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New exterior door handles do not fit!

docneon

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Huntley, IL
I am in the process of restoring my 89 XJ. Before it went to the body shop, I pulled all of the trim including the door handles which snapped the studs off despite my best efforts not to. I ordered a set off of Amazon that says it fits from 1984-1996 and user reviews seem to agree, at least for the 90s. Tried installing them but the studs are about 1/4” too close together. When I looked up parts on a MOPAR site, it lists different part numbers for 1989 (55007467) and 1996 (55024927) both for driver door in black.

What gives? Are the mounting holes different? I realize that I can elongate the hole on the one end, but thats hella expensive fresh paint!
 
Strange they slightly changed the door handles for '89 only.
Are the Amazon and OEM handles identical except for the stud dimensions?

If so and i wanted to make the Amazon handles work.....
I'd bite the bullet new paint or not and elongate the stud holes with a very fine round section file.

But first i'd put painters tape over the areas to be filed and only use file strokes into the Jeep to minimize peeling off any paint.
I would elongate both stud holes to keep the handle centered as much as possible. Then pull the tape off gently towards the filed area.
Then using a fine brush, paint the filed areas to prevent rust and paint peeling.

Other than that, only other option is to find the correct '89 P/N handle.
 
Even stranger my parts catalog show different part number for 87-89, and 90.

5500 7466-7 AR 1987-89
5502 4926-7 AR 1990

The amazon listing for my 88 specifies the 1990 part number.
 
Like i thread earlier, Mopar changed the part number for rear brake shoes in 3/10/2000.
Why? Nobody seems to know.

This PN thing is getting weirder and weirder.
Maybe the XJ was discontinued because Mopar finally ran out of part numbers. haha
 
Unfortunately, I threw out the broken handles 6 months ago when I took them off and knew I couldn’t reuse them. Now I have nothing to compare to, but it is all 4 doors. None fit! Well, I made them fit without elongating the hole, I put the end with the push button in first and then stretched the plastic far enough to get the other bolt through the hole. No nuts needed to hold them in place, but I think I’ll use them anyway! If I could post pictures, I would.

I did use plenty of tape around the openings to protect my beautiful paint.
 
Unfortunately, I threw out the broken handles 6 months ago when I took them off and knew I couldn’t reuse them. Now I have nothing to compare to, but it is all 4 doors. None fit! Well, I made them fit without elongating the hole, I put the end with the push button in first and then stretched the plastic far enough to get the other bolt through the hole. No nuts needed to hold them in place, but I think I’ll use them anyway! If I could post pictures, I would.

I did use plenty of tape around the openings to protect my beautiful paint.
Plastic under tension has a way of cracking over time, hope it doesn't happen.
Anyhow, do the new handles actually work?
 
Plastic under tension has a way of cracking over time, hope it doesn't happen.
Anyhow, do the new handles actually work?

I thought about heating the plastic up with a heat gun but didn’t want to do so that close to my paint. Handles seem to work fine but I don’t have all of the interior components hooked up. This is a project that will take some time.
 
I thought about heating the plastic up with a heat gun but didn’t want to do so that close to my paint. Handles seem to work fine but I don’t have all of the interior components hooked up. This is a project that will take some time.
I would of just elongated the holes as explained earlier and call it a day.
Its not too late.
 
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