This guide will tell you how to fix your broken door handle for only the cost of a piece of bar stock and the tools you may be missing.
First of all you'll need your handle OUT. Follow the directions
here to get that done.
Okay so now your handle is off. Did you fish the broken pieces out of the bottom of the door? Don't want that crap rattling around.
Here's what you will need tool-wise:
needle-nose pliers
small pair of vice grips
a vice helps a LOT
hammer or heavy mallet
drill
drill bits ranging from 1/16" - at least 5/32"
file, rasp, or dremel with metal sanding bits
Here's what you need supply-wise
WD-40 or similar lubricant
1/4" bar stock (I used steel, but brass will do, and I'm sure aluminum would as well) if you need a picture, scroll down. It's like a 4-sided dowel.
mouse trap (you'll see), but you can substitute any still piece of wire 1/16" dia. (a coat hanger may work)
First, you're going to need to clamp down the bar stock, and drill a 5/32" or 11/64" (preferrable) hole in the center of it. After that's done, take your file/rasp/dremel and finish the edge.
Now take bar stock and use a vice and a hammer to shape the bar stock into roughly the same shape as the plastic arm that broke off. Don't clamp directly on the hole, it WILL crush. I didn't get it exact; you will do some test fitting and more bending later, if you get it perfect the first time, my hat is off you you.
Here is a picture of my piece of bar stock after it was drilled, sanded, and shaped:
As you can see I was not exact on the bend. As long as it clears the slot in the handle when the arm moves in and out, you're fine. Now's the time to figure out if it does.
Take your rasp/file/dremel and eat away at the flared end of those little spindles that keep the arms and spring attacked to the handle body.
Once it's shaven down enough to take it out, do so! Now take all that other crap off there so you can test fit your new arm in piece.
Next you're goin to have to shave down the broken end of the arm still attached to the handle...like this:
Now you can go ahead and replace the spindle, and put the new arm on it. If you drilled the hole in the arm with a 5/32" bit, it WILL be a tight squeeze, work the bit in the hole more and more until it fits okay. If you used 11/64", you will be good to go. I didn't go full 3/16" because I was afraid that the hole would be way too big and the steel may bend under load (like when I'm bending it in the vice).
If your arm fits with the handle like this, you're in business:
See that copper wire snaking through the new arm? THat's now your concern. I pulled mine out of a mousetrap. It's very still and 1/16" in diameter.
Now what you're going to do is take your arm back out, and drill the following 3 holes:
Two in the steel and one in the broken plastic arm.
Once your holes are drilled, assemble the handle back together and start bending the wire as I have shown. It's difficult to get it EXACTLY how it needs to be, but as long as it doesn't fall apart, great. Once it's all bent together, try it out. Does it work? Congratulations, you have saved yourself $71 from the dealer. Use that guide from the beginning of this one to hook your new handle back up.
Here are some pics of the finished product.
If your handle sticks out too much when it's closed, you need to grind more off the back of the arm.
$3 door handle fix
