Drivers side door hard to open with outside door handle

[74bronk]

Its to the point i need to use inside latch to open door from out side. Is there an adjustment thats needed so the button when pushed releases door latch? Any help before i dive in would be great.


Thanks

 

[ared77]

If it's a new reproduction door handle I believe some were made a little too sort. That may be your problem, but I'm sure others will chime in with a better answer!

 

[Rumcustom]

Either the outside handle button components are damaged/frozen or the latch mechanism is freezing up, either way you need to open up the inside of the door. Is the latch mechanism new or original? It might need to be removed, cleaned up, and lubricated.

 

[AZ73]

The rod from the outside door handle to the latch has a threaded bottom and can be adjusted tighter by disconnecting it from the latch, screwing it clockwise, then reinstalling. When I was 'remodeling" my Bronco I had the same problem. I just screwed the bottom pin in about 4 times and it took up al the slack in the system. Now the outside handles open the doors almost immediately. I also added a little grease to the plate that the push button rubs against to swing up the rod at the handle.

 

[Rumcustom]

Nice job with the pics!

 

[74bronk]

Fyi I completely referbished the doors about 4-5 years ago all new door handles with latches etc...

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

Fyi I completely referbished the doors about 4-5 years ago all new door handles with latches etc...

If its been 4 or 5 years the latch mechanisms mau just need to be cleaned and relubed. I just went thru this recently. The above mentioned adjustment on the rod going to the exterior door handle may help as well.

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk

 

[904Bronco]

I borrowed this from another post...

 

[AZ73]

Nice job with the pics!

Thanks. Door panels are off being reupholstered so it was pretty easy to go to the garage and shoot the pix.

Fyi I completely referbished the doors about 4-5 years ago all new door handles with latches etc...

I'd say they've just broken in and maybe the rod bent/stretched a little. Time to adjust. The rod is a weird boomerang design to get around the door lock and that bend, while reinforced with another piece of steel, can still develop play.

Also, I just put in aftermarket handles and they weren't in long before the pin dug into the plate and gauged a wear mark. The aftermarket pins are different than the factory ones, they're not as rounded. I did a writeup on the comparison and someone pointed out Scott Drake makes replacement handles that have the correct rounded pin. You might want to check that for wear also

https://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308109&highlight=handles

 

[Timstrk]

Lube. Door panel off look to see what moves while pushing on the button. Grease on a q-tip worked for me. All the moving parts and work them as you go. You'll see and feel the difference.

 

[Thumper63]

Both my doors did that at the same time, I removed the mechanisms as well as the handles and throughly cleaned and lubed, both doors open like new.. I believe WH if I remember correctly! May have a video on this subject.

 

[ngsd]

The rod from the outside door handle to the latch has a threaded bottom and can be adjusted tighter by disconnecting it from the latch, screwing it clockwise, then reinstalling. When I was 'remodeling" my Bronco I had the same problem. I just screwed the bottom pin in about 4 times and it took up al the slack in the system. Now the outside handles open the doors almost immediately. I also added a little grease to the plate that the push button rubs against to swing up the rod at the handle.

This is the best advice. I just did one today and what he said makes great sense. try this first, it will probably take care of your issue.

 

[DirtDonk]

Nice job with the pics!

You should'a seen him in there with that white pencil too, trying to put an arrow in place and making it so nice and straight like that!;D
A real contortion-artist at work!

Paul

 

[BronCowie]

The rod from the outside door handle to the latch has a threaded bottom and can be adjusted tighter by disconnecting it from the latch, screwing it clockwise, then reinstalling. When I was 'remodeling" my Bronco I had the same problem. I just screwed the bottom pin in about 4 times and it took up al the slack in the system. Now the outside handles open the doors almost immediately. I also added a little grease to the plate that the push button rubs against to swing up the rod at the handle.

^^^THIS^^^

I had the same problem and this adjustment did the trick.

 

[AZ73]

You should'a seen him in there with that white pencil too, trying to put an arrow in place and making it so nice and straight like that!;D
A real contortion-artist at work!

Paul

Thanks for noticing my handywork! Getting the bend and camera angle just right to make it look straight was a bear. ;D

I wish I could figure out how to turn off the "chalk" line format on my preview annotation. It just won't switch to a solid line for some reason. Only on my laptop. My desktop does the arrows correctly.

 

[B-man]

You could take a look at this as well. Helped me out. Course, visual works better for me. I need to purchase a new latch. I did what the video instructed. Both sides. Passenger side still good. Driver's side getting bad again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj1DGw3_iZc&t=321s

 

[ssray]

Great posts....This had happened to mine before it got parked. It’s not just Broncos, my Rubicon driver side is back to the same old thing. I’d tightened up a loose clip, it went for a while and let loose again. Need to figure out something permanent.

Scott

 

[74bronk]

Just finished had to remove latch completely to adjust then reinstalled... works good now thanks to all that helped