2021 Ford Explorer door handles

[letterman7]

Anyone deal with these b***ds yet? I went to my bodyshop of choice to see if they would remove them for me (all I gotta do is throw a stripe down the side) and they said they won't even take them off unless absolutely necessary. Apparently Ford changed something in the 21 model year that makes it extremely difficult from years past.

If I have to change my layout, I will, but I have to let my customer know.

TIA

Rick

 

[Justin Danielson]

I've done a 2020 and that was a royal pain in the butt. These ford engineers must be trying pretty hard if they've somehow managed to make them more difficult.

On the 2020 you need to take off the door panels to get to the connector for the wires that run to each handle. Then you need to pull the handle fully out and hold it there while you turn the screw under a cap on the rear edge of the door to release it. Then the annoying part is that holds the latch open so they door won't stay shut. If you need the door to stay shut without a handle on you need to turn back the screw and let the arm that normally holds the handle spring back into the door. Then to get the handle back on you'll need to reach in there with something to hold that arm out like the handle would if it was pulled out while turning that screw again so it will catch it and hold it in place to reinstall the handle.

 

[Gino]

We had the same problem. Told them, this year, we had to re-create the layout so we no longer hafta take the handles off.

 

[letterman7]

Yep, 2020's are apparently a piece of cake to the 2021's. Just seeing if anyone had a workaround. Normally I design around the handles; this department wants their image through the handles like their old cars... gah!

 

[Gino]

Last year, one of the municipalities had gotten the next's year model, so we ran across this last year. They took like 10 minutes to change them out before. With this new setup, I had probably 3 hours in it and still couldn't do it. Got my body guy to come over and he just rolled his eyes back. We spent another 5 or so hours on it. Then, to make matters worse, one of the nuts fell down inside the door and lodged itself between the outer and inner walls of the door and we couldn't budge it or get anything down there to force it out. I gave him permission to cut a hole in the door and do body work on it to finish it. He finally got it out, but cut himself up pretty good in the process. No body or paint work needed, just some band-aides. I did the redesign and they said they liked it better than the original setup. I'd like to shoot the frickin' engineer who figured that one out.

 

[WB]

I took handles off a 2021 Stang.. the came off fine I couldn't for the life of me get them back on. Called the body shop across the street the sent over a Tech, he spent 2 hrs and left, they then sent over another older tech and it took him another 2 hrs. Just had a 2021 Yukon in.. 2 min handles off and back on.. WTF Ford!! There's ways to do it but man..

 

[Grafix]

Last year, one of the municipalities had gotten the next's year model, so we ran across this last year. They took like 10 minutes to change them out before. With this new setup, I had probably 3 hours in it and still couldn't do it. Got my body guy to come over and he just rolled his eyes back. We spent another 5 or so hours on it. Then, to make matters worse, one of the nuts fell down inside the door and lodged itself between the outer and inner walls of the door and we couldn't budge it or get anything down there to force it out. I gave him permission to cut a hole in the door and do body work on it to finish it. He finally got it out, but cut himself up pretty good in the process. No body or paint work needed, just some band-aides. I did the redesign and they said they liked it better than the original setup. I'd like to shoot the frickin' engineer who figured that one out.

Been there - done that

 

[Grafix]

Mazda 3GXS exactly the same issue.

 

[Pete femia]

IF you remove the striker from the door jamb the door will pretty much close. Also alleviating any accidental closing. I have figured out the 2021+ chevy pickups as well.. pretty much the same thing... striker plates off no worry.

 

[jfiscus]

We just did a few 2021s and on one of them we ran into major issues getting it reassembled. It ended up at the body shop to get a new handle assembly (since Ford wont just sell you the little part) to the tune of around $500.
The best solution our installers came up with is to back out the bolt 1/4 turn at a time trying the handle each 1/4 turn until it came loose. If you keep going, even just a little too far, on these the bolt/nut assembly all comes apart and falls into the great beyond.

 

[Pete femia]

doing one now...off and on ...2022 explorer police... not sure what the problems are?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Share your secret then

 

[Pete femia]

Share your secret then

SECRET: remove 2021+ ford explorer ( and probably other cars/trucks) Outside door handles.

