Door Handle Removal

I'm getting rust around my front driver's side door handle. I was trying to take it off so I could sand and paint the spot before it gets too bad. Does the handle come off from the inside? I was having problems even getting the interior panel off because the bolt that fastens the top of the arm rest is waaaaaaaaaay up inside the door.

Thanks!

yes, there are two nuts holding it on that you'll be able to get to after you get the panel off. Make sure you soak them good or else you'll snap the studs and need new door handles.

Yes, the handle is held on by two little studs with nuts on them. On front doors, one stud is found behind a little plastic plug in the edge of the door, the other behind the panel. On the rears, they're both inside. If you have rust problems on the door already, you'll almost certainly shear these off, but you can at least try to work them off with patience and lots of penetrating oil.

The studs are anchored in a brass insert. If you do shear them off, it is possible to drill the studs out and tap the holes for 1/4 inch thread. You can then just use short 1/4 inch bolts. However, you must be careful drilling them out. Do it slowly, use plenty of oil and don't generate too much heat, or it will melt the plastic of the handle and the inserts will spin loose.