Broken armrest

[Lunny2112]

Hi everyone,
We broke an armrest and I can’t remove it to attempt a repair; any recommendations for a reputable VW specialist in Cornwall?

 

[TripleBee]

Are you handy? Maybe this tutorial can help you find out?

 

[Lunny2112]

Thanks for that. Problem is. when I try to undo the bolt holding the armrest to the seat (using M10 bit) it simply won’t shift, even with a lot of force. I’m frightened to give it absolute maximum force as it feels like it may sheer.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks for that. Problem is. when I try to undo the bolt holding the armrest to the seat (using M10 bit) it simply won’t shift, even with a lot of force. I’m frightened to give it absolute maximum force as it feels like it may sheer.

It appears it has a R hand thread and they also use Loctite or equivalent.

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[Lunny2112]

Thanks for that. Problem is. when I try to undo the bolt holding the armrest to the seat (using M10 bit) it simply won’t shift, even with a lot of force. I’m frightened to give it absolute maximum force as it feels like it may sheer.

It appears it has a R hand thread and they also use Loctite or equivalent.

It appears it has a R hand thread and they also use Loctite or equivalent.

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sites.google.com

So, just to be 100% clear, our broken armrest is the drivers’ seat, right side; you’re saying the sunken bolt should be undone by turning clockwise, not anti-clockwise as would normally be the case?

 

[WelshGas]

Only quoting the post I linked to. Never had to take them off myself I’m afraid.

 

[steve_b]

I took mine off, it required a hell of a lot of force to initially unscrew. As Welshgas said, it was held in with loctite so you need to "break the seal" . Make really sure that you hold the spline bolt in square as I can imagine it would end really badly if it slipped - rounded off knuckles as well as the bolt head...

Not sure if you can fudge a way to put the bit in an impact driver but the hammer action of that would probably break the seal, and allow you to concentrate on holding the bit dead straight

 

[Lunny2112]

I took mine off, it required a hell of a lot of force to initially unscrew. As Welshgas said, it was held in with loctite so you