Just bought a relatively clean 99 Quad Cab 1500. Of course, it needs a little love. One of the mildly infuriating things is that the left kick out door won't open. I can pull the handle, hear noise at the top of the door, but it doesn't move. I haven't pulled the door panel off, yet. My suspicion is that there is a rod going from the handle to the top and bottom latches. 3 questions:

1. How difficult is it going to be to remove the door panel with the door closed?

2. Am I correct about the rod?

3. How to fix it, assuming that it is a rod?

 

When mine did that, I had my wife hold the handle, while I laid on the seat on thumped the door with my foot a couple times. Opened right up. Cleaned and lubed the lower hinge, and no more problems.

 

I had to do both doors in the first few years of owning it (02-03) and it was the cable assembly that broke on both. It was an issue on the early quad doors. Got the kits at the dealership and never had a problem again. The panels suck with those Christmas tree plugs but if you work around slowly when the weather is warm, they will pop out.

 

My 99 does that on the passenger side. What I found was that pushing IN, just below the center while opening the door handle, it opens fine.