Figured I'd do a write-up because there's next to no information about this procedure on this site. That, and a shop wanted $350 to remove and install - talk about a joke.

This is generally regarded as an extremely frustrating, time-consuming, impossible procedure, but in reality it's quite easy if you know what you're doing and you use a couple tricks I discovered. The driver's side, since I had no idea what I was doing, took me roughly four hours of work, along with many bruises and foul words uttered. However, the passenger's side, even with taking all of these pictures, only took me about an hour.

Following these instructions, I'd say this job's about a 3 out of 10 on a difficulty scale. Don't let a shop gouge you for this job, you can do it without much trouble.

TOOLS NEEDED:

Flathead screwdriver
Small and large phillips head screwdrivers
10 mm socket and extension
Ratchet
10 mm wrench
Optional: Magnetic grabber (bolts like to fall out of your hands and into the door crevices...this helps.)



Okay, let's get started!

 

FRONT DOOR

1. Make sure the window is rolled up before beginning work.

2. Remove all accessories on the inner door panel. Pop the handle trim off with a flathead. Be gentle, as it will snap with too much force. Remove the cup handle's screw and pop it out. Use a flathead to remove the window switch. Undo the connector and set it aside. Remove the light's lens, remove the two screws, and undo the connector.



3. Remove the two screws on the bottom of the door panel.
4. Remove the door panel. It is held in by a bunch of snap-in pieces that Nissan likes to use everywhere. Lift it upwards and away and set it aside with all of its accessories. (note: the driver's side has an extra connector on the back for the trunk popper. Remove it.)



5. You should now be looking at the door with the panel removed.

 

6. Start peeling away the weather covering. It is sealed with a black goop. Try to conserve the integrity of the goop so you don't have to apply more sealant when you replace the covering.



7. Peel away enough to give you some room to work with.



8. Remove the bolts highlighted in the picture below - 5 in total. Push the middle bar downwards and out of the way.

 

9. Remove the lower bolt holding this metal piece in and remove it.



10. Unclip the whiteish-yellow piece holding the two bars in place. Move the assembly downward and out of the way.



11. Remove the left nut holding the handle in place.

 

12. Use the 10 mm wrench to remove the right nut holding the handle in place.



13. Pull out the bar inserted into the handle, shown removed below:



14. Remove the handle from the outside.

 

15. Examine the replacement handle. Make sure it operates correctly and has everything installed on the reverse side.



16. Insert the handle most of the way into the door.



17. On the back side, line up the bracket for the keyhole with the bolt on the back of the handle. It won't go all of the way through yet, as the keyhole is not inserted into the handle.

 

18. I found that the keyhole is almost impossible to push into the handle. I figured out the best way to do it is to take your key and insert it into the keyhole and turn it left. This locks the key in the hole, enabling you to pull it through the handle.



19. You can now thread and tighten the right nut, which will pull the keyhole all of the way through. Don't forget to remove your key afterwards! Reinstall the left nut and insert the latch rod back into the handle.



20. MAKE SURE THE HANDLE WORKS before continuing work. If it doesn't, recheck that the latch rod is installed correctly.

21. Reinstall the removed metal plate. Move the large metal bracket back upwards and reinstall all bolts. Don't forget to re-fasten the white-ish yellow bar guide.

 

22. Double check that everything has been re-installed, then replace the weather covering. Make sure the sealant is applied so no water can get through.

23. Reinstall the door panel and all accessories.

24. You're done with the front side!

 

REAR DOOR

Some steps here are similar to the front door procedure - if instructions are vague, refer to steps above.

1. Make sure the window is rolled up before beginning work.

2. Remove all accessories on the inner door panel. Remove door panel and set aside with accessories.



3. Peel away the majority of the weather covering - you'll need a lot of room to work.



4. Remove the three bolts holding the inner handle in place.

 

5. Unclip the black plastic guide and remove the bars.



6. You can access the left nut holding the outer handle in place with the socket and extension. Remove it.

7. Remove the three screws holding the latch assembly on the side of the door.



8. Remove the bolt highlighted in the below picture. The latch and rod assembly will come loose.

 

9. Remove the black "child safety" plastic piece. If the latch and rod assembly is moved to the side enough, the right nut for the handle will be visible through this hole. Remove it with the socket and extension.



