[Dana W]

I've got a '99 Suburban K1500 with barn doors. The exterior door handle housing is loose. Actually one of the bolts fell out of it and is now hidden somewhere between the outer door skin and the center stiffener 'beam' just below the handle inside. The location of the missing bolt is not important for now, I'll find it, if it is still inside the door. What my issue is, is that I cannot see where the bolt goes into the handle housing. The missing bolt is on the lock side of the handle and there is no visible access. Where the heck does the bolt go into the door handle housing, and how does one get to it?

 

[McClintoc]

Can you post some pics of door and he handle assembly that fell out?

 

[Dana W]

Can you post some pics of door and he handle assembly that fell out?

Probably not worth the effort to take pics. The handle is still in the door, held by the other bolt, and an empty bolt hole is not visible, nor would one be visible in a photo. I figure anybody that has ever had to work on that barn door handle will know exactly what I am talking about. There are only two bolts holding the handle assy in the door, and I need to know how to access the one nearest the latch side of the door so I can put one back in the empty threaded hole. I am guessing I have to remove the latch assy to get to the handle which is behind the latch assy. Taking that out will lead to door alignment time, so I don't want to remove it, if it is not required.

 

[McClintoc]

Is it possible to remove the interior door panel? Might actually be easier than trying to remove the door handle assy from the outside.

Keep in mind, I don't have a Suburban. I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[Dana W]

Is it possible to remove the interior door panel? Might actually be easier than trying to remove the door handle assy from the outside.

Keep in mind, I don't have a Suburban. I'm just thinking out loud.

I failed to mention before that I am talking about the right side rear door, the "Barn Door". I've had the interior panels and the rain guard plastic sheet off. That is where I got stymied. Apparently, the bolt that fell out should be in the lock cylinder end of the door handle assy. Unfortunately, it seems as though the bolt would, or should be running parallel with the long axis of the door handle assy and threaded into the end of the door handle, instead of perpendicular to the door handle like the bolt at the other end of the handle assy, which I can see and get to. There is no bolt hole or access path to a bolt visible at the end of the handle where the bolt fell out of. This bolt location is probably very similar to the one bolt I can see on all 4 of my side doors, just above the lock catch, sticking out of the door frame between the inner panel and the door skin. What makes matters more difficult to figure out is that there is an inner corrugated metal door stiffener that covers up most of the handle assy inside the door. I suppose that I will just have to grit my teeth and start taking apart the linkage so I can take the handle assy out of the door. Then I will at least be able to see the hole where my missing bolt should be threaded into. Heck, I might even find the missing bolt in there. It is probably hiding under the handle, between the door skin and that corrugated stiffener. At least it is not as difficult as one of the side doors would be, what with all that window, stereo, and wire harness in the way. The reason there is no bolt protruding through the door frame like there is on all the side doors is that the barn door handle assy is farther from the edge of the door than the rest of them are. That puts the bolt head completely inside the door, leaving me unable to see where it should go.