Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:42:58 EST
Reply-To: JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: JordanVw@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Arm rest brackets fatigue heads up
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 1/22/06 3:02:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, trclark@SHAW.CA
writes:
> So If you are like me & tend to really use the driver side arm
> rest & the bracket bolts are are going on 25 years next time
> your in the fasteners isle grab 8 number 12 bolts
> & change all the arms reat bracket bolts
> just spent few hrs drilling those busted bolt out with the seat in place
> no fun for the 1 or so that it takes to fix all the arm rests :)
>
not really any need to replace the lighle hex head armrest bracket bolts if
theyre not broken..because they are kinda hard to find - you need the ones that
are flush mount - (but they are available, not in the original hex head,
though) . just keep them tightened and armrests in the UPRIGHT POSITION when
not in use and they wont get broken.. the armrest bolts break because people
leave the armrests down ALL THE TIME and they try to squeeze between the front
seats or whatever and bump into them with their fat a$$es /sit on them/lean on
them etc. and they cant take the stress.
this is the reason armrest bolts come loose -
the armrest bracket is bolted OVER the vinyl. this must be done obviously
to keep the seatcover's fitment, otherwise the vinyl would be loose around
where the armrest bracket mounts.
by being bolted OVER the vinyl, the 2 little hexhead bolts never completely
are 100% tight, there is always that thin cushion of vinyl underneath them..so
they work their way loose over the years with people bumping into them etc.
and they get looser, people bump into them more, and most people are too lazy to
spend the time to tap the set pin out to tighten the 2 little hex bolts that
hold the bracket on...so the threads get all reamed out and the armrest gets
floppier until 350lb uncle Bob tries to squeeze between the front seats with
the armrests down to grab a cold one out of the westy fridge, and pop! snaps
one of the bolts off. and there you go, you have the floppy dead armrest with
one (or both) hex head bolts broken off in the seatback.
if you read my "how to fix vanagon armrests" post in the archives, there is a
easy way to remove the remainder of the broken off bolt stuck in the
seatback, without using a drill and possibly damaging the threads in the seatback.
i usually use a needle nose pliers.. carefully feeding them thru the hole in
the vinyl where the bolt went (the vinyl is probably all torn and enlarged at
this point because the armrests have been floppy for a long time i'm
assuming) and you can get to the BACK of the side of the bracket that is welded to
the seatback that accepts the little bolts. you can then carefully use the
needle nose pliers to continue to "tighten" whats left of the broken bolts until
they come out on the inside.. so no drilling is necessary. i have had to
drill some out int he past, but those are only on seats where the windows were
left down and the armrest bolts were rusted to the seatback frame..
chris
