GEN 1 Coupe Door Handles

[oscar_wilde]

How about this question then ........... how do you get round using replacement (Sherman) handles/panels that don't have threaded bolts? My original passenger side handle/panel was totally wrecked after the previous owner suffered an attempted break-in (and the driver's side was missing entirely). When I removed the passenger side panel, it was held on by a couple of domed nuts that threaded onto the bolts welded onto the panel. The Sherman replacements just have plain rods that locate (approximately) through the holes in the door frame. Am I missing something, or do I have to come up with some sort of botch (plenty or silicon sealant to try to keep them in place and then drill the rods and fit cotter-pins or something similar)?

the nuts CUT into the rods to make the threads....

Truth. They come plain rods. You have to like torque them to create threads on the posts. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort.

I just did this on my '95 convertible...now, the dome lights tend to stay on. What did I screw up? All I did was turn the threaded rod a couple of turns...

Make sure your door sensor didn't get touched or stuck. Also, make sure the door is actually closing. Make sure the little bar where the door rests is not stuck closed or in the stop. (The post that the door comes to rest on).

[RobertISaar]

took these pics in some awesome and snowing 18*F weather...



this is what we start with after removing the 2 nuts holding the splash shield, or what ever it's called, on. as you can see, i've adjust this before and am doing it again for the purposes of this write-up. what we will be dealing with is the little barrel on the end of the threaded rod. as seen, it will not move with the retainer under it holding it there...


so we take a flat-bladed screw driver, and push from the inside outwards. it will fall off after about 3/8" of travel...


and you end up with that. pick up the retainer, put it on the seat and then rotate the barrel in the direction you need it to...


bottoming it out on the threads as shown here will cause the handle to travle a long ways before it start to actuate the hardware that actually opens the door...


adjusting the barrel all the way to the top makes the handle open VERY quickly after starting to pull on the handle. the rods seem to have an issue with compressing that forces you to keep adjusting every once in a while, and once you get to the end of the threads, you either need to replace the rods or stretch them out. this write-up will not involve that since i've never had to do it myself. refer to Crazy K for more info.

now, it may take a few rounds of adjusting to get it perfect, but when you do find a good place for it, you need to insert the stud of the barrel into the end of the retainer that is just flat metal, not the side that is folded over. then place the stud through the hole of the "golden" part of the hardware. then work the retainer onto the golden part by twisting it up and down while pulling outwards so that the entore retainer can slip over the part. when it can, push it inwards and then it will pop into place. you MAY need to work the handle during this time for some extra room to move around if your fingers won't fit. replace the splash shield if desired.

[Crazy K]

I've stretched every rod I've touched.

consider this: something that has started to bend will only continue to bend and get worse; the more bent it is the more propensity it has to bend even more.

to stretch the rod back out, you need to remove the door panel and locate the area on the lock mechanism where the rod attaches. Most cars have a rod clip you spin and the rod pops out. some are harder, as you cannot remove the rod clip without removing the door guts. *see below*

once you do have the rod out, you will see it is not a straight rod, but has two or three bends in it. unbend each bend just a bit and fit it back into the door and see how much more unbending is required. your goal: 1 get the attachment nut within one turn of the bottom of the thread where it meets the handle at it's at rest position, and 2 have the rod not bind on anything in the door.


Once the rod is in position and you attach it back to the handle, you will be tempted to hook the handle up so that the handle has some preload on the rod. Having TOO MUCH preload CAN jamb the door rendering it unopenable. some preload is ok. important: *DO NOT SHUT DOOR UNTIL PROCEDURE IS COMPLETE*
how to check adjustment: Once the handle is attached, manually close the latch (the part that grips the door jamb peg) by moving it into the close position by hand *DO NOT SHUT DOOR*. test both the interior handle and exterior handle several times(like 5 times each), manually closing the latch each time the door handle releases it. If it works 100%, then repeat the same test, but this time lock and unlock the door each time while in the shut position. If it jambs, you must unhook the handle from the top of the rod. HELL... you basically need to test the door latch function by every possible compination of locking latching and releasing.... FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE AS FOLLOWS:

so again: (manually close latch between every repetition!!! *DO NOT CLOSE DOOR*)
5x releasing inner handle to open door latch.
5x releasing outer handle to open door latch.
5x MANUALLY locking, then manually unlocking the door and releasing inner handle to open door latch
5x MANUALLY locking, then manually unlocking the door and releasing outer handle to open door latch
5x POWER locking, then power unlocking the door and releasing inner handle to open door latch
5x POWER locking, then power unlocking the door and releasing outer handle to open door latch
5x use key cylinder to lock, then use key cylinder to unlock, then releasing inner handle to open door latch
5x use key cylinder to lock, then use key cylinder to unlock, then releasing outer handle to open door latch
5x manually locking, TRY OPENING INNER HANDLE, manually unlock the door, unlatch by inner handle
5x manually locking, TRY OPENING OUTER HANDLE, manually unlock the door, unlatch by outer handle
5x power locking, TRY OPENING INNER HANDLE, power unlock the door, unlatch by inner handle
5x power locking, TRY OPENING OUTER HANDLE, power unlock the door, unlatch by outer handle
5x use key cylinder to lock, TRY OPENING INNER HANDLE, use key cylinder to unlock the door, unlatch by inner handle
5x use key cylinder to lock, TRY OPENING OUTER HANDLE, use key cylinder to unlock the door, unlatch by outer handle


so... if it passes all testing.... close her up, you are done!


