't the ability for ANYONE to add photos benefit EVERYONE on this forum? I'm just sayin'.)

FYI, you can put your pics on something like photobucket and paste the link here.

 

[Steeda04SVT]

I just got done replacing my passenger handle since one end cracked off at back of handle. I was lucky that my SportTrac is black so the can of Ford Black and Clear coat touch up spray from Advance Auto parts worked perfect. The clear coat leveled itself to a factory finish after laying on good - two clear coats over two black.

I used a smaller nail punch hitting rivet pin from the handle side with multiple 3-6 quick heavy blows. This popped the pin inside the door and the rest is getting those ears broken off on the inside and punching again to the exterior.

Don't forget about letting the window down a little or you'll be fighting to get the handle out.

I used these Stainless screws in the photo below to prevent getting rusted. I ALSO recommend lifting the handle and placing a thin cardboard beneath the edge of the raised handle. This allows you to let it rest on your allen wrench and not get scratched while you're working to get the nut on from the inside. Once the nuts get threaded, a socket and extension (prepared in pocket) will just slip onto the nuts from the slight angle - no swivel needed.

Wonder if Tru Value sells this type of stuff too? The trick with the springs has def helped big time. Now just gotta change out the front 2 door exterior handles and should be good to go. Not to get this thread off topic but real quick, does anybody else have any trouble opening the rear doors from the inside to where somebody has to open the door for them from the outside?

 

[koda2000]

you don't need a lock washer with a ny-loc nut. i used 1/4X1/2 pan-head screws, external toothed star washers and regular nuts the last time i did this job. the pan-head fits the recess of the handle and the star washers allow you to not need to hold the nut while tightening the screws. if you go with stainless steel hardware (i suggest you stay away from stainless) you need to use anti-seize on the threads or you run the risk of having it gall and you'll wont be able to tighten the screws or get them off again. any hardware store would have what you need.

 

[Steeda04SVT]

you don't need a lock washer with a ny-loc nut. i used 1/4X1/2 pan-head screws, external toothed star washers and regular nuts the last time i did this job. the pan-head fits the recess of the handle and the star washers allow you to not need to hold the nut while tightening the screws. if you go with stainless steel hardware (i suggest you stay away from stainless) you need to use anti-seize on the threads or you run the risk of having it gall and you'll wont be able to tighten the screws or get them off again. any hardware store would have what you need.

Sweet, gonna go get some this weekend. That rattle of the door handles when I close the doors is driving me nuts!!

 

[inspect4all@hot]

Wow, just got an email that someone quoted my thread here. What a blast from the past.

[MENTION=186147]koda2000[/MENTION] - yeah, the SS could gall but I preferred that to rusting, especially on the outside head. Mine look good to this day and I haven't had to change them out so I'm not worried if I had to cut them with a Dremel. You're right about not needing the lock washer and that's why I put "(if ****)" next to it. I put them in more for the reason that it built out better than using washers to have less thread to screw the nut onto. I like your idea of the Anti-seize. I have a back door handle (original) to replace and will use it on the SS threads this time.

[MENTION=170952]Steeda04SVT[/MENTION] - Good luck with your project. Pop the shaft of the rivet through with a real thin drift pin punch. It takes a few good and rapid pops with a mini-sledge (wider surface) so you don't hit your fingers or truck door. )) Then, from the inside you need to break the 3 banana peel ears off from the rivet. I used a 1/4" drill bit to chase right through the rivet from the outside and it ate most of it away. After that you're ready to put the new one on.

 

[LCpearlExplorer]

I too wish to thank y'all for this info on this problem. I've been messing with this door for 2 days now. My weirdness is that the locking mechanism won't work- as you describe. But an additional wtf is that the outside handle works just fine when the window track is out. Install the track and the handle acts like the door is locked! No other changes! Exasperating! I have even removed the power door lock motor unit in an effort to figure it out.

I'm gonna install a spring as described here.

Oh ya- I did find a broken spring in the bottom of the door. Looks exactly like those pictured. Long shank snapped off at the beginning of the hook's curve. But the window track complication?

 

[koda2000]

the lower rear window track shouldn't have any effect on the door handle/latch mechanism unless it's not installed correctly, or unless something is bent like the rods that connect the handle to the latch. the track has a metal spring clip that holds the top of the lower track it to the upper track. i forget which side the clip is on, but the other end has a notch that the clip fits into. then there's the one 10MM bolt that holds it on the bottom of the door. once the track is installed check for any interference with the rods.

if you've replace the exterior handle, you don't need to add any springs. the add-on spring is for when one (or both) handle springs are broken.

 

[LCpearlExplorer]

My exterior handle is still good (knock on wood) and the rods appear to be unmolested. But somewhere in its history a PO was a ham-fisted SOB and he broke many of the plastic parts in this vehicle. The center radio console faceplate hangs away from its proper position etc. The window/doorlock button assembly has been epoxied to the armrest panel for this reason.

I have installed a spring as described here and all seems to be well! Now to re-epoxy the blasted button assembly!

Thanks again for all the info and effort!