The front 2 doors of my '95 disco won't open from the outside, just from the inside handles, even when holding the locks all the up. Any ideas?

 

There is a little adjustment mechanism in between the handle and latch. You will have to take the door cards off, as access is from the inside. Once they are off, you can peel back the plastic sheeting and all will become clear.

You need one of these to get the door card off properly:



I have to adjust mine every couple months as they loosen up for whatever reason.

 

Dug through my old pics, here is what you are looking for:

 

I just replaced the door latch spring on the passenger front door (BTW, PITA!), and everything works except for the bloody exterior handle... seems to only open when you pull really really hard two or three times.

What is required to be adjusted in the picture you show with the linkages/rods and how?

 

One of those rods in the pic will have threads on the other end. Pop the top end out of the clip, turn the rod to tighten it, put back in the clip. Adjust more/less as necessary. That rod will take up the slack/tighten things up.

 

What fish said.

The red one is for the lock. The other one is for the handle. On one of mine the adjustment was maxed out and I had to put a kink in the rod with a pair of needle noses to take up the slack.