ADD AN EMERGENCY RELEASE: I have mentioned that I have one mod I also do to every door I service. I tie a thin nylon rope to the mechanism to the point where the lower end of the rod meets the latch. this rope then goes out the bottom of the door through a weep hole, and I trim and knot the bottom to be just short of touching the ground. once tested, i tuck this string into the rubber striping on the bottom of the door. It is out of site and out of mind, but can be pulled out if you ever have another door handle failure, though this either means you need to dig it out with a paperclip, or open the opposite door... and this rope CAN serve long term in the event of a door handle failure...





**if you have a "unremoveable rod clip" (mainly but not necessarily 1994 models) You can either try to stretch the rod in the door, or physically drill out all the rivets that hold the door guts to the door, and reinstall the guts when complete using 1/4" (or 7mm) bolts with nylocking nuts (Lowes has those parts)

[carkhz316]

^Absolutely friggin right here!! Make for sure that it doesn't have preload. When you close the door and this happens, you will get "girlfriend opening door when you are unlocking" syndrome. (Think about for a sec, you'll get it.) In all seriousness, it's what Crazy K has mentioned that the door latch binds because of too much preload on the handle adjustment.




On a side note, awesome tip about the emergency release. Please take some pics and write-up that part because I would like to/ plan on doing this to '92 Z

[xtremerevolution]

^Absolutely friggin right here!! Make for sure that it doesn't have preload. When you close the door and this happens, you will get "girlfriend opening door when you are unlocking" syndrome. (Think about for a sec, you'll get it.) In all seriousness, it's what Crazy K has mentioned that the door latch binds because of too much preload on the handle adjustment.




On a side note, awesome tip about the emergency release. Please take some pics and write-up that part because I would like to/ plan on doing this to '92 Z

x2. I would love to see pictures of what Ken is talking about. Its hardly something that I can picture in my head without seeing.

[Crazy K]

soon, my pretties.

but for now.... let me say it this way:

there is an arm that is moved by the end of the rod at the base of the door. I tie the rope with a lasso over that and pull till tight and run it out the door bottom.

[carkhz316]

soon, my pretties.

but for now.... let me say it this way:

there is an arm that is moved by the end of the rod at the base of the door. I tie the rope with a lasso over that and pull till tight and run it out the door bottom.

patiently awaiting......

[Crazy K]

I SUGGEST A TITLE EDIT.

GEN 1 Coupe Door Handles

[Addicted to eaton]

stickie this now mods! or. take roberts post and made a gen 1 how to topic! PLEASE!

[carkhz316]

When you gonna show us your sweet e-release Crazy K??

[rich_e777]

Ive had this problem for a long time on my `94 Cutlass SL and even when i bought a entire new door handle about 45-50+ bucks at autozone but before installing take a grinder or some sand paper and there is a silver looking part torwards the bottom. round this part off where it makes contact(sorry for no pics) and make sure you adjust that little part that threads up and down to the right height and you should be good to go. I hope this helps all the dudes and dudettes with pillar mounted door handles. (if you luck up on one of these handles at a junk yard go play the lottery cause luck is on your side.)

[Garrett Powered]

or get one for $5 at a junk yard and keep it adjusted correctly and you will never break one again.

I cant believe how many people have bad luck with these. they are pretty tough and rugged. in my opinion easier to work on than other makes and very easy to adjust. for something so simple it really is a very common problem and its simply amazing to me.

as for bending rods. not sure why the rods are bending. if they are you must have adjusted it wrong or got rough with it. you should only need a couple turns to get it right.

Im sure people on here have spares they would sell for cheap for future reference. try placing a want ad in the classified section.

[GTP091]

or get one for $5 at a junk yard and keep it adjusted correctly and you will never break one again.

I cant believe how many people have bad luck with these. they are pretty tough and rugged. in my opinion easier to work on than other makes and very easy to adjust. for something so simple it really is a very common problem and its simply amazing to me.

as for bending rods. not sure why the rods are bending. if they are you must have adjusted it wrong or got rough with it. you should only need a couple turns to get it right.

Im sure people on here have spares they would sell for cheap for future reference. try placing a want ad in the classified section.

X 2

[ss427]

I cant believe how many people have bad luck with these. they are pretty tough and rugged. in my opinion easier to work on than other makes and very easy to adjust. for something so simple it really is a very common problem and its simply amazing to me.

I think the problem is that most people who break them are not members of this community but rather folks who simply have a W coupe as their means of transportation and don't understand/care about how and why the door handles work or become problematic. Then we buy the cars with broken handles and have to correct the problems. The rods don't really bend, they just stretch a little over time where the factory bends are, because careless people have trouble opening the door and thing the harder they pull the better luck they will have getting it opened, until the handle snaps.

Just an FYI, don't buy NAPA handles, the "gloss" black paint will fade/oxidize to a flat mess in about a month, and the mechanism setup is inferior to the OEM design in several ways.

[George]

Other than GM what is the best aftermarket brand for fit, finish,and durability?