Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 07:11:20 EDT
Reply-To: RAlanen@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Adjustable armrests...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
In a message dated 9/4/2003 12:08:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
> I got this van and it has two armrests without the adjustable bolt in =
> there. And they are flopping about. I found in the pile the two =
> adjusting bolts but they won't go back in. =20
> Anyone did this before? How to fix it?
>
Yes, I recently did this repair for a customer. First remove the
armrest by removing the drift pin. This will be found by compressing the armrest
fabric & foam where the armrest meets the seat back side at the pivot point.
Once the armrest has been removed then remove the plastic front cover, four
screws. Remove the upholstery. Slit the foam lengthways and remove the foam
from the box section of the armrest so that you gain access to the side of the
box that has a tape cover. Remove the tape and you will find the "loose nut"
that the adjuster is supposed to be threaded into. The problem now is that
that nut is to be inserted in a slot at the rear of the box and it will fall
out every time you turn the armrest right side up. You need to devise a way to
keep that nut there while you reassemble the armrest to the point the fabric
and plastic cover are back in place before inserting the adjuster. I did this
by using a piece of coat hanger wire from one end through to the other going
through the nut. Then once the armrest box tape cover, foam, upholstery and
plastic cover were back in place with the armrest in upside-down position, so
the nut does not fall out of its slot, remove the wire and insert the adjusting
screw. There is a plastic tab in there that is supposed to allow the adjuster
to go in but not be unscrewed back out. This plastic tab may have been
damaged when the adjusters were removed forcefully by whomever in an attempt to
repair the wobbling armrest. The wobble is most often caused by the pivot
attached to the seat back being broken or its retaining screws have come loose. You
only need to remove the armrest from the pivot by removing the drift pin to
repair this problem. The adjuster screw retaining tabs can be seen when you
have the tape cover off the box. This job is tedious and a giant PITA but it
can be done successfully if you take your time and work methodically. The foam
can be glued back in place, foam to foam and foam to box, using contact
ciment. Good luck !
Cheers
Frank Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm">BusFusion</A> a VW Camper camping event, Almonte, ON, June 10 ~ 13, 2004
'87 Westy & Lionel Trains
Member: <A HREF="http://www.vanagon.com/">Vanagon List</A>, <A HREF="http://www.bcn.net/~limbo/">LiMBO</A>, <A HREF="http://www.westfalia.qc.ca/">IWCCC</A> & <A HREF="http://www.ccvwc.ca/">CCVWC</A>
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm">STEBRO/Vanagon Stainless Steel Mufflers</A>
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html">Frank Condelli & Associates</A> or http://frankcondelli.com
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