Inside Door Handle - got any tips for making it stronger

[VX KAT]

what does anybody think about spraying them with FlexSeal? (maybe even without the PC7). Maybe that slight flex it leaves would prevent it from cracking any further??

[89Vette]

I might need to clarify/apologize. My TOP passenger door handle broke recently. I was thinking about...and repaired the latch/lever bezel that you pull to open the door from the inside. I'd call the mechanism that grabs the jam a LATCH...so I was thinking handle for that release lever! LOL Now that I see the lower handle pictured, I bet I misunderstood the OP.

My driver's lower door handle is also in need of repair. I recently discovered the rear anchor tab is broken off. I will probably make/glue/melt a new one in it's place. (The traditional/professional method for "gluing" plastic is "welding". Basically, you melt plastic together to bond it.

For the handle pictured, I agree it's got some design "issues". I'm not even crazy about how it clips into the front edge. The only way I can get it to reliably "hold" is to bend the springs out enough that they pop under the "ledge" -- making it hard to remove. Mine don't appear to be problematic as shown in the pictures above. I will suggest the use of SEM or Duplicolor Vinyl/Plastic dye...versus the use of "paint". It goes on thinner and will resist peeling better than paint.

To make them stronger, I'd seriously consider filling the backside with bondo...or Bondo Glass. FYI, the two materials don't bond particularly well though. That doesn't mean one can't support/strengthen the other. Just be sure to sand with rough grit sandpaper before filling. I'd also consider drilling holes through the plastic support ribs to create an anchor point for the Bondo to "grab".

I used a similar technique to repair an inner door panel structure on my Corvette. So far, it's holding.

This PC7 stuff sounds worth a look. I'm not familiar with it -- but plan on reading up in the near future.

If FlexSeal is that stuff in the commercial that turned a screen door into a boat, I'd hesitate to consider it's use as a support/strengthening agent.