96 door handle issue

[carbuff]

The exterior door handles on my 96 ranger need to be adjusted or something. I dont have the broken springs like so many do. The problem is that I have to lift the handle way high before it activates the latch. Both of them are like this. Is this normal for a ranger? I have other fords with a similar handle (mustangs) and they engage the latch right away when you pull up on them. Is there an adjustment in the door for this? Its like the door is locked but then it suddenly unlatches right at the top of its travel. I would like to fix this if I could.

 

[Mark_88]

Could be the plastic connectors inside are elongated or loose. First time I took a door apart was on my Ranger and I found some of the connectors were actually very brittle and one had broken (reason for fix).

If you want you can take it apart first and then get the parts...or go to a junkyard and try to find a similar one and take that apart (gently) to see how everything fits together and maybe score some of the important connectors...what they would be I have no idea but it would probably be the connector between the outside handle and the locking mechanism.

Unless there were some major changes in the design I'd imaging you'd find at least two plastic parts in there that need replacing.

 

[carbuff]

I researched it a bit more since posting this. What I found was for an explorer door. The rod from the handle attaches to the latch with a plastic connector that pops open to clamp down on the rod end. The rod end looks threaded or has grooves in it like it could be adjusted shorter to take up the slack. I guess at some point I will just have to take it apart to see what Ive got in there.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Take the door panel off and look at it. It's a 5 minute process.

You spent more time digging around on the internet, than it would've taken to actually see what was wrong.

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