Hi guys,

I always come here for a shot at some 'expert' answers for those who've seen it before.

I hope you can give me some advice.

Simply put the Door handle on my drivers side door has broken.

It had about a centimeter crack in it when I purchased it, but was not broken. Here recently is quickly progressed to splitting the handle in half. So it takes two hands on each side where the levers go into the door to open it, and at that you need to be gentle as not to break the handle further.

This won't work long term,..

So.

I need your ideas, or maybe one of you has dealt with this already.

Basically I am thinking a few things:

1) Is it incredibly hard to say take the doors apart and take a handle off another door, put it on the drivers door, and have the split handle on a door not often used? -- If it takes special tools , or is just an immense job to do this let me know.

2) Any way to reinforce this cracked handle to buy some time? Maybe tacking a metal bracket on the underside? Any liquid weld, or other product/method to reinforce the handle? I would assume there would be something,.. even if it doesn't look incredibly appealing.

3) Lastly, of course would be finding another door handle used or new, ordering it, and again having to break apart the door to replace. (I just have a hunch tearing down a door is probably quite the job. But maybe I would be pleasantly surprised.)

So let me know your thoughts/ideas -- I would very much appreciate it.

I can post pictures if needed.. but I assume you get the idea.

Again it is a 1994 LS 400.

Thanks,

 

Taking off the handle is not too hard but you don't have to.

I used a metal piece just the right size to fit under broken part and used epoxy glue to glue it in place. Taking it off is better so glue doesn't run down and you can turn it upside down while it cures.

 

I replaced mine on my 94 using this guide
http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/body/fdoorpanel.html

 

It's pretty easy just find a used one at the junkyard and follow the tutorial linked above. Good luck.

 

honestly i've replaced my driver's door handle, and it wasnt complicated, just annoying. the clips and stuff can be rather fiddly, and you need tiny hands (mine aren't). isnt much more than an hour or two though.

a new handle from a local lexus dealership (price-matched since i needed it asap) was ~$130ish and it came painted black (for my '99)

 

Good information.

However, the tutorial shows removing the inner panel. I can't tell from the pictures, does that give me full access to remove the *outer* door handle from that guide?

It doesn't look too terribly hard.

I have huge hands.. so no luck there

I'm not in the ballpark to spend in excess of $100 for a handle for a car worth so little. Call me cheap, but that is excessive. Though I can totally justify why others do so, the value of the car monetarily vs the value to the individual varies of course. You put alot of time into a car, you don't care much about price on fixing something 100%.

At this point I would settle for a temporary fix such as the epoxy.. though I just don't know how will that would hold up. I think I will go take a picture or two of the handle, so maybe you guys can give ideas on how best to repair it given where the break location is.

Could you guys expand a little on fixing it with a bracket and epoxy? How large of bracket, of what material, thickness? What type of 'epoxy' exactly? What would adhere best with the material of the bracket and door handle. I can't quite make out what the handle it made of.. I know it isn't pure fiberglass or pure plastic -- but it isn't solid steel either.

Here is the current state of the door handle, Driver door.

It functions, I have to lift both sides together though.











So it went from a small centimeter crack to that in about 2 openings of the door. It lasted with a minor crack for 2 years.


Lastly,

does anyone know if any other handle on the car will be an exact fit for this one? It sort of looks like all of them are exact. I wouldn't mind putting this handle on a rear door, and using the rears good handle in this spot.

Again, options on repair via bracket/epoxy (or other substance) -- and/or confirmation I can swap them out via the guide shown/tutorial that removes the INNER door panel. I can't tell if it allows full access to the outer door handle or not. I imagine it should.

Thanks a ton.

P.S. -- The handle looks worse than it is.. It really is functional.. but I can imagine the entire middle of the handle tearing/ripping off with time. I leave the window down as much as possible and open with inside handle for now. This is a new problem.

Thanks again.

 

Ebay 50 bucks or so...

 

you can't swap front to back due to the linkages.

just pick up a used one for cheap. not worth fixing as it will likely just break again.

 

Ok, I'll check ebay -- but need to match paint.

Drift, I agree -- the fix would be temporary until I found a replacement that wasn't incredibly expensive. $50 is about the max I would spend, especially doing the labor myself.

Which brings up the point again. In the tutorial linked, which shows how to remove the inner door panel. I found the second tutorial on removing the handle. Seems it isn't that big of a deal except for using an angled socket and sliding it down in from the top to get the hidden upper left bolt out. This the only way at this bolt?

Thanks for clarifying the rear vs front. As they are identical in looks and size on the outside. I suppose the internal, non-visible, linkage is different making them incompatible. Not incredibly sure why they would change the design, but I'm sure there was a reason.


** I found a handle on Ebay, about 60-65$ shipped.. but am not sure on color. It is listed as 'silver' it looks close but I have no idea what color my car would be considered, it isn't purely silver.. but looks silver in certain light and more beige in other light. I'd like to match the paint color of course. I see a few of these handles for over 100$ on ebay, so it looks like I need to jump on the 60$ offer tomorrow if it matches.

Thanks for the help guys..

 

make sure its both your generation and sub-gen (89-93/93-94) to ensure no compatibility issues come up.

on my '99 i removed the door panel and peeled back the palstic enough to access the gaps in the metal skin that you're essentially working through.

a magnetic pickup and/or a flexible claw will save your life if you drop anything into the door frame.

 

I just recently purchased a '91 LS400 that had (one of it's many problems) the cup behind the door handle broken. I covered it with a healthy layer of JB Weld, and it seems to be holding well so far.

What worked well for me for the bolt in the top left corner was to simply use a small socket wrench (no extensions, 10mm socket), sit on the ground, and reach up through the larger of the holes. I had no trouble getting the socket on and removing it after having removed the bracket, switch, rods, and lock cylinder.

Dropping stuff into the door wasn't really an issue. I could either pick it up or nudge it out through one of the drain holes cut in the door. I don't have particularly large hands, however.

 

Good stuff.

Well one guy confirmed through my ebay question it was the same color.. so I'll be ordering this weekend. Seems like about an hour, give or take, job. Obviously something you can do twice as fast the second time around I'm sure.

But it is the door handle, not something to be put off for later.. sort of a critical part. How annoying is it to have a broken handle.. lol.

As I said earlier, not many design flaws in the LS400, but I do believe this is a *slight* flaw. Yeah this one lasted over a decade but a change in design/material would make it a non issue, and it seems fairly common.

Wonder what the factory would charge for a new handle and installation. I bet 300$ or more.

Thanks for the tips..

 

i've have a 1996 Dark Blue ls 400. I am having the same exact problem. I need to get it repaired quickly. I checked ebay and no matches. Where else can i go? How long did it take to repair?

 

Get it from the dealer? It's listed as part # 69210-50010-J1 for the dark blue 8L1 color and is $78 without shipping from one Lexus dealer online... I replaced the door handles on my car from the dealer, prepainted and matching perfectly for similar a cost. If it's in stock, seems like a no brainer.

 

My dr's side door handle is not broken, but it does not move up and down smoothly.
( It tends to often stick open and not return to the closed position.) This is related to the problems on this post - so I need to cure this issue before my door handle gets like
the ones listed on this post. Thanks!