92 lumina apv door handle

need help with my exterior drivers door handle. It has been hard to open since i've owned it and then it finally stopped opening. So I replaced the handle and it was a little better but failed again. The handle always seems to have to much play in it and you have to pull to the very limits to get the door open.

Is there a way to make adjustments or should i use shims or am i missing something? please help

Most doors, there is a rod that connects the handle to the latch. Putting a bend in the rod will shorten it up, and make it work better. Sometimes they get stretched or bent to where they are a little longer than they need to be. Or the tang where they connect to the handle might be bent wrong. Anyway, shortening it up should fix it. If the rod appears to be any longer than what's neccessary to reach the handle, that's the problem.

jeff thanks for the reply

on my door the handle rod pushes down onto the latch. the rod actually fits into a slot. when you pull the handle, a nub (thick part) on the rod which is about an inch up from the bottom of the rod catches on the slot and pushes down on the latch mechanism.

I was thinking about putting some washers or something to take up the gap, but then i looked at the passenger door that works perfect and it has the same gap.

I'm trying to picture this, and if I understand, it sounds like the opposite might be true, the rod could be bent and therefore not long enough? I would really have to see one to tell. Otherwise it would seem the problem is in the latch side, maybe something worn down, neccessitating more rod travel?

Is your's the conventional style, or the one on the pillar?

i'm not sure what you mean by conventional or pillar? the latch mechanism is in the standard door position and it is fairly large and all the rods connect up to it.

the handle rod seems perfectly straight. i was tempted to take out the latch mechanism and inspect it but it is hard to get to and with all the rods and stuff i thought it would be a pain to reinstall.

another fault is the door pins. The door starts sagging putting pressure on the handle. When you open the door under stress it break the inside. It can even break the handle...

Try lifting up on the door by the thin part of the door. The lower corner. If it moves then your pins are bad as well...

another fault is the door pins. The door starts sagging putting pressure on the handle. When you open the door under stress it break the inside. It can even break the handle...

Try lifting up on the door by the thin part of the door. The lower corner. If it moves then your pins are bad as well...

Nice one! I didn't even consider that, and I bet you are right.