Fixing broken door handles on HHR
03-31-2009, 07:33 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-04-2009
Location: Grand Prairie TX
Posts: 6
Fixing broken door handles on HHR
EDIT: For the proper fix skip to here https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-...e5/#post538182
Both front seat inside door handles broke off in my daughter's 2006 HHR.
The handle is not stocked except as part of the interior door assembly
and that would cost over three hundred dollars each.
I removed the broken pieces. Removal is easy with only the white
nylon pin holding the handle and spring together. Now for the fun part.
I used some two part epoxy from Wal-Mart to glue the two pieces back together. Then I added more epoxy to make the handle a more solid piece.
After the epoxy had dried overnight, I drilled and tapped across the broken
pieces with an 8/32 inch long screw. I set the screw in place with epoxy on the threads.
The screw head shows, but that is better than paying over seven hundred dollars for a prettier one.
The repaired handles have been back in service for a month and are
working fine.
So, it is not a really difficult repair, just tedious holding pieces together while the epoxy sets.
Good luck
Both front seat inside door handles broke off in my daughter's 2006 HHR.
The handle is not stocked except as part of the interior door assembly
and that would cost over three hundred dollars each.
I removed the broken pieces. Removal is easy with only the white
nylon pin holding the handle and spring together. Now for the fun part.
I used some two part epoxy from Wal-Mart to glue the two pieces back together. Then I added more epoxy to make the handle a more solid piece.
After the epoxy had dried overnight, I drilled and tapped across the broken
pieces with an 8/32 inch long screw. I set the screw in place with epoxy on the threads.
The screw head shows, but that is better than paying over seven hundred dollars for a prettier one.
The repaired handles have been back in service for a month and are
working fine.
So, it is not a really difficult repair, just tedious holding pieces together while the epoxy sets.
Good luck
Last edited by RJ_RS_SS_350; 07-24-2017 at 08:25 PM.
04-24-2009, 08:01 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-04-2009
Location: Grand Prairie TX
Posts: 6
Fixing broken Door Handles on HHR
No I didn't take pictures. My wife was out with the camera
Drilling across the cracked part is the only difficult thing. It would be best done with a long drill bit in a drill press providing a vise can be made to hold the handle still.
I will repair another HHR for free if someone wants to take pictures.
Drilling across the cracked part is the only difficult thing. It would be best done with a long drill bit in a drill press providing a vise can be made to hold the handle still.
I will repair another HHR for free if someone wants to take pictures.
04-25-2009, 08:58 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-22-2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 361
05-22-2009, 09:53 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-04-2009
Location: Grand Prairie TX
Posts: 6
Hello Tooter 1
Tennessee is out of the cruising range for a Dallas Texas denizen.
Repairing the handle is really pretty easy if you look at the job.
It takes about fifteen minutes to get the door panel off. It helps to have
a tool for this which is sold at most auto parts stores. A small "wonderbar"
prybar works just as well.
Getting the handle out is just a matter of compressing the tip
of the split retaining pin and pulling it out. Be sure to catch the
handle return spring when you pull out the pin.
Disengage the door operating cable by working the cabel end out of the
handle. There is a little retaining piece of plastic which will likely break off,
but loss of it won't affect the door operation.
So that you can operate the car while the handle is being repaired,
just tie a small piece of rope around the toggle at the end of the operating cable and let it dangle through the hole where the door handle fits.
THIS WILL LOOK NORMAL IN TENNESSEE.
Repair the door handle with epoxy, making sure to bond all
pieces back into the original positions.
The next day add more epoxy to fill in the hollow spots left by the
extrusion process. This will result in a more solid piece.
The next day drill and tap an 8/32 one inch screw linking the
broken pieces together. The steel screw seems to add some more
strength. I put mine directly across the cracked part to link
the pieces together.
Once everything has dried and set you can reinstall the door handle.
Then store the door handle rope against future need.
Repairing the handle is really pretty easy if you look at the job.
It takes about fifteen minutes to get the door panel off. It helps to have
a tool for this which is sold at most auto parts stores. A small "wonderbar"
prybar works just as well.
Getting the handle out is just a matter of compressing the tip
of the split retaining pin and pulling it out. Be sure to catch the
handle return spring when you pull out the pin.
Disengage the door operating cable by working the cabel end out of the
handle. There is a little retaining piece of plastic which will likely break off,
but loss of it won't affect the door operation.
So that you can operate the car while the handle is being repaired,
just tie a small piece of rope around the toggle at the end of the operating cable and let it dangle through the hole where the door handle fits.
THIS WILL LOOK NORMAL IN TENNESSEE.
Repair the door handle with epoxy, making sure to bond all
pieces back into the original positions.
The next day add more epoxy to fill in the hollow spots left by the
extrusion process. This will result in a more solid piece.
The next day drill and tap an 8/32 one inch screw linking the
broken pieces together. The steel screw seems to add some more
strength. I put mine directly across the cracked part to link
the pieces together.
Once everything has dried and set you can reinstall the door handle.
Then store the door handle rope against future need.
06-07-2009, 10:12 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-22-2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 361
So how can you say, " IT WILL LOOK NORMAL IN TENNESSEE ", evidently it's normal in Texas since that is where you are from and you thought of it first!
06-07-2009, 10:51 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: 02-22-2008
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 361
07-05-2009, 10:01 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-04-2009
Location: Grand Prairie TX
Posts: 6
Fix didn't work
I am sorry the fix which worked for me didn't work for you. I haven't been back to this site for a couple of months since I have been busy getting
a real estate license.
If you can get a couple of broken handles from a salvage yard, maybe you can try again. The one I repaired have been in seervice for a three months and are doing fine.
You can always extend the rope out the window and attach a couple of lemons to it. Then park the car in front of the dealership where you bought it. That might tempt the Chevy people to stock that little plastic part as a separate item.
a real estate license.
If you can get a couple of broken handles from a salvage yard, maybe you can try again. The one I repaired have been in seervice for a three months and are doing fine.
You can always extend the rope out the window and attach a couple of lemons to it. Then park the car in front of the dealership where you bought it. That might tempt the Chevy people to stock that little plastic part as a separate item.
