AMC and Rambler dash & door knob removal

written by Tom Jennings, edited by Frank Swygert 02-02-2026

Why is it that automotive instrument cluster, knobs, levers, cranks, dials, etc are so weird and strange? It’s unbelievably difficult to figure out how to get control knobs (headlight, wipers, that sort of thing) off when they’re on the car!

Here’s why. It’s simple, but not obvious and impossible to see on the car. I can never remember how it works, and have to puzzle it out every time! So after 20 years, I realized I could WRITE IT DOWN. Here it is. You no longer have to resort to Vise Grips and swearing. This is specifically for 50s-early 60s Ramblers. Late 60s and 70s cars are different.

Left photo: There’s a spring steel insert inside the back of the knob that grips the flatted shaft of the control itself. The insert is intended to stay in the knob. See the “D”-shaped hole? The flat on the “D” grips the flat of the shaft; the shaft often has notches to add more grip. It’s not fully obvious, even with a close-up photo, that that part of the clip moves. See the notch molded into the plastic, pointed to be the allen wrench held in a dirty finger? That notch tells you where to put the Tool. (The notch is generally pointing toward the floor mats.)

Right photo: Place the Tool in the notch, and press it inward against the clip, HARD. This pushes the “D”-hole upward, the flat of the “D” then lifts slightly off the shaft, at which point you can remove the knob from the shaft.

The Tool is a 1/8″ allen wrench. A small flat screwdriver or other instrument can be used. Vise Grips no more! You may still need some swearing though.

 

Headlight switches can be a PITA to remove also. There is a button on the back of the switch. You have to reach around under the dash, find then push that button (while the lights are off), then pull the knob out. The shaft comes out with the knob. Then you can unscrew the nut holding the switch in and remove the switch. If you don’t know about that button it’s impossible to get the switch out without destroying it!

Inside door and window handles can be tough! Up to 1961 Americans (and maybe some other models) used a “different” system to hold the handles on. Instead of a clip or screw they have a vinyl boot behind the handle, between the handle and door. Push the boot in at the bottom and a pin will fall out. That pin holds the handle to the square shaft. To put it on push the boot in at the top and drop the pin in. A little easier said than done! The door handle should be easy as the pin is vertical all the time. The window handle may be a bit tricky. With the window all the way up the pin should be vertical, but it may not be…

Some models simply have a screw in the center, usually allen head, but may be phillips — those are obviously easy to figure out, just remove the screw and pull the handle off.

If there is no vinyl boot or visible screw head they are held in place by a spring clip.  Those need a special (but cheap – under $10, unless you want to pay more…) tool to remove. You simply slide the tool behind the handle and push the clip in. Then the handle will pull off. To put back on push the clip in then just push the handle on. There is often a plastic disc right behind the handle. This is to protect the door panel. Slide the removal tool between the handle and disc, not between disc and door panel.