02 Dodge Ram grab handle repair addendum
This video ( • Dodge Ram pillar handle cheap fix ) shows how to repair a Dodge Ram grab handle using a Shark Bite fitting. The fix absolutely works. Although that video shows that the screw that came out of the grab handle fits through the hole, that is NOT the direction the screw is installed. Because the screw has a non-removable washer/standoff so it can't be overtightened into the original plastic piece, the washer portion of the screw does NOT fit into the other side of the fitting. I ended up grasping the standoff portion of the washer with a pair of vice grips and using a Dremel with a grinding disc to reduce the overall diameter of the washer portion until it fit inside the fitting.
I test fit the handle and found the fitting was hitting against the metal of the A-pillar so I took off a bit more plastic allowing the fitting to sit a little further away from the metal and it worked perfectly. It now fits snugly against the headliner and windshield and feels very sturdy.