How to Change a Doorknob With a Spindle

Doorknobs with a spindle connecting the inside and outside knobs together are used on both interior and exterior doors. The spindle is a square, metal rod that fits through the door's latching mechanism. When you turn the doorknob, the spindle rotates also, moving the latch in or out. Change the knobs when worn or visually unappealing. The process of changing a doorknob is a straightforward task for the average homeowner, whether young or old.

Screwdriver
Replacement doorknob set with spindle

Instructions

- 1
  Open the door. Use a flat head or Phillips screwdriver, whichever is needed, to unscrew the set screw from the shank of the doorknob on the interior side of the door.
- 2
  Twist the interior knob counterclockwise off the spindle to remove it.
- 3
  Pull off the doorknob on the exterior side, pulling the spindle out of the latching mechanism in the process.
- 4
  Line up the spindle on the replacement exterior doorknob with the shape of the door's latching mechanism. From outside the door, insert the spindle through the latching mechanism so it sticks out of the interior side.
- 5
  Screw the second doorknob onto the end of the spindle, from the interior side of the door, until the knob fits securely on the spindle. Tighten the set screw on the knob's shank clockwise, using the screwdriver, to lock the knob to the spindle. Leave a slight gap, maybe one-eighth inch, between the bottom of the knob and the rosette, if there is one. The rosette is a decorative plate against the door behind the knob.
- 6
  Twist the doorknob from side to side to make sure the door latch goes in and out as it should.

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