I have an 87 GXL and my door handles broke both sides did on the outside they just came disconected internally and that is a real pain is this a known problem er somethin because they came disconected within a month of each other.......

Well at any rate i took the door panel off and discovered that part of the window covers one of the internal bolts to the door handle and is i beleive absolutely impossible to get to with out taking the door apart.... so any feedback on this would be apreciated greatly

 

are you sure that they are internally disconnected? i would think that because this is a common problem that you should inspect the handly more closely for a break in the aluminum assembly.

 

99.99999999% of the time (on an FC) the handles break. Sorry buddy.

Ya see the two screws in the bottom of the window? take them out and take out the glass.

I think you mean taking the glass out, you already took the door apart And yes, you can't (perhaps with a wrench and bloody knuckles) take out the handle without removing the glass. SO take out the two 10mm bolts (also phillips head) and pull the glass out of the way.

P.S. - You might wanna find two handles too

 

You CAN remove the handle without removing the glass. I have done it many times. The handle is held in place by two 10 mm nots from the inside. You can access one with the window up and the other with the window down. You have to keep the door panel handle and plug in for the electric windows. One of the nuts you access through a hole in the door that will have a plastic cap filling it up. Once the two nuts are loose, you need a pliers/vice grip to to unhook the rod that opens the door from the handle. Next you will need a screwdriver to remove the lock/unlock lever. Finally, if you have an alarm, you will have to unplug two plugs and thread around the track and pull the handle out. Like classicauto said, most of the time the cast iron pieces are broke and unfixable. I have tried.

You just need to lay your hands on a new handle. Transferring the locks to the new handles is a snap if you are a handy person.

Brian

 

haha i find it much easier just to remove the glass

 

i have a spare passenger handle if you need it.

 

You don't actually *need* a screwdriver to disconnect any of the connecting rods. And you're more apt to break the little 20 y/o plastic pieces if you use them.

To the original poster,

Disconnect the connecting rods by hand. They are pretty much just pressed in, and part of the plastic clip slides over it. You'll see exactly what I'm talking about when you look at it.

Also, removing the window is unnecessary. You will have to roll the window up or down (I think it's down) to remove/re-install one of the 10mm bolts holding the handle on. But as someone said, there's a black plastic cap you remove so you can stick your socket through, using an extension.

Aside from that, the actual harness plugs for the alarm sensors are a pain to disconnect the first time.

Swapping the lock cylinders is easy. There's a metal clip holding it in.

Have fun...or try too...

 

haha wow u guys make me feel like an idiot lol thanks for all the advice sounds like i got enough info to fix the problem

 

where are you at in washington i'm in tacoma if you need some help i just changed the handles on my car. its pretty simple and straightforward though

 

Roll UP window, take off first bolt (furthest toward front of vehicle)... Roll DOWN window... remove plastic plug on door where second bolt would be... remove second bolt. pull handle assembly out a bit.. and use a screw driver to pop the linkages off. its really THAT easy. Throw in the new one... and pray for a color match.

ALso.. alarm wires aren't hard to unconnect. Just disconnect them on the back side of the door.. and pull them off of the ONE black securing clip on the inside of the door.. then just yank them out.

But, I'll admit.. I just did this on my parts car.. and doing stuff on a parts car is always easier because you aren't AS worried about things breaking as you are on your DD.

--Micah

 

My alarm sensor plugs were a P.I.T.A. to disconnect.

Edit: And stop telling him to use a screwdriver to 'pop' off the linkages. He could break them that way...then he'll be REALLY upset.

 

Suck to be you man. And a screw driver worked fine for the last 3 cars I've replaced door handles on..... but what do I know.

How do you recommend he takes them off? Magical fairy dust?

 

I was able to do it easily with just my fingers.

 

Then maybe there was something wrong with them. But truthfully, the little orange one is easy to do with your fingers. the white one that threads around the push rod isn't as easy.. and if it popped off with your fingers, maybe there was something wrong with it in the first place?

 

If you're talking about the white plastic clip that connects the locking mechanism, that can be easily undone with your finger. And considering it's 20 y/o plastic, I would go prying around with anything.

If you're talking about the alarm sensor plug, the white one is a bitch.

 

its not aluminum aluminum wuldnt snap that easy its white metal so welding it is pointless 2

 

Yeah..... I'm going to just agree to disagree. Because you are wrong. LOL

 

I really don't think it's aluminum either. My vote goes to pot metal.

 

Yeah.. definately pot metal... cast. You can tell when it snaps if you look at the snapped area. I tried the whole JB weld thing too.. that don't work... well. for long.

 

It's pot metal...hence the no welding dealie..