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Rats ghetto door handle fix

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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 06:05 PM
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From: Hood River oregon
Rats ghetto door handle fix

So, I figured out a way to fix your broken drivers side door handles for less then .50 cents.

Pic one:

Drill two small diameter holes in the lever

Pic two:

Use some safety wire to secure the two halfs together.

Pic three:

Tighten the safety wire by twisting the safety wire.

Fixed 3 handles this way and they are still working. Enjoy!
Attached Thumbnails Rats ghetto door handle fix-img_2438.jpg   Rats ghetto door handle fix-img_2441.jpg   Rats ghetto door handle fix-img_2443.jpg  
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 08:32 PM
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might as well put some JB weld on there, that way it wont go ANYWHERE
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 08:48 PM
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JB weld seems to break...

Like I said, its ghetto. It will work, but you will still eventually need a new handle.
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 09:14 PM
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I hate JB Weld.

Rat's way is way better!
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 09:26 PM
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JB weld will not break if applied properly.. But I'd say a combo of the two fixes would be a sure fix..
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 10:36 PM
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Brilliant!

The T2's passenger handle broke on me in phoenix. I had my first FCs drivers handle break on me before. Easy fix, but finding a matching color handle can be a PITA.


Great job rat!
-Ben Martin
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 11:08 PM
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good stuff
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Old Jun 10, 2007 | 11:21 PM
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yayness!
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 12:37 AM
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word. I had both driver and passenger handles break on me within 2 days of each other...
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 12:50 AM
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Epoxy does very poorly on a "butt joint".
If it was in sheer, it might work.
Please stop recommending JB Weld for this...


-Ted
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 12:58 AM
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i was actually planning on drilling holes and then securing it together with to thin peices of steel and nuts and bolts . . . but this may work for cheaper, i agree with the JB weld comment , no dice on tiny butt joints . . .
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 02:30 AM
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if the metal wasn't so cheap it could re welded. Some carbon fiber handles would be nice.
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 02:42 AM
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Any cheap ways to fix the inside driver door handle? So I don't have to roll down the window and open the door from the outside everytime? Lol I might as well climb out the driver window like a race driver :P

Nice guide, I hope I don't have to use it anytime soon seeing as to how if the outside handle breaks too, I would have to climb out.
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 03:59 AM
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Neato.
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 05:22 AM
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Originally Posted by RockyZ
Any cheap ways to fix the inside driver door handle? So I don't have to roll down the window and open the door from the outside everytime? Lol I might as well climb out the driver window like a race driver :P

Nice guide, I hope I don't have to use it anytime soon seeing as to how if the outside handle breaks too, I would have to climb out.
what color inner handle?
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 07:45 AM
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i got a used one where someone made a bracket and put screws in it.
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 08:36 AM
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That metal really won't do good with JB Weld, or really anything. It's pot metal (very cheap). Good luck welding or "gluing" it.

As for the OP, nicely done Rat.
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 12:42 PM
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I saw someone trying to sell these once but they wanted like $150 for a handle so nobody agreed to it, but someone should make these out of steel or iron(I know iron is mostly steel).
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 12:44 PM
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Tie-wire? Someone's been around airplanes too much

me likey
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 02:51 PM
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nice quick-fix.
i was lucky enough to find a matching handle at the junkyard.

I swapped out the lock as well.
the wierd thing is, the lock worked when it was outta the car, but doesnt now...??
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Old Jun 11, 2007 | 03:32 PM
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Avionics puke using safety wire??????? Should be in Ripley's Belive it or Not. Musta had a tire kicker show him how. ...humor
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Old Sep 26, 2007 | 03:46 PM
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Thank you J-Rat. I broke a door handle last week. I almost did what you did with the safety wire but did something very similar. I made a doubler and used three 1/8 inch rivets to fasten it to the broken lever parts. To do this required taking a rotary file and removing some material where the ribet heads would foul when the handle was moved.

Just in case..........the *doubler* is just a flat piece of aluminum shaped to match the side of the broken lever.

Seems the junkyards are out of left hand door handles. Plenty of right hand ones though.
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Old Sep 26, 2007 | 04:46 PM
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Great idea Rat! Seems to be the same damn piece on every f-ing door handle. I have two of them I haven't thrown away yet.

I wonder if you could re-enforce this cheap-fix with a string wrap and THEN an epoxy of sorts. Or a small piece of fiberglass cloth wrapped around. Eh.. probably not worth it.
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Old Sep 26, 2007 | 06:21 PM
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Originally Posted by '87 turbo II
I know iron is mostly steel
Actually, steel is basically iron with a carbon added.
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Old Sep 26, 2007 | 11:29 PM
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i've had more luck with plastic weld "good for 4000psi per square inch" than jbweld... no matter how i made the jb, its weaker than the plastic weld.. one good recent brand i used was plastic fuzion! lol... damn held many things together.. including my pants. lol
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