How to: Replace driver's side door handle

[jordan1948]

1) Start by ordering it from directauto.com it was like $12.99+ship so around $20. Should look something like this

2) Wait for it to arive at your grandparents address instead of yours...........you can avoid this by not living next door to them lol

3) Alright so you got your new one and the old one looks like this

4) OK enough humor, lets get down to buisiness. Remove the two screws that are directly behind the "invisble" handle.

5) And the screw up near the window

6) Now pop the small black plastic piece off from behind the handle.

7) After that you can remove the panel from the door. Note: you can buy the small tool for this for around $5 or do like me "el cheapo" and use a large flat blade screwdriver.

8) OK here's where I got slightly frustrated and forgot to take pics but there's a few wireing hookups on the back side of the panel. You want to remove these one of which goes to the master window control that is attatched with 2 phillips screwdrivers.

9) Now pop this little piece off

10) Alright you should have the panel completely off by now. If not then my directions weren't clear enough and you'll have to get creative. For the rest of the class that followed instruction, we can move on.

11) OK so here's the next part where I got frusterated but I remembered the camera lol. I didn't realize the small plastic studs on the back of the handle assembly where suppose to be melted. So I started removing them with a window scraper.

12) After breaking 2 blades I decided I needed a different tool so looking around for the non-existint dremel, I found a drill and a sharp bit. Angleing the drill and lightly "carving" away at the previously melted plastic I was able to remove the old handle assembly.

13) Alright now you should have the old handle assembly off and the new one in place but the studs still need melting and guess what? You don't have a plastic stud melter and don't feel like driving 20 miles to the nearest hardware store that may or may not have one then end up driving all over town looking for one. So what do you do? Well here's what I did. I have a torch that's made for burning weeds and melting ice. I set it so that it would stay put while lit and not catch anything on fire then took one of my cheapo 6" socket extentions that I never use, held it with a thick rag, heated the end real well (doesn't have to be red hot, that would take too long) proceed to melt the ends like so.

14) Now after all this is over with reverse steps 4-9 and viola you're door hadle is replaced.

 

[doonze]

Cool, was looking for a guide for this! I vote sticky!

 

[jordan1948]

Thanks. I'll update it when I change the interior to black and get more detailed pics

 

[FamilyTradition]

Big Help

Thanks for the great thread, pics were a big help

 

[mechroneal]

Anyone know if there is a guide for doing this on the XL, with manual windows? It looks similar, but a totally different shape, so I want to make sure before I crack the door open.

 

[Roadrunner777]

I broke this handle last week, and found an alternate repair as follows:

Remove said door panel. (Leave the heat-staked part as it is, just take off the entire door panel.) Note the handle part has two screws that are intended to go through the panel into the handle.

Now, acquire about 12 inches of perforated metal plumbers strap. Trim one end rounded and attach to rear screw, thread the screw through the end of the plumbers strap, then the broken piece of panel, then into the handle, tighten.

Seat the handle back in the panel so the plumbers strap is sticking out the backside. If you thread the strap right, the handle will sit flush and you should only see a hairline crack where it broke. Bend the strap around the back of the panel to the front handle screw. There was a hole in the strap that just barely made it to the screw... I had to fight it a little bit, but it went on so the plumber's strap was tight. Trim excess strap.

So, there may be plumber's strap with different holes and dimensions than what I used. If it were loose, I would have put some blocking under it to make it tight.

I think this is a good fix for a couple of reasons... first, it is purely mechanical metal repair, no glue to break at sub-zero. Next, from a stress standpoint, it's pretty good. The strap goes around the back of the panel very close to where the two screws hold the panel to the door, so it is very solid.

 

[cloaked_chaos]

When I ordered my replacement door handle it came with little metal clips that fit over top of the plastic pegs, which means I didn't have to melt them. If it breaks again in the future, I just need to pop the clips off and install the new one.

 

[RangerX]

13) Alright now you should have the old handle assembly off and the new one in place but the studs still need melting and guess what? You don't have a plastic stud melter and don't feel like driving 20 miles to the nearest hardware store that may or may not have one then end up driving all over town looking for one. So what do you do? Well here's what I did. I have a torch that's made for burning weeds and melting ice. I set it so that it would stay put while lit and not catch anything on fire then took one of my cheapo 6" socket extentions that I never use, held it with a thick rag, heated the end real well (doesn't have to be red hot, that would take too long) proceed to melt the ends]

This is the best part! True DYI!