I would think with the window all the way up you could get at it. the keeper just push on. Window is easy to remove. i like your temp fix!!!!

 

my 89 i had to lift it 2 or 3 times to get it to open. worn cheap plastic bushings. if your going to replace one you might replace them all. there cheap. pretty simple getting it apart but putting the plastic back in place and popping the panel back in place could be an issue. pick up a couple tabs for the door panel, your probably going to break a few. there cheap. as soon as you pop the panel and plastic off you'll see the linkage from the handle and the plastic bushings. don't be worried about it, when your done you'll think how easy that was.

 

The part you need is a new dooe handle itself,I would suggest new as the junk yard handles usually have a lot of wear on them.

 

handle has been fine so far...

you can NOT access the top of the rod for the handle with the window up or down, doesnt matter, you CANT get to it... I didnt want to pull the window out, so the ziptie fix it is.

Working great with no issues. I will keep you guys updated

 

Jesus are are these trucks on a friggin self destruct timer or something. Mine just started doing the same thing Monday morning. I thought it was just cold and my hand slipped off the handle in the morning but, when I went out in the evening to go home it did it again. Now that I know it really is a problem, I'll just replace the whole damn door. That combined with the bad hinge and the dent, just easier to replace the whole thing. I found a truck in the salvage yard that has power windows and door locks and I can get both doors for $150. That's pretty good right? He told me to make sure I take all the wires and harnesses I need for it cause once I take the doors and bumpers, it's going to the crusher.

 

I found this thread in a search and wanted to share a fix I just did for the door handle not working. You don't have to remove the window! I took off the door panel and found that my linkage had come off of my outside door handle. There are plastic clips holding on the linkages for the inside and outside door handles, the door lock pull and keyed outside lock. My plastic clip was broken, so I took 4x4's advice and went to O'Reilly's Auto Parts. They sell assorted plastic clips for $4 a pack. They also sell metal clips if you don't want to use plastic again for $6 a pack.
To get to the outside door handle, roll your window up(I don't have power windows). In the third picture posted in this thread previously there is a big, black plastic nut on the outside door handle facing you. Using a pliers or channel locks you can easily loosen this plastic nut. It is holding on a large metal clip which holds your door handle in place like a clamp. After you have removed these you can wiggle the door handle out a little to expose the area where the new clip will go. If you need more room you can remove the door latch. It is on the side of the door held on by 3 Torx screws. Remove the plastic clips to the other linkages also.
Put the new plastic clip in the hole in the door handle. Next push the rod into the same hole. Then push the other part of the clip around the rod. It clips on like your hand fits around a beer bottle. To remove a plastic clip, with a flat screwdriver gently push/pry it off of the rod first. Then pull the rod out of the hole and pull it apart from the clip.
Do not overtighten the plastic nut on the door handle when you reassemble it.

 

I used a long set of needle nose pliers and used the gap to hold the clip onto the pliers and slowly raised it into position and carefully squeezed it into place after getting it set I removed the pliers and squeezed the rest in till it set