My 1999 front driver side door handle is cracked and needs to be replaced. I found one online for ~$17.00 http://www.chevypartstore.com/cgi-bin/partstore/index.html?cat=110&year=1999&make=CHEVROLET&model=TAHOE
How hard is this to replace and what is involved?
Thanks in advance!

Well I will tell you this, I also have a 99 Tahoe and had the same problem with the driver door, bought a replacement on Ebay and went to it, I dont consider myself very mechanical savy, (I work on computers for a living) but I did get it replaced, and the new one works great. It was a little tricky at first but there really isnt much to the setup once you figure it out. One hint I will give you though is do it with plenty of light, that would have helped me alot. Good Luck.

Thanks for the reply and your insight. Did you have to take the inside door panel off or was it all done from the outside?

Well I will tell you this, I also have a 99 Tahoe and had the same problem with the driver door, bought a replacement on Ebay and went to it, I dont consider myself very mechanical savy, (I work on computers for a living) but I did get it replaced, and the new one works great. It was a little tricky at first but there really isnt much to the setup once you figure it out. One hint I will give you though is do it with plenty of light, that would have helped me alot. Good Luck.

I did this to my wife's tahoe's handles. She had Black ones... and she wanted the painted ones... anyway. Yes, you have to remove the door panels, a couple of 10mm screws viewable from the underside.

Step one... very important, MAKE SURE YOUR WINDOW IS UP BEFORE DOING ANYTHING!

Lift the panel up and out. Be careful of the sliding lock indicator, it will pop off put not break.

Disconnect the electrical harness from the panel and set off to the side.

Next is the "vapor barrier" Just grab a corner and seperate it from the door. The glue will still work, so don't worry about that. Once you pull it up.

It is great to have alot of light, because you have to look in the door for the back of the door handle. Unlatch the mechanism, undo the screws and then pull out the door handle from the front.

Check to see if your new handle came with the weather seal. For the front door you need to also remove the lock cylinder. There is a ring, removable with pliers, which will let you pull the cylinder. Line it up on the new one.

Put it all back together!
Have fun... the first door took me an hour to do... just slowly think your way through it at each step, once you get the barrier off, operate the handle so you see how it works, and where you need to disconnect. I cut up my hand alittle, so be careful. Use a magnetic rachet set, with an extender.. make your life a ton easier than mine!

You do not have to pull the door panel to install an outside door handle. Make sure the window is up. Remove the black door vent (below the latch) You can reach the handle and remove it through that hole. Not a tough job at all. I have done it this way several times.

This is great info! Thank you for your time. I'm going to dive in and get mine fixed ASAP.

I did this to my wife's tahoe's handles. She had Black ones... and she wanted the painted ones... anyway. Yes, you have to remove the door panels, a couple of 10mm screws viewable from the underside.

Step one... very important, MAKE SURE YOUR WINDOW IS UP BEFORE DOING ANYTHING!

Lift the panel up and out. Be careful of the sliding lock indicator, it will pop off put not break.

Disconnect the electrical harness from the panel and set off to the side.

Next is the "vapor barrier" Just grab a corner and seperate it from the door. The glue will still work, so don't worry about that. Once you pull it up.

It is great to have alot of light, because you have to look in the door for the back of the door handle. Unlatch the mechanism, undo the screws and then pull out the door handle from the front.

Check to see if your new handle came with the weather seal. For the front door you need to also remove the lock cylinder. There is a ring, removable with pliers, which will let you pull the cylinder. Line it up on the new one.

Put it all back together!
Have fun... the first door took me an hour to do... just slowly think your way through it at each step, once you get the barrier off, operate the handle so you see how it works, and where you need to disconnect. I cut up my hand alittle, so be careful. Use a magnetic rachet set, with an extender.. make your life a ton easier than mine!

You know what... I'm an idiot... you now know how to change the door handle on the 03.

:screwy:

Check with Sivart on this one

You do not have to pull the door panel to install an outside door handle. Make sure the window is up. Remove the black door vent (below the latch) You can reach the handle and remove it through that hole. Not a tough job at all. I have done it this way several times.
If you don't have to remove the door panel how did you get the little clips back onto the rods that go to the handle?Because my hands would not fit.Man i bet you sonofamutha a few times.

My hands wouldn't fit either. Does anyone know the procedure for taking off the door panel?

If you don't have to remove the door panel how did you get the little clips back onto the rods that go to the handle?Because my hands would not fit.Man i bet you sonofamutha a few times.

You can pull everything out of the door handle hole just enough to work with it. My hands will not fit either but as long as you ease the handle out of its hole a bit you can get to everything you need to.
I pulled the door panel the first time I did a door handle only to get it back together and it rattled. Thats when I tried the vent hole toward the bottom of the door. It is much easier and quicker.

does that go for the '98 tahoe as well? someone stuck a screwdriver or something trying to break in from the bottom of the handle.

Yes it does go for the 98 model also.