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Help with pulling the arm rest

Al_in_Philly

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia USA
I've had a factory tilting/locking arm rest sitting in my basement for about a year now. When I first got it, I tried and tried (by myself) to push in the two metal retaining tabs on the stock armrest, to extricate it, but for the life of me, I couldn't pop them back so that I could slide it out. Then life intervened and the replacement just sat in my basement. Now, in the next week or two, I'm going to give it another shot. Can anyone who has pulled their original arm rest tell me what the trick is? I'd be hugely grateful!
 

Al_in_Philly

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia USA


Thanks. I watched Schwabo's video before my first attempt, but those nasty tabs never pushed in enough to release either side of the arm rest. I'll try again, but was hopeful that somebody who has done this knew of a good tool or technique to get the job done easily. As you can see in the video, he is tussling with it, and then he cuts away.
 

njswider

Ready to race!
Location
South Jersey
Car(s)
MK7 Golf R
I used a hammer and just bent the tabs in to the point where they stayed in and it was much easier to get out. Whenever I sell the car I'm just going to leave the Euro armrest in because I would feel bad locking the armrest for the next owner. I have the stock one laying around but its essentially useless now.
 

schwab0

Go Kart Newbie
Location
FL
Car(s)
VW
Yo, don't be afraid to get a long flathead screwdriver and hammer it in ... the tabs are easy to bend in and then pull up you'll feel a side break lose ...
 

McJaggleToes

New member
This was one of the less graceful part swaps IIRC. Hammer and flathead, and a lot of swearing, and mine came out. I'm not sure I'd do it again if I had it to do over.
 

ecsta

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Toronto
Car(s)
2017 R
Yo, don't be afraid to get a long flathead screwdriver and hammer it in ... the tabs are easy to bend in and then pull up you'll feel a side break lose ...

I felt like a miner digging for gold.

First few "taps" i was gentle and trying to not scratch the metal tabs, after that i started hammering away on it as hard as i could haha. Once out the tabs are easy to bend back.
 

schwab0

Go Kart Newbie
Location
FL
Car(s)
VW
LOL, I've done a few dozen sofar ... once you get over the fact that you can't really break anything it comes out easy ...
 

Al_in_Philly

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia USA
Well, I finally was able to replace the arm rest. However, I still had problems getting the retaining tabs pressed back far enough with just a hammer and a long screwdriver. Fortunately, I also had a pair of long nosed vice grips with me; they easily fit around the plastic inner frame and over the mounting tabs. After three progressively tighter clampings on either side, the arm rest came out really easily.


Thanks for all the help!
 
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