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Project Toyota FJ Cruiser
Swapping the Door
Handles
The
easiest FJ upgrade ever.
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Of all the upgrades that you can do to the FJ, this
has got to be one of the easiest. Only one tool is needed and
about 10 minutes of your time, or a "one beer job". The tool
you need is a #30 Torx bit and a ratchet or screw
bit driver (to turn the torx bit).
My 2010 FJ Cruiser is Sun Fusion and my goal is to
give it a Yellow / Black look. To achieve this look, the
silver on the vehicle needs to either be painted black or swapped
for black items. I read a few posts online about people who
painted their grill, door handles and mirrors only to be
disappointed when the paint chips on the grill and mirrors or wears
off door handles. So ideally, it's better to go with items
that are molded black rather than painting them. The Trail
Teams Special Edition Package has several blacked out parts such as
the door handles, grill, sideview mirrors and bumper parts. Also
apparently the Tundra door handle is the same as the
FJ handle and it is available in black, at a cheaper price than the
FJ Trail Teams part, though I've also heard that they are the same
part number. It could be aftermarket jacking up the price, who
knows. Either way, it's a cheap upgrade. A quick search yielded
several dealers who sell these online for about 30 bucks a set.
I've also heard that the Toyota dealer price is pretty cheap, but I
haven't verified their price. Here are the part numbers
which might be the same # for both Tundra and the FJ Trail Teams
Edition:
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Toyota Tundra Door Handles:
Cover with key hole - P/N 69217-0C010
Door handle cover - P/N 69210-0C010
Like I said, this job is super easy to do and cheap.
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| FJ Door Handle Removal
& Install: |
- First, open the door and find the black
plastic plug in the door jam and remove that.
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- Look into the hole and you'll see a Torx screw.
The torx screw is held in place by a plastic retainer clip so you
don't have to worry about dropping it into the door. Using a
#30 Torx bit, loosen that screw.
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- Thinking I had to hang onto the Torx screw once it
was backed out, I quickly chewed some gum, but of course I didn't
have to worry about it. But a good tip anyway.
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- Loosening the Torx Screw.
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- With the Torx screw loosened, you should be able to
wiggle out the locking mechanism.
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- Look at the back of the locking mechanism and
locate the small slots in the cover. Carefully pry the plastic
cover off. The flat side is the easier side to pry away.
Ok, so you need a second tool, a flathead screw driver, or a pocket
knife.
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- This is the new cover. Line up the tab with
the slot on the rounded side of the cover and clip the new cover
onto the locking mechanism.
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- Grab the handle and slide it towards the open hole
about a half inch. Click, and it's disengaged.
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- Now rotate the handle out of the hole and the other
side will come free from the door.
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- New Handle!
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- Insert the hinged side of the handle into the
hole, followed by the lock side of the handle. Slide it away
from the lock side. Click. It's in.
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- Next insert the locking mechanism into the door.
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- Tighten the Torx screw snug, but not too tight.
It's a small screw tapped into aluminum so be gentle but firm.
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- Put your plug back in and Voilą! That side
is done. Step back, admire your work and finish half of your
beer. Remember to save half of the beer for the other side.
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I do think the black looks better. Much better.
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