outside door handle problem - MORE

[fulsizjeep]

Forgive me if I have missed the obvious in a previous post.  Thanks

84 Eagle Sport Wagon.  The driver door handle pull is not opening the door any more.  I opened the door fine yesterday morning to get the engine warmed up.  When I went to leave for work, the handle flapped open but did not unlatch the door.  No click either...  It is too cold outside to tear the door apart for diagnosis.  What is the common problem here?

[mudkicker715]

Needs a new paddle as yours is broken beyond repair. That tab that the linkage hooks to is broken off atleast 90% of the time.

[LaGuardia]

Quite bad news.

Probably the internal handle tab just cracked. They do such things.

An easy fix (that's what I did) until you find a replacement one is: take the rear handle (same side) and do the swap.
Then mount the broken one on the rear door (just for the sake of aesthetics, and to close the hole ).

If you're lucky, maybe the lever just disconnected from the handle, so it would be just a matter of hooking it back. You can easily tell by the handle's behavior: If you pull it and it goes back to place (spring working), you're lucky: just a disengaged lever.

If it stays dead open and you have to push it back into place, then the spring has no tab to engage with, so the handle is FUBAR.

[IowaEagle]

Yup, more than likely the rod tang broke off the back of the paddle.  Once you replace it make sure you lubricate all of the interior linkages and do so at least annually.  Door sag will also put a strain on the piece of pot metal.

[fulsizjeep]

Thanks!   

Another newb question:
The handles linked below also these fit the AMC doors?

Driver Side:
http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?jeep-sid=0&plID=10735&partID=8749

Passenger Side:
http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?jeep-sid=0&plID=10735&partID=8748

[IowaEagle]

Yes, and yes.  Nice of Jeep to keep using those handles for a few more years.

[fulsizjeep]

Thanks All!

[AMCKen]

I had to change one on my SX4 today. Took 15 minutes from out of the house  to back in.

[fulsizjeep]

I think I have another symptom that may be related to the door handle...  The driver door window only goes down about 6" and gets hung.  Is it possible the broken paddle handle has something to do with this?

thanks

[ammachine390]

I think I have another symptom that may be related to the door handle...  The driver door window only goes down about 6" and gets hung.  Is it possible the broken paddle handle has something to do with this?

thanks

Yes. When my handle broke, the linkage to the handle detached and fell/pivoted blocking the path for the window.

[fulsizjeep]

OK, looks like it will get above freezing tomorrow so I will tear in to it then.  Thanks again for the feedback.

[chiboy]

FYI, when it comes to door locks in the winter, the mechanism can get frozen. When you first attempt to pull the handle and it does not move with the usual force, never force it your almost guaranteed to break the mechanism. You can try the door on the other side and if that doesn't work and you have a wagon, you can always crawl in thru the rear hatch ( had to do this only once all other times the other door worked). As a precaution now I follow the weather forecast and spray WD40 in my keyholes, door and hood clevis mechanisms, its good insurance.   

I learned the hard way, broke my drivers door handle, had to tear the door panel apart the only high note was that I found the original build order ticket inside the door.

Chiboy

         

[fulsizjeep]

Thanks for the extra info.  I ordered a YJ handle but plan to put the back door handle in driver door tomorrow.  The other 3 doors work fine.  HaHa, the rear hatch does not work right now because of broken hinges and is duct taped down.  <banging my head on cheap imitation woodgrain>

[jim]

<banging my head on cheap imitation woodgrain>
It may be imitation, but if you add in labor it sure as @#$% wasn't cheap on our Eagle!

[fulsizjeep]

LOL, woodgrain is over rated by a factor of 4.2