broken door handle

[markc522]

my passenger door handle broke. does anyone know how simple (or hard) it is to replace.
it is the exterior door handle. the handle is there but something inside came loose or broke. i dont want to sound like an idiot but i havent delt with this situation yet.
but until i fix it i have to open the door from the inside. and the girlfriend doesnt like that when it is raining

 

[Insane3D]

I just did my driver's side, and it's fairly easy. The hardest part is getting the old rivets out. It can be kind of tricky drilling them out, but it can be done. On mine, I actually cut off the back end of it, inside the door, then drilled it out from the front.

Once you drill out the rivets, you simply pull the rod straight down out of it's little hole on the handle, and install the new handle. I opted to go with a heavy phillips head screw/bolt with nylock nuts inside. The nylock nuts keep it tight, and if you try and just take the screws off from the outside, the screw would just turn. It's still safe as far as someone breaking in, but easier to change if it ever needs to be again.

I went with the all metal handles from 5.0 Resto, and they worked well. They do stick out a tiny bit more, but I only noticed because I read about it before I got mine. They have a nice glossy black finish, and are much, much more heavy/solid than the factory ones.

Oh, before I forget, make sure you have good drill bits...those freakin rivits are made of titanium or something... You shouldn't have any problems though...

Good luck!

 

[markc522]

I just did my driver's side, and it's fairly easy. The .............................................or something... You shouldn't have any problems though...

Good luck!

thanks for the info.

 

[MahFiVeOh]

I went with carriage bolts (rounded head) and the same nylon lock nuts Insane3D used.Real easy to do.

 

[squeeeg]

I went with bots as well. I couldn't get ahold of a rivet gun large enough to handle the rivets for this. It is a real easy thing to do. Not something that you send out to a shop.

 

[BaXTeR3221]

I also went with bolts. This way, if it breaks again, it'll be easy to replace. FYI, go with metal, but be aware they can also break, mine currently are.

 

[Insane3D]

I should have clarified the screws I use are more bolts than screw. I had a bunch of them left over from assembling server racks at a local company.

 

[crazypete]

50resto carries chrome metal handles. Get a pair. Theyre not expensive and much stronger. Use 2 small carriage bolts each. The hardest part is getting the door apart to do all this.

 

[markc522]

thanks all of you.

sounds like a weekend project.
ill get back with you and let you know how it goes.

 

[vristang]

I used Carriage bolts on all four of the door handles I've replaced. Much better than the rivets from the factory

 

[skip nay]

I drill out the old rivets but when I put the new handle on I use stainless steel bolts and castle nuts. Hard to drill the bolts if they try to break in. And if they try to unbolt it the nut turns with the bolt