Outside Door Handles

[interceptor430]

What an aweful morning it is! Ice storm - covered my 2000 Silverado 2500 series truck...so I go out to crank it, let it warm up, reach for the drivers door handle and pull, and it breaks off the truck into my hand!
Heck, I didn't pull that hard either...plastic plastic plastic!!!!
So....I gotta order these from the dealer here, I suppose. And assume I'll have to remover the interior door panel to get to it.
So...has anybody done this? Are there any tricks to removing the door panel and changing the door handle?
I'm pretty good with mechanics/tools/etc - but have never had to deal with anything breaking on this truck.
Any help/advice is welcomed.
Thanks!

[TexasF355F1]

Well although I havent removed my door handles(i have a '99 silverado) i have removed the door panels, and it is a lot easier than it seems. Just remove all the screws from the door and disconnect the electric door/window buttons, by carefully pulling off that piece. And once that is off just pull up on the panel and it comes right off. I've read in a article in Sport Truck magazine sometime back about changing door handles and it appeared very easy. I know this doesn't help a lot but maybe a little bit.

[interceptor430]

Thanks for the reply Man!
The part cost isn't bad - $28, but the dealer wants 1.5 hours labor to do it for me($120)....that's ridiculous....hopefully I can do it myself when the weather clears a bit...
again, thanks for letting me know what you've done, and what worked well for you. :sun:

[bowtiebandit]

1.5 is about the going rate for any work done inside the door. Hope ya get it. And do not pull on the panel!!! Push up!!

[interceptor430]

Push up...do not pull...ok...I'll get the truck inside the house garage this evening and get a good long look at this inside door panel....
thanks for the PM...I may be asking ? again this eve.
:sun:

[TexasF355F1]

Push up, pull up, its all the same since your just lifting the panel up.
About the labor costs, definately attmept this one by yourself first, if you get into it and are afraid you might mess up something then take, geezz don't ya just like how car dealerships can rip you off.

[bowtiebandit]

Now why would you say they rip people off?

[interceptor430]

Guys, thanks for the help - I also found a description of how to get into the door panel and change the door handle on the web. It was related to a guy upgrading/changing his Chevy door handles to the chrome look
Caddy Escalade handles.
ha ha ha...the Service rep at the Dealer called me back with the 1.5 hours per door labor charge ($240) - so I quickly asked 'You guys get $80 an hour for this? - that's more than I charge!' - this guy then asked, 'Are you a Doctor?' - I said 'No, and neither are you so why the
expensive hourly charge?'....ha ha ha...he stammered and stuttered and then said 'I just work here and don't set the rates'. That was so funny.
Anyway, I stopped by the dealer after work and got both the left and the right handles and will work on it Saturday - the ice storm is still bad here and has trees bent over and blocking the road down to my shop here behind the house.
I restore/build old Fords (1959 T-Birds) - so I'm not so scared of this Truck...I just didn't know how to get the door panels off without possibly damaging some other cheapo cheapo plastic part.....Again thanks for the suggestions/directions/and support.
I'll let ya know when this mini project is in the 'done' status.

[bowtiebandit]

Glad you found what you'r looking for!! By the way I charge 105 an hour but then again, as you probably know, I have over 100 grans my own personal tools and I do all our deales Vette work and electrical work.

[interceptor430]

Yea? $105 an hour?....Wow, and Good for you!!!
I really don't mind paying to get something done when it takes special tools/electronics/etc...but, like I'd mentioned before, I do restore old cars - mechanics, electrical, disassemble the whole car, strip it to bare metal, do the body work (welding, filler work), and I'm pretty good with a paint gun too....I just hated to have to fork out the $'s for a job like this....one that I can do....and just needed a little boost/info ref the door panel.
Again, thank you for answering me, and I will let you know how it ends up....oh yea....I have a '91 Vette too....love it! (I have the shop manuals for it)....I need to find/buy some manuals for this 2000 Truck too...maybe I can find a deal on some somewhere....do you have any leads/suggestions on those?

[bowtiebandit]

Try HelmInc.com. I believe thats who supplies the dealer. We don't have manuals anymore, everything is online or CD based.

[interceptor430]

Thank you very much!!! I just ordered a paper shop manual for my Truck!

[interceptor430]

Thanks guys! The outside door handle replacement task is 'done'!
It was very easy, and went very very smoothly. I did both doors, and did them both in 1.5 hours....yep, my first time, and I did them both in 1/2 the time the Dealer Service Department quoted me. So, I'm real happy to have not forked over $240 to them.
Thanks!