I'm trying to remove the front door handles on a 96 LS so I can swap them for some rear ones and remove the keyhole. Can anyone who has done this give me some help? I was elbows-deep in the front door all day today trying to get the old ones off, and I couldn't. There's a rod that connects to a metal piece on the door handle that unscrews, but there's no way to unscrew it if it's attached to the power lock motor. The place where the rod connects to the lock motor is behind the window rail, and I can't see it to get to it. I tried taking the whole lock motor/latch out, which I'd prefer so I can take the unused rods out, but I couldn't get it out because it was stuck to the door handle by the rod. The Climer manual says to just pop the little rod out of the door handle with a flat screwdriver, but that was definately not happening. Can someone pretty please explain to me how to do this? I have pictures of the problem if I haven't explained it well.

 

here are pics of the problem, I really hope someone can help me. Like I said, the manual says to pry it out, but it FOR SURE won't come out, trust me on this, I tried with the replacement handles and effed them and my fingers all up. Plus I'd have to buy another plastic thing from god knows where. Please, please, someone tell me how to get this thing apart and back together.






In case the pics don't work, the links to them are

here
here
and here