Aluminum Door Handles
with Bill Johnston
with Bill Johnston

On a cold winters night, with the wind whipping through your jacket chilling you to the bone, it's time to run to the store and pick up those last minute Christmas presents. Coming out of the mall, arms full of presents, you try not to slip on the ice patches that wait to dump you on your keester. You grab the door handle as you get to your Zook, feeling safe because you made it without losing a single package. And then it happens! The door handle breaks off in your hand... AAAH!

Click through for a larger image...The stock door handles in our Zooks are made of plastic. They serve their purpose, but after a few years of abuse and weathering they get brittle and snap at the worst of times. How do we beat the odds? Replace them with something that is less likely to be as effected by the weather. Click through for a larger image...Petroworks now offers an aluminum replacement for both interior and exterior door handles to solve the problem. Replacing the components are pretty straight forward with simple hand tools. We replaced both inside and outside door handles with black matte aluminum components in about 90 minutes. 
The outer door handleClick through for a larger image...Removing the door panel afforded access to the inner workings of the door. The instructions are very well written and they show details on how to adapt and upgrade the handles. One thing you will really have to pay attention to is the re-assembly of the outer door handles. Make sure the springs close the handle in your hands before re-installing them onto the rig. If they hesitate on the bench, then they will hesitate on the door. You may have to make sure the outer retaining screws rotate freely in the handle. 
Click through for a larger image...Click through for a larger image...After putting everything back together, you end up with a stronger, more weatherable rig. When a vehicle is lifted, the angle of force that the outer door handles are subject to changes. The plastic handles can't take the strain. These aluminum replacements are just the ticket to avoiding a major problem.
Component Cost: as of 12-01-01
Interior handles - $25 per pair (at time of installation)
Exterior handles - Call Petroworks for details

Source:

Petroworks
(800) 952-8915 

08/22/22 13:48

 

Disclaimer: The fabrication, modifications and designs you see on this web site are personal experience.  If you duplicate these modifications you do so at your own risk. These articles were written over many years of that hands-on experience. The companies offering these components may no longer have them on the market. Please use these articles to keep the hobby alive.

 

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