NOTE: Please mention if the pictures are showing up sideways. I edited 'em so they shouldn't, and I think it's just that my browser isn't refreshing properly, but if they are sideways I'll try to figure out why. Thanks!
OK, so I got it done! It actually went relatively smooth, although I did break a small drill bit. I also kinda forgot to take pics until the handle was off, but managed to kinda catch up.
The tools I used were: center punch, 3/8 electric drill, ~1/8" bit and 1/4" bit, pliers, Philips screwdriver #2, Torx driver T-27, flat screwdriver, 10mm deep socket on a ratchet. I think that's all of 'em.
First I center-punched each of the bolt heads, as close to the center as possible. Then I center drilled each of 'em with the small bit, about a 1/4" deep. Center drilling with a small bit always makes the bigger bit cut into the metal way easier and quicker.
Thirdly, I used the bigger bit on each of the bolt heads until it cut the head off the threads. That resulted in the handle falling off. But basically, it looked like this:
And like this without the handle:
This part was hanging inside, so I fished it out. It's the part that broke off the handle.
I grabbed onto it with the pliers and pulled it down (the door was already unlocked), and the door popped open!
Now this picture's a little difficult to see, but it's of me using the flat screwdriver to pry the plastic bushing and the lever thingy off the rod. Actually a nifty little clip. The lever part has to be back against the flat part of the clip, and then the clip will slip over the end of the rod. So pry on the plastic, not the metal lever thing.
On this door, Chevy actually went and put a nice sized access cover to get at the back side of the handle. Remove four Philips screws and voila, lotsa room! (Pic shows new handle already installed.)
Most likely you'll need the nuts that were on the previous studs, which you drilled off, and are now laying somewhere in the bottom of the door. So on the inside of the door, remove two screws on the bottom, and the (I think) five screws along the left side of the door. Also, here's where you use the Torx driver: you have to remove the window clamp from the door. (Three Torx T-27 screws.)
Also, use a flat screwdriver and carefully pry the speaker cover off. Of course this is easiest if you start from the right side. There should be a clip to release (simply by prying the cover away from the door) fairly close to each corner.
Then there's a snap clip in the lower left corner of the door trim that easily pops out when you pull the door trim away from the door. The main cover (already missing in the above pic) may just fall out, or there might be a clip to snap out of the door body at the upper center of the cover. Then remove the cover, and look for your nuts. Should be two of 'em somewhere in there. (At least for the guys.) Haha, had to say it!
Once you find the nuts, spin 'em off the remains of the bolts, and you're ready to install the new handle! This part I don't have pictures of cuz I kinda needed two hands to do it, and I can explain it fairly well anyway. So here goes:
Grab that new handle, orient it the right way, and snap the rod end into the clip. Now hold the handle in the "open" position so you can fit that lever thingy through the hole at the same time as you're lining up and inserting the bolts through their holes. Once it's seated in place, spin the nuts on from the access opening, and use the 10mm socket on the ratchet to tighten them.
You can test the handle to make sure it'll work before you reassemble the door. Simply push the latch (what actually holds the door closed) down two clicks, and then pull the handle. If it doesn't pop back up, make sure that you didn't accidentally lock the door, and try again. If it still doesn't work, well, I dunno. I didn't have that problem!
If it works, go ahead and do a double check by actually closing and reopening the door. If that worked, you're good to go! Simply reinstall all covers including the handle backside access cover (four screws), slip the main inside cover into place and screw the trim to the door (seven Philips screws, the two bigger ones go on the bottom), reinstall the window latch (three Torx screws), and, well, put away your tools.
I found that after this, the latch operates much smoother. There's absolutely no "catch" to it, and it works perfectly every time! Yes, I did spend a minute just standing at the back of the van opening and closing the door! Got a problem with that?
Also, seeing as this was a work van before, the bars that catch the doors at 90 degrees had been taken off the pins and then simply pushed into the doors. I found the one for the first door when I was doing this job, so I opened up the other door just to look for it. I have no need to swing the doors wide open, and I have been annoyed when the doors would swing around from the wind. So this is nice now!
Anyways, I hope this is helpful! There's alot of info here that you more experienced guys won't need, but I figured I'd give as much info as I could think of to make it easy for basically anyone.