Driver's Door inside handle not working Yukon

[lunytnz]

It been getting harder and harder to open the drivers door from the inside.  I have to really pull on the handle to unlatch the door.

I'm guessing something is working it's way loose.

Anyone else had this problem and fixed it?

99 Yukon (but older body style)

[Mr. Z71]

I had a '98 Silverado that did the same thing until the door handle finally broke. Replaced it and all was well. Been over five years ago so I don't remember just exactly what piece broke but here's pictures of the assembly that was replaced. Relatively cheap on eBay. Anyway that's what my problem was.

 

 

[lunytnz]

Ahhh... so something might be broken (or breaking, anyway).  That's different than what I expected, but I'm planning to tear into it soon.

I found a video online that showed the cylinder (on the backside) was cracked.  Maybe that's what happened with yours, too?

Did you have to drill out the lower rivet/fastener in order to replace the handle?

[Mr. Z71]

Correct, the pot metal piece broke I just don't remember exactly where. These model vehicles are notorious for the handles breaking. As far as the rivet, yes, you have to drill it out and replace with a short sheet metal screw or another rivet.

[lunytnz]

Thanks for the helpful info!  I found the same problem... the pot metal 'cylinder-shaped' piece was cracked.  So, I found a new part for less than $20.

One video I found said that the two bolts that hold the handle on are 7 mm, but I found a 9/32 socket works just fine.

I drilled out the rivet fastener with a drill bit a tiny bit smaller than 3/16 (I think it was 11/64).

I made a few mistakes along the way (I hope this helps someone else tackling this):

When I was trying to loosen the first fastener on the door panel (I slid two putty knives in, on top of each other, then slid a screwdriver sandwiched in between the putty knives, and twisted the screwdriver).  It worked fine on the right side, but on the left, the fastener broke away from the door panel!   I twisted the screwdriver to get the fastener to start breaking free and give me enough room to get my fingers in to start pulling the fasteners. But when I got the door panel completely off, I discovered the first fastener actually broke off where it is attached to the door panel.  NOTE: when you are popping those plastic fasteners loose, it sounds like things are breaking, but they're not (well, except for the one fastener that actually broke!).  A couple of the clips came out of the door and were stuck on the pins, but they were reusable, so pried them off and shoved them back in the holes in the door.
In my excitement with the new part, I forgot to put the plastic shield on the back side of the handle assembly before attaching the rods.  Not too difficult to correct that.

I forgot to disconnect the courtesy light and the bulb came out of the socket, floating around inside the light!  A minor oops!

I found a video that shows how to replace the handle without removing the whole interior door assembly.  

 

[lunytnz]

And here's a pic of the crack I found in the pot metal that connects the handle to linkage rod:

 

[ChevyDude123]

Thanks for following up with post fix recommendations and insights. Makes it easier for the next guy!

[Mr. Z71]

Lunytnz, I kinda figured that was your problem, as these are prone to breakage. Anyway, glad I could shine some light on the subject and that you got it fixed.