Write-Up: Fixing Outside Door Handle

Write-Up (metal handle repair): https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t1757p15-write-up-fixing-outside-door-handle#18736

Write-Up (carbon fiber repair): https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t1757p105-write-up-fixing-outside-door-handle#182976
__

So uh, I go to open my door this morning before work, and it won't budge, it just lifted right up, and didn't connect with anything, so I unlock it again, and give it another try.. notta.. so I open it from the passenger side, and go to work. After work, I pull the panel off to discover this little plastic peice thats part of the handle assembly broke off, so the handle has no way to connect to the opening mechanism.. so I guess I need to buy a new handle.. has this happened to anyone? anyone think this is a rhino-friendly repair so I don't have to take it somewhere to get ripped off?

anyone?

Well dats fµk up! Haven't had that happen yet, but I think you if are talented enough to get the door panel off...your talented enough to do the handle...get dem spark plugs changed yet?

you could always plastic weld it back together until you come across a replacement on ebay. i dont know what the handel looks like inside the door so i dont know if its fixable or if it needs to be replaced.
ed morad has a few riv's parted out if you need a handle for cheap.

Did you see my previous post about 98 outside door handle? Mine broke and I tried to get a replacement. Our Buick dealer said I could get a new one, the right color and everything for $65.00(ouch!) I tried parts yards and finally found a yard that I had gotten a door window switch from 2 years prior, for my 96 that I had before. He had 3, a 98 white, 96 burgundy and another red one. I guess the white 98 turned out to be broken, so he brought me the 96 handle. I found the backside of the handle to be a different design than the 98. I decided to give repairing the broken one a shot before ordering the new one for $65. I made a brace for the sides of the broken finger of the handle by using two aluminum pcs. the width of the finger. I drilled two holes top and bottom and inserted two countersunk head 6-32 machine screws, lock washers and nuts.I had to cut the side of the door handle assy to clear the nuts a little. You can't see it unless you get down and look up under the handle. It works fine and is probably stronger than before. Make sure you use stainless screws and nuts if possible and I greased mine up really good so they would weather. I live in Mich.and I'm glad I'm a retired machinist so that I could have repaired it.
Good luck with your handle. I thought because the 1995-1999 bodies were all the same that the handle design would be too. (Wrong)
Jimmyriv
ROA#6721
"65"&"98"
Rivieras

so which design seems stronger? 95/96 handle or the 97+ door's? just out of curiosity. you would think buick would improve designs over time but the 97+ seem to break more than the 95/96's.

Quote :

Well dats fµ©k up! Haven't had that happen yet, but I think you if are talented enough to get the door panel off...your talented enough to do the handle...get dem spark plugs changed yet? suspect lol

i'm gonna pick em up on friday, as well as some stuff to use as a spark plug socket, just waiting until I have some cash in the bank lol :/

thanks for the tip man, I think i'll give it a try. I think the plastic peice that broke off is still inside my door haha, if not, i'll figure something out :/ i've already broken all the clips and all that black sticky crap from when I took it off the first time.. so it'll be a breeze this time. How did you get to the handle so easily? isn't there that silver metal peice that's blocking it? or can that be removed?

When you get the inside door wall off, there are two rubber plugs you remove to gain access to the two bolts( I think they were 10mm)that secure the handle to the outside of the door. There is a snap ring holding the lock mechanism in the handle assy. I just slid my lock out of the hole. The rod that works the door release is held in by two clamps that the rod end goes through and then snaps over the side of the rod. I unhooked both ends to pull the handle assy out of the door. One of the difference of the 96 handle assy is that the bottom end of that rod is threaded. Also the 98 handle had a rod running across the handle to mount the handle to the door assy. The handle had a finger at the end nearest the door edge that pushed down on a bar mounted on the back of the handle assy to push down the rod that released the door latch. The 96 did not have the rod and the handle was connected at each end of the assy. The rod was mounted in the handle right at the finger and it looked larger and stronger than the 98 handle. I think I might have been able to modifythe 96 with a lot of effort but I was able to repair the 98 handle by the method I described and the 96 was red and would need painting.
Good luck with your endeavor and Ionly saw the 96 and 98 handles and I'm not sure of the other years either.
Jimmyriv
ROA#6721
'65'&'98'
Rivieras

thanks for the tips james, i'm actually about to head out to my car now and take a swing at it :>

lol I was the victor jimmy :> tyvm for the ideas

Good job little bro.........
jimmyriv

It happened to me a while back. The new door handle is built better and looks stronger than the old one.

yeah I agree, but if I can avoid paying 60.00 for something I really don't have to, then count me in

i've noticed that door components break in alot of buicks, is it because the doors are so heavy?

GRRR....this happened to me last night.

okay its been a minute since i havent post here.. but i have been checking out the site.. okay so my door hadle broke. i took of the door panel and took the the door assy..( thanks jimmyriv ) theres a little handle that s connected to the door handle... it goes down and opens the door when u pull the door handle.. that piece broke off... any ideas on with what can i glue it back on.. its not hard metal.. it seems its like made out of this plastic/metal material.. pls help!!

This is the same as my car. For about the past 5 months I have been going through the passenger door to open up my drivers side door. I need to fix this very soon before winter comes...

I would glue it with JB Weld. Those high strength expoxies don't seem to hold up to cold temperatures.

This is the outer door handle?

It's like I said, the Riv doesn't have an (outer) door handle, it has a door unlatcher. If you try to swing the door by the unlatcher you are asking for it to break.

I need a picture of what the door handle is supposed to look like... I have my door panel off but I can see how it is supposed to hook to it..

Jack the R wrote:

the Riv doesn't have an (outer) door handle, it has a door unlatcher. If you try to swing the door by the unlatcher you are asking for it to break.

For parts like that that take lots of stress, I would not trust adhesives. Get a new or used replacement, imo.

Well here is what I did and I finally can open my door like a normal person....

yeahhh!!!! i glued on the piece that was broken with the JB weld.. and so far it worked pretty well!!! that stuff id gooooood!!!

I mad a bracket just to add extra strength. I was surprised how easy the door panel came off.