XF Doors - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Slabz · 08-18-2004, 05:27

yeah guys...the reputation is right - XF door handles are crap. does anyone have any tips of info on how to fix them.

heres what i've got atm. Drivers door needs to be leaned on to open, won't open unless key is in and turned (locked had a breakin attempt). Passenger front door is fine but needs to be leaned on to open. rear passenger wont open from the outside at all, and to open from the inside - the button must be pushed down then pulled up then it'll open. rear drivers side is the best out of all of em, opens from inside and out but handle needs to be pulled hard and all the way.

Freak · 08-18-2004, 18:41

I recently did up a tutorial on how to change the front door handles. There was some info in the tutorial that explained common problems and fixes.

Go here and download the pdf document. This should help you. If not, let me know and I can walk you through it.

Freak

MrLandau · 08-19-2004, 01:04

After a while - the rods that control the lock mechanism straightens out and the door handle has to be pulled further and harder, and this is one of the main causes of their failure. Aftermarket handles have not proved to be sucessfull as they are weaker in some critical areas - but it doesn't matter which one you use - if everything is out (rod lengths - catch buffer positioning - door pivot bushes) they will break. Spend some time and adjust everything so it will fit nicely and open freely and you should have no problems. I speak with a little bit of experience - I have had 4 ZL's and 2 FE's and have a wrecking yard specialising in Ford Falcons. I have fitted hundreds of these door handles.
Shane

MaD_WoG · 08-19-2004, 04:24

sounds like you have a few problems....

1, hinges are stuffed, rebuild kit is worth 20 bux per hinge, you probably need only the front dorrs, and mabye only the top hinges

2. you have to pull up the lock thing, or turn the key, so that means the door locking mechanism is stuffed, you willn eed new oens of them, i dunno if they come with rods,

3. mabye you need rods, people say rods stretch, bend blah blah.... ive had a part ownership of a wreckin yard for something like 6 years, since i was 14, ive done TONNES of handles, i worked at fairmonts gear wreckers in oakliegh till htey got the new owner, after you do the bushers, new handle and line up the door, its fine, if you need to pull up the lock, its the mechanism... the problem with the doors have you lifted one of them? they are heavy buggers, the bushers in the hingers are nylon, and they ware out, and tihn out, and the door drops, thats why the b pillar on some cars is screatched, thats the door hitting it, going to lcose coz of the stuffed hinges, you unlock latch, and have to lift the door form the handle to open it, its only a bit of metal that hols the hande together.... it cant support the weight of the door.... and it brakes.....

you can alll have your theoreis about rods bending, i say replace the bushers....

rigidshovel · 08-20-2004, 00:31

dunno if it's a good thing, but I also smeared a little axle grease over everything that moves in the doors of my ute and they are like brand new to open and close...and have been that way for the last 6 months

http://members.dodo.net.au/~omegapower/XD.html

Freak · 08-20-2004, 00:33

In the tutorial that I wrote, I also said that lubricant helps, especially grease.

rigidshovel · 08-20-2004, 01:22

ooops......sorry Freak....was too slack to read it ;-)

Slabz · 08-21-2004, 20:03

thanx guys..i'll give it all a try