I hope this reads and can be understood. read full... some notes etc that need to be taken into account prior to pullin it apart. Partly to decide of you want to try it or what safety measure you want to implement. I was unable to do much videography being in the x perimental stage. I will try to do a picture or video workup...Not really sure how to do the vids... anyway the way I saw it...

Removal of 2022 ford explorer police interceptor outside handles. ( also electric lock models if you take the
handle apart to remove the electrics, or pop the panel off... )

1. remove rubber plug on edge of door.
2. with open door pull handle out as if opening.
3 loosen 5mm screw inside hole,(it is captured and wont fall).tape your socket to the nut driver so you dont loose it in the door)
- keep pressure out as well as in on handle, I keep index finger between the opened handle and the door so it dosent come out or go in... you will feel some release of pressure as you loosen 5mm.. still turn the screw a bit more you will feel it become fully loose.
4. remove handle. Pull back out then front comes out of its track.
5. Optionally, remove striker from door jamb...extra fail safe to avoid door closing and NOT opening because mechanism is now disabled, as well this helps the door 'close' when wrapping or lettering/striping.
Its a 45 or 40 torx. mark with grease pencil the location, although it is not a high tolerance fit. I also keep one of the screws in the capture nut after removing the striker, I dont know if the nut will fall in the body...dont want to find out. Pic showing striker... loosen/remove top screw loosen bottom..let striker swivel down... put top screw back in.. take bottom and striker off...
6. close door. secure with bungee to something inside to keep flush.

re-install
1 insert door handle front tab first then rear. the rear is resting on the peice that comes out when you unscrew the 5mm to hold the lever that the handle operates from snapping shut. Put light pressure keeping index finger behind as in removal. Dont push hard but very slightly. As you screw the 5mm in you will feel the lever engage the lug at the tip of the rear part of the handle... push in a bit more slightly.. keep screwing you should feel a grab and mabey hear a small clunk and then feel pressure on the handle from the lever inside now try to close it.. let it close then tighten the screw a bit more...not too tight.

NOTE: on front handles the cover for the lock cylinder is held in place by the mechanism that holds the lever out. It had 3 tabs that run in around the cylinder and latch to something inside..Not exactly sure how.. but the cover comes off after you fully loosen the 5mm, and re- installs BEFORE the handle goes in and the 5mm is tightened. you will see it is loose up front and a bit secure in the back.. you can pry the rear corner with a plastic trim tool and it snaps out... plastic is not soft ..have crazy glue in case it snaps... I broke it trying to twist it in before realizing the 5mm had to be loosened for it to go in!

NOTE: if the mechanism snaps shut without the handle attached you have first: tighten the 5mm. then use a 90* hook tool to grab the silver lever and 'operate' it outward. Hook facing up and in toward front of door...the lever will pull a bit forward when you then loosen the 5mm... then re- try the door handle re- install...

NOTE: after removing door handle you can test to see if the door will close and not open.. by using a screwdriver to operate the catch located at the door edge, it hits the striker plate in the door jamb. If it wont stay shut...your good. Likewise you can test to see if the door lever works but screwdriver closing the latch and seeing if the lever ( inside & outside ) release the catch when operated.

SO: If the striker plate is off you have almost no fear of the door closing and having a dealership size problem.
- The handles in older models dont have a sophisticated holder for the door lever and you can operate the doors full with either the lever in the hole or he inside handle. Newer ones disbale ALL door latch functions.
I think it is safe to say that if the handle is removed as above then you tighten the 5mm, the door will operate as older fords, with a finger in the outside hole operating the lever or inside door handle.

ALSO: 2021+ chevy pickups (silverados etc ..gmc whatevers) is almost the same scenario as above. I started by removing door panels to slack the door operating lever by partially releasing the cable inside the door... which bypassed the disabling feature of the screw and lever mechanism after the handle was removed, however on silverados if you want to remove the side mirrors the panels have to come off. Fairly simple.
I think I wrote it down as well as the scoop removal on those huge hoods if need be for install.