Outside Door Handles

[Dan Adams 2]

Does anyone know how to remove the outside door handles? My wife's ST came with black handles and I have color-matched handles that I want to install. I did a search but came up empty handed. I have heard rumors that they are riveted on. IF anyone can help or if anyone has done this, please chime in!



Thanks!!

 

[Dan Adams 2]

Nobody??

 

[Kevin Palmer]

You will need to remove the inside door panels. Once you do so, you will see the nuts you need to remove for the handle to be free. There will also be a linkage rod that runs from the handle to the door latch.

 

[Dan Adams 2]

Coastiejoe,



Thanks for posting up. Sounds like it shouldn't be too hard to un-install and install the new handles then. Actually, I did the same thing on my 2004 F-250 Superduty and all I had to do was un-bolt them and remove the linkage on the handle.



THANKS!!

 

[Kerry Matthews]

I just looked at mine earlier this evening, and it does appear that they are riveted on. I have a broken spring on my driver's side rear door from all the use.

 

[Dan Adams 2]

Ok, then I guess I am back to square one.... Coastiejoe, do you have any kind of diagrams that show the nuts on the the inside of the door that you are refering to??

 

[Dan Adams 2]

Anybody else have some insight?



:wacko:

 

[Dan Adams 2]

??

 

[Kevin Palmer]

No, I just assumed. But it is common for Ford to rivet them on, they have done so for years.



In every case that I know of if they are riveted on, you drill the rivets out from the outside of the door. Once you do so, the handle moves enough to allow you to get to the linkage without removing the door panel.

 

[Dan Adams 2]

Coastiejoe,



Do you know what particular size rivets are needed to mount the body color handles I have on it? Is there any way of using a bolt/nut without it looking tacky?

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Bolt and nut would be in the way more so than anything else. The rivet fits pretty flush, nothing to snag your little fingers on.



I do not recall the size but they are HUGE by comparison to the rivets you are used to.



The gun is big bucks to buy as it is for a special size. However, every body shop out there has it as it is a common fastening method.



So, do most of the work and then go to a body shop. They will charge you like ten bucks to rivet the replacements on. Worth every penny as the gun cost close to two hundred dollars.

 

[Dan Adams 2]

Coastiejoe,



Sounds good to me!



Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[Gerald Pierce]

When I ordered aftermarket replacements for my Mustang, they came with the rivets. Of course, my rivet gun was not big enough to do them, so I went looking for a new one that would. No joy, ended up bolting them on. No issues hitting the fingers. Thought about going to a body shop and seeing if they had something, but needed the handles on then, and of course once installed, it took a much lower priority. By the way, they were steel rivets, so eat your wheaties if you try to do it by hand.