Isn't the problem the plastic handle gets brittle with age and snaps off???

 

Have you extracted the broken door handle? If so, please post mages

 

The handles are made of pot metal aluminum, and I will give the picture post a go when its finished.
The break occurs where the arm that holds the rod interfaces to the main body.

 

Attached are door handle images for 95-97 LS400. 1998-2000 use different P.N.'s and or course 90 - 94 are different altogether.

Aluminum castings are difficult to rejoin...especially with a part that is stressed.

The application of extreme heat to achieve a durable bond would likely damage the paint or other door handle components...



A lot of work to remove only to have to replace again.

Found this write-up for removal of outer door handle for 1990-1994 LS400 online;

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/body/fdoorhandle.html

Lexus parts diagram depicts two rubber cushions on each exterior door handle assembly.

Probably worth replacing.

Unsure if the exterior handle has to be extracted to accomplish this.




Tails of rubber cushions visible just below return springs.






Rubber cushions used on interior and exterior door handles.... Size will vary by year...

 

It is a little different from a gen 1, that extra eye on the forward spring lever I wonder what its for? And looks like they could have added some more material at the base of the arms. It isn't too difficult to remove them, my fix will last just fine. The handle would have worked for a long time being broke, its just going to work better being fixed.
And yes those are rubber cushions. Mine look fine.

 

I would search JYs or eBay for a replacement that matches your color. Once the metal has fatigued, it'll be difficult to create that same casting strength as it once had.

I don't really hear of that many people breaking door handles, mainly because they're made of metal thankfully vs. the plastic crap you see now.

The good thing about buying new is you won't have a part that's been exposed to the elements with temperature extremes or has had the metal fatigued through a ton of door opening cycles. Bad part is it'll probably cost you 10x what a JY part will cost, so my suggestion is to get two if you find them for the driver's side, because there's a strong chance it'll happen again in the future and having two spare JY handles is still cheaper than a new dealer part, not to mention the hassle of going out there a second time and tracking one down.

There's literally 30-40 UCF10s in my PHX JY I go to so supply is still pretty plentiful second hand.

 

I got one from a junk yard, it was worse than the one I had. When and if I can I'll post pictures of it and the fixed one. It is just not smart to get a fancy new one when its not needed especially for a not perfect cheapy car.
And if I find a correct color again at a jy I'll get it. The Pick n pull around here hasn't had an LS in over 3 months now.

 

Seems as if you really upset young PureDrifter by announcing your engineering skills, lol. Glad I checked this today, made my day man. FYI, my 98 LS handle cracked on the part you pull, not the part that's connected to the spring. I'm probably a better candidate for your JB or Gorilla Glue engineering technique.

 

You're ruining the resale value.

 

Also, mine broke on my 97. Ordered one from my local Lexus dealer for $117, painted.

Don't be so cheap, these cars deserve better than JB weld.

 

I guess the 97 ones are a bit cheaper.
The casting thickness is about 1mm or less in the area where it cracks and breaks. In the pics above it looks like the fix was to add more material to that area. The manufacture should not have been CHEAP and try to save material on an item that needed more strength. If I had the pay I had a while back I would get new. Even then the new is not designed to last under what ever conditions cause it to be over stressed in that area. At least my fix helps distribute the load on that thin material.

 

Lets see if this works.
These show the progression of the fix for the bad area, the far right side one the paint looks funny its really not that light.
Yeah looks like a special factory fix.

Remember you can double click on them to make them bigger in your screen. Yeah I'm enjoying doing the picture thing.

 

Here is the other one I have that I got at a junk yard it is broke worse than the original, and shows where the break happens.

 

The door handle is doing just great, its sure nice not to have to keep pushing it back in after opening the door.
And my fix for the lock switch is doing just fine as well. I took it apart and cleaned the contacts as best I could. It now activates the alarm and cancels it. Before if I used the driver side to unlock it would set off the alarm.

 

How much was it bro?