drivers side door broke! Help quick!

[Cdodge04]

wow do i need some help...my drivers side door is completely screwed up, i cant get it to open! i went out to my truck the other morning, lifted the handle and i heard a pop! and now i cant open teh door from the inside or the outside! the lock on the door sunk down into the door so that its barely visable. the door is stuck closed...can i still get the door panel off to get this fixed? what is my best bet?

[Cdodge04]

i've been searching everywhere trying to find some way to fix this and i've still not found anything. i forgot to mention that it is a 2000 4 door...i took the two screws on the door panel out but still i cant get the panel off...im'a broke college kid who doesnt have a lot of money so im tryin not to bring it to the garage and have them do it...

[bumpinkicker04]

Originally Posted by Cdodge04

i've been searching everywhere trying to find some way to fix this and i've still not found anything. i forgot to mention that it is a 2000 4 door...i took the two screws on the door panel out but still i cant get the panel off...im'a broke college kid who doesnt have a lot of money so im tryin not to bring it to the garage and have them do it...

I understand being broke and in college but it is almost impossible to remove the door panel with the door closed without tearing it to pieces. So it might be cheaper to take it to the shop unless you want to drive around withour the door panel for a while.

[sjwoody]

I'm not exactly familiar with your year, but I've worked on some similar...

Check the inside liner. Some of the smaller pieces near the handle and the top forward corner may just pop out. With the two screws out, don't pry the liner out away from the door like most older cars, but lift the liner UP. Even with the door closed, you should be able to remove the liner with a little effort. If you can get the liner off, I think you'll find a little plastic connector broken off your latch. This connector is one of several connectors that join different steel rods to the latch. The connectors are around 5 bucks at the dealer. Good luck.

[kbecker93]

There is a rod that runs down the length of the door from the door handle as it comes down it meets with a cross bar the goes to the locking mechanism the two bars are connected by a plastic clip that goes on both of them it is extremly hard to access and even harder to put the clip back on to both of them if you don't alight it just right you will have to pull on your door handle hard to get it open I would take it by a shop the plastic piece only costs about 5 dollars hope this helps

[bumpinkicker04]

Originally Posted by Cdodge04

i've been searching everywhere trying to find some way to fix this and i've still not found anything. i forgot to mention that it is a 2000 4 door...i took the two screws on the door panel out but still i cant get the panel off...im'a broke college kid who doesnt have a lot of money so im tryin not to bring it to the garage and have them do it...

take out the two screws on the armrest and you should be able pull the armrest away from the door panel. You have to do a little prying between it and the door panel to get it. If you have power windows and locks you have to unhook the electrical connections on the back of the switches. That might give you enough room to get in there to get ahold of the bar to get your door open.