Colored Door Handle Install

logan78 · March 18, 2009

Does anyone have pics or a schematic on how to install door handles (removing the door panel, etc.)?

azsnow · March 18, 2009

I don't have any pics, but its very simple if you have basic hand tools. Pull the door panel off, its held on with clips, undo 2 10mm nuts, be careful not to drop them in the door, but if you do, its easy to reach them, unhook the rod, and pull the door handle out. its a simple swap.

dansk · March 18, 2009

Door panel removeal depends upon which one you have. Worktruck is different than SLE than SLT etc. Assuming you have the most common SLE, pop the little triangular peice off that sits just inside where your sideview mirror mounts. Then pull off the trim from the vertically mounted pull handle and remove the two bolts behind it holding the handle on. Get a jewelers screwdriver and lift off the two covers behind the horizontal door pull and the one behind the door handle. There's two bolts to be removed behind one, and one bolt behind the other. Also use the little screwdriver to remove the clip holding your door lock knob on and remove the knob. If oyur window is down, raise it.

Now you are ready to get your fingers under one edge of the door panel and start pulling to pop free the push connectors holding it on. I used a plastic putty knife to help me get it started without scratching paint. Once it pops loose you can lift the panel up off of the door but it will be tethered by the electric window wires and the cable that operates the door handle. If you carefully pull the inner liner away from the door, you can release the cable and set the panel part way inside the truck. I left the wiring alone.

Now you need a flash light and a strong finger. Look inside the door at the latch mechanism. Youll see a rod coming down down from your outer door handle and it is retained by a little yellow clip. You need to reach in and get your finger on the outer edge of the clip, hook it and pull it open. It kind of works like those stupid blue wire connectors that crush onto wires. Any way, you open it up and the rod is free.

There are two bolts going into the back of the handle to be removed and then you can lift the handle and rod out of the door. Transfer the rod to your new handle and reinstall. If you are going from black to painted handles, check that the color of the new handles does actually match your truck before you start. Also check all of the clip-on nuts that your door panel bolts go into to make sure they are still in place before you begin to reinstall the panel. They tend to jiggle and rotate away from the holes.