10. Remove the handle, with the latch rod, through the other side.



11. Examine the new handle. Make sure the handle operates. Make sure it contains the latch rod - if not, install the one from the old handle.

12. Fit the new handle into the door.

 

13. Reinstall the right nut through the child safety hole. Move the latch and rod assembly if needed to install the left nut.



14. Remove the 4 bolts holding in the large metal bracket and push it downwards, out of the way.



15. Reinstall this bolt into the assembly finger tight to hold the assembly in place.

 

16. Here's where it gets tricky. Remember the latch rod that goes from the outer handle to the latch and makes the outer handle work? That couldn't be installed until now because the left and right nuts for the handle had to be installed first. This has to be done by feel, and it helps to have a long arm. Stick your arm along the bottom of the door, upwards until you feel the latch rod. Grab it, then feel around for a lever with a hole in it. Push this lever down and insert the rod into the hole. It's too far back to get a picture, but feel around and you can get it.

The proper way to run your arm up there:



17. Once the latch rod is in place, reinstall the three screws for the latch.



18. MAKE SURE THE HANDLE WORKS before continuing work. If it doesn't, recheck that the latch rod is installed correctly.

 

19. Re-tighten the bolt you hand-tightened. Replace the inner rods in the black keeper and snap it shut. Reinstall the three bolts for the inner handle. Replace the large metal bracket and install the 4 bolts. Make sure all screws and bolts are reinstalled and tight.



20. Replace the weather covering.

21. Reinstall the door panel and accessories.

22. You're done with the rear side!

 

Before:



After:

 

(reserved space in case I need another post.)

 

awesome writeup, i remember this install.. what a pain

 

EXCELLENT write up!!... great pics and instructions

 

WOW KICK *** POST DUDE!!!

Those pictures were perfect for anyone who needs to do this. Awesome!

Sticky?

 

does anyone know if i can put a passenger rear outer handle on the pass. front door? im trying to eliminate the extra key hole...

 

Nope. Different sizes, different bolt locations, and different latch rod setups.

 

wow awesome write up! and what a BIG PITA to remove just the handles.
did you paint those or buy new ones of your body color?

i thought about changing mine to black, but its kinda grown on me, i actually like the chrome now, just adds a bit of contrast to the car

 

I bought a set off of a FS0 SE. I was originally going to have them painted, but I figured they'd start flaking after a couple of months because the handles get used every day.

 

PM me if you want these hosted outside of photobucket - I've found most of the broken images on various forums are dead PB accounts.

 

Actually there the same size and you can use the front door latch setup. The front bolt is in a different spot but the rear bolt is in the correct spot. I have done it and only used the one bolt/nut to secure it to the door with no problems but I hardly have any passengers. You can make a bracket for the front bolt/nut very easily.

 

Also great write up and the handles look a lot better then the chrome.
The only advice I have is you will want to put some loctite on the three bolts for the latch.

 

very very nice stuff there

 

Great writeup man. Thanks again for the help last night...I guess I'll begin my writeup now.

 

thanks fanatic for clearing that up. so with a little fab. this is possible? i just have to make a little bracket to relocate a fastner??? thanks.

 

I dont know what is up with you people these past few days...these Howtos are amazing. Very nice job man. Now I need to find some pearl handles at a junkyard...

 

Awesome writeup! We need alot more of these.

 

nice writeup. someone throw this in the HOW TO section. or sticky it.

 

thanks clean write up

 

Ha! I stand corrected. This is true. When you put the handles right next to each other they look completely different, but they are indeed the same size. Good call!

 

My black Max looks SOOOO much better with black handles rather than the gaudy chrome

THANK YOU!!!

 

Thanks for the tip on getting the key cylinder back into the handle by inserting the key and turning it left. I tried getting in back in for 30min before reading this thread but got nowhere

I threw the door handles, moldings, and side view mirror back on the right doors today after painting them last week. I'll be doing the left doors sometime this week.

Great Writeup!