I'm so glad I found your video. I'm fixing to have to replace mine. I spent about an hour yesterday and couldn't get the top nut. Realizing I was gonna have to do it a different way I searched TH-cam and came across your video. I hate the idea that I'm gonna have to take all the little bars off but I know I can't do it any other way. Here we go. 😅
I achieved the "Impossible Dream"!! I love my 2003 Safari. The door handle was tough, took almost two hours of fiddling. But I did it! Don't give up, it's doable. Thanks for the write up on this!
I just sold my Astro on the weekend. About an hour before the purchaser came to view the vehicle, I went to open the driver's door and the handle broke. What luck! After replacing every handle on the van over past 3 years, I'm glad it's gone.
Hey, thanks for the vid, on my astro the latch has NOT broken but the handle is floppy and falls against the body making it hard to get your fingers behind it. In my case, what has happen has the spring just fallen off?
@@ralphtom3431 yes, as it turns out, at least for my '04. There are rubber bumper stops built into the handle, this is what holds them in their static position. They wear out and then the handle will flop and lay next to the door. I haven't tried to fix it....
Thanks for the video. Typical american made engineering which makes anything difficult. I would not have been able to do this job without the video, thanks.
10 bucks on ebay or if you want to get raped then go to Chevy and pay 90.I laughed at the parts guy when he told me that.90 bucks for a cheap,built to fail door handle!!
It's a 10mm, not much help though. The 1999 Safari cargo van has the window track blocking access to the top nut. Not the case in your video. A long open end wrench is the only way, and it's a PITA. Some have cut another hole in the door to access it.
You pretty much HAVE to the upper nut is behind the mechanism. You CAN get an 10mm box end ratchet on it but it will take 3 days with the room you have to spin it off. and then just getting it started again will give you PTSD. this is not a particularly hard job per se but it can be maddening getting everything back connected up in the right order. To make matters worse some of the cheaper made replacement handles fail the first time you pull them.
This door handle was designed for failure and situated so that it is very, very difficult to replace. The best solution is pre-emptive: never buy a Chevy.
These year astro model R shitty, even the door panel n the control switch n wires r hard to remove!!!!!! My uncle gave me his 97 Astro n I'm replacing the driver's door handle everything is a bitch to remove!!!!! just to get to the 2 bolt.....
I'm so glad I found your video. I'm fixing to have to replace mine. I spent about an hour yesterday and couldn't get the top nut. Realizing I was gonna have to do it a different way I searched TH-cam and came across your video. I hate the idea that I'm gonna have to take all the little bars off but I know I can't do it any other way. Here we go. 😅
I achieved the "Impossible Dream"!! I love my 2003 Safari. The door handle was tough, took almost two hours of fiddling. But I did it! Don't give up, it's doable. Thanks for the write up on this!
Dude. Well said. Concise, succinct, comprehensive troubleshooting hazards identification. Awesome
Thanks
I just sold my Astro on the weekend. About an hour before the purchaser came to view the vehicle, I went to open the driver's door and the handle broke. What luck!
After replacing every handle on the van over past 3 years, I'm glad it's gone.
Hey, thanks for the vid, on my astro the latch has NOT broken but the handle is floppy and falls against the body making it hard to get your fingers behind it. In my case, what has happen has the spring just fallen off?
Did u figure it out?
@@ralphtom3431 yes, as it turns out, at least for my '04. There are rubber bumper stops built into the handle, this is what holds them in their static position. They wear out and then the handle will flop and lay next to the door. I haven't tried to fix it....
Thanks for the video. Typical american made engineering which makes anything difficult. I would not have been able to do this job without the video, thanks.
Thank you very much glad to help
THANK YOU!!!
Your welcome
2023 .... brother bought 85 gmc safari.... I was 5 ... thanks one million 🫡🫡
Where did you get that new handle
Ebay
I bought mine at O'Reilly a few days ago.
Amazon is cheaper
10 bucks on ebay or if you want to get raped then go to Chevy and pay 90.I laughed at the parts guy when he told me that.90 bucks for a cheap,built to fail door handle!!
Amazon 8 bucks
didnt show the nut removal and replacement. Thats the tough part.
thank you, very helpful buddy
You got it
Forget the door clip bs! We need to send the handle replacement!
good repair video for Chevy or GMC van
+M Stevens thanks for the support
You skipped the whole taking the rod off tye broken handle
Good Info
Thanks
I watch another video where the guy drilled a hole on the door itself
There’s a right way and a quick way I guess
World Science TV you know
@@WorldScienceTV There's also a "ain't nobody got time for that" way!!!
Sense it's so hard to reach, it would have been nice if you gave the socket size.
It's a 10mm, not much help though. The 1999 Safari cargo van has the window track blocking access to the top nut. Not the case in your video. A long open end wrench is the only way, and it's a PITA. Some have cut another hole in the door to access it.
Thanks
I used a small flat ratchet wrench and buzzed it right off but getting it back on....same as in the vid.
You can find me on Facebook, twitter and Instagram @WorldScienceTV
hmmm i don't remember ever unbolting the lock mech when I replaced it before.
You pretty much HAVE to the upper nut is behind the mechanism. You CAN get an 10mm box end ratchet on it but it will take 3 days with the room you have to spin it off. and then just getting it started again will give you PTSD.
this is not a particularly hard job per se but it can be maddening getting everything back connected up in the right order. To make matters worse some of the cheaper made replacement handles fail the first time you pull them.
This door handle was designed for failure and situated so that it is very, very difficult to replace. The best solution is pre-emptive: never buy a Chevy.
That's correct
These year astro model R shitty, even the door panel n the control switch n wires r hard to remove!!!!!! My uncle gave me his 97 Astro n I'm replacing the driver's door handle everything is a bitch to remove!!!!! just to get to the 2 bolt.....