What it means is to roll the window back up all the way without the clip re-installed. Then roll up the other window all the way. Look at the angle of the other window (the one on the door you are not working on) and position the crank on the door you are working on so that both cranks are at the same angle. It is not absolutely necessary but it does make things look nicer that way. The window crank clip removal tool may come in handy again some day. It's not exactly a one-time use tool.

The hook tool set has its uses, poking fingers is surely at the top of the list. It is also a lot easier to lose the crank retainer clip with the hook tool method. The window clip remover tool will usually 9 times out of 10 just pop the clip loose and it stays in place on the shaft on back of the crank handle itself.

A 2000 Dakota door panel will not lift straight up for removal. It will have the plastic retainer pins on the back side that push into holes in the door itself. You pull straight out on those to release the door panel. Yes there is a special tool for that too. It slips in behind the plastic retainer pin and pops it right out of the hole without damaging the retainer pin. It's called a panel removal tool. Less than $15.00 at any parts store and well worth the money.

Jimmy

 

I paid $8.99 for the crank removal tool and it worked like a hot knjfe through butter. Only 5 seconds and the job was done. I now have the trim panel completely removed and am ready to conclude that the outside door handle may be a bear. I removed one of the 8mm nuts and the plastic access plug but all the linkage parts are scaring me. I still need to get to the other nut. I'm hoping I don't have to remove the latch but I guess whatever I need to do....

 

I am not 100% sure how it is done on a 2000 but on my 2001 I have slide-type retainer clips on the door lock cylinders. Back in 2010 I was hit in the left front end, it was $4,035.00 worth of damage. I guess it must have been easier for the body shop to just remove the outside door handles and mirrors instead of taping them off. When I got my truck back from the body shop there was a whole lot of things wrong and/or things the body shop did not fix correctly. I went behind them and fixed their mistakes and sloppy work myself, all except for the ill-fitting front grille they tried to pass off on me. It was not an OEM part and stuck way out on the bottom, which made my truck look terrible. I made the shop fix that with a real OEM Mopar grille.

One of the other things the body shop screwed up was the door lock cylinders. On one side the lock cylinder fell completely through the hole and was just hanging by its linkage arm inside the door cavity. If I am remembering it right I had to fish the retainer clip out form the bottom of the door cavity. The other lock cylinder was still in place but not reinstalled correctly; it was not flush with the outside door handle assembly.

On my truck the door lock cylinder just pushes through its hole in the door handle assembly and it has a horseshoe shaped retainer clip that snaps around a groove in the cylinder and holds it in place. All I had to do was remove the door panel and moisture barrier, pop the clip out of its slot (that is one good use for the hook tool) and push the lock cylinder all the way forward, then slide the retainer clip in place. I did not have to remove the handle assembly. I don't remember even having to remove the door lock linkage, but even if you do it is only one plastic retainer clip that snaps on the door lock rod. It is pretty easy to see how it all works once you get in there and get a good look at it. Your 2000 may be very similar to my 2001.

It might also help to take a look at the Haynes Book for your Dakota. It probably has directions or at least some rudimentary steps for R&R'ing the door lock/outside latch assembly.

Jimmy

 

I appreciate your insight, Jimmy. I kinda threw in the towel today but should be at it again tomorrow after work. I'll take a closer look tomorrow and see if I can get the lock cylinder out without having to take the whole door handle apart. I'll be back tomorrow!

 

Sometimes positioning the crank up or down some can help a lot as I tend to rest my knee on the side of the door when driving long hauls and I usually have the window open just a crack but now the crank **** is in my knees way so two options open the window a bit more so the **** is out of the way or if the crank was set different it wouldn't matter.

Understand!

 

I was so lost in diagrams. Then I found this YouTube video and had the door handle out and lock cylinder replaced in 30 minutes!! Hope I copied the link properly.

 

I need to replace my door handles as they look as ugly as the ones in the video gray no longer black.

But I have removed my door panel a number of times so no big deal.

But thanks for the vid