Need help on how to remove interior door handles on my 55 Plymouth

Can anyone give me advise on how to remove my interior handles on my 55 Plymouth. They are the original ones, and I believe they have a wire clip that just needs to get pushed off the back of the handle. I have a copy of the factory repair manual, and it shows coming in from the side of the handle. I have tried every angle possible and still can't get them off.
I've tried coming in behind the plastic ring, and in front of it, still no luck. I really don't want to cut my door panels out around the handles but may have to after trying for over an hour and still no luck. HELP!!!!

 

There's a spring tab that you have to push in, then the handle comes off. There is no wire clip, nothing comes off of the handle, the spring just has to get compressed.

It makes a lot more sense if you see the back of the handle, I'll see if I can find one and take a picture for you. It's super frustrating until you see how it works, then it's simple.

 

Thanks, well at least now I have something to look for. You know what they say about ***uming something.

 

Here's a pic of the backside of one off my '57. The rusty square, that's the spring part. The side that's on top in the picture, that needs to be pushed in toward the bottom of the pic. Basically you have to line up the square on the spring part with the square hole inside the handle, and it'll slide right off.

The factory made a tool to remove them, a kind of pliers that would reach in from behind and squeeze both sides at once. Works great, good luck finding one. Using a screwdriver almost always results in damaged door panels or a sliced hand. Some guys say a ****er knife with the tip bent over works good to push in with, I actually use the bar stock thing that bolts my garage door closed to do it, for whatever reason that seemed to work good.

Hopefully this helps, once you get one off, they'll all come off easy, it's just understanding how they work. I went through this with my '55 Dodge and I was ready to break the damn thing off to see what it looked like from behind, until someone posted a picture for me and then it was cake.

 

To Squablow, after I push the spring in is there a set screw there that needs to be removed?

 

No set screw, just push the spring clip in and pull off. Once it's off it's easy to see how it works.

 

Thank for the picture, now maybe I can stop pulling my hair out. Wasn't much up there to start with. Really appreciate your help. I am so glad I found this site. I love the guys on here .

 

To Squablow, While I am at it, any suggestions on how to get the top part of the back seat out? Bet I'm sounding like a real dumb*** about now. It has been a while since any car I restored had a back seat.

 

To Squablow, I got them off thanks.

 

Good deal.

I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure there are two tabs or bolts on the bottom ends that you have to undo once the back seat bottom cushion is out of the way, then you have to lift it up off of some hooks that are on the upper back edge.

 

Thanks, that seems to be where it is hanging up is the bottom of the seat back.