Drivers door handle inoperative

UberXY · 11-30-06, 06:22 PM

I have a nice FJ62, no rust, rebuilt engine, dual exhaust, runs great. The other day the drivers outside door handle stopped working - inside works fine. Is this just a rod or something that has come unattached? And are there any tricks to removing the door panel so I can get to it?

Thanks,

Steve

beatdown83fj60 · 11-30-06, 06:43 PM

Well, I am no expert, but on my door it is just a plastic little clip that holds the linkage together and that may have gotten brittle and cold and broke (if it got cold enough). As far as the door panel, I believe it may just be the little plastic christmas trees that hold it on, they are fragile but if you get a christmas tree puller from carquest (little prybar that fits around them) they should come out pretty easy. Be careful though all that stuff is relatively fragile so give it some love.

NMFJ60 · 11-30-06, 10:28 PM

A few months ago my outside handle quit and it was the clip just as beatdown said. I had a spare door handle so I robbed the clip for a fast fix, you should be able to get a clip from the dealer or SOR. If you can get your 'Cruiser in a heated garage for a few hours and carefully pry the door panel edge straight out next to the plastic clips the clips should not break.
Cheers!

UberXY · 12-01-06, 07:01 AM

Thanks guys. I'll order a clip or two and go at it. I have one of those trim pry bars and I will be careful with the whole deal.

Steve

fowldarr · 12-01-06, 08:34 AM

If you break something else there was a drivers side door handle on ebay the other day. I need a whole new handle, but I'm holding off for a potential parts cruiser

Jan-78FJ40 · 12-01-06, 08:36 AM

There are plenty aftermarket handles available, they are all fine...

j

UberXY · 12-15-06, 02:34 PM

Pulled the door panel today and everything was hooked up and looking good. Turns out that the door handle mechanism has some small cracks and the inside lever part was flexing a bit too much to push the rod down far enough. I adjusted the rod down about 1/8 inch and now it works fine. Ordered a new handle for when this one gives up the ghost completely.

Now, who can answer this question? I had a nice FJ62 back in the early nineties, and somewhere I bought an excellent factory manual for it. I gave the manual away when I sold that FJ.Now I have another 62 with the Clymer manual, which is more F80 oriented. Anyone know where I can buy that big fat FJ62 manual?

Steve

sirenmoses · 12-16-06, 12:10 AM

FWIW my passenger side handle cracked & broke a few years ago. Thought truck had foiled a thief and happily replaced w/ S$R part. Darned if it's not broken now as well. Not a DD, and rarely a two legged passenger.

Eventually I'll send Cruiserparts.net an email, see if I get the right part the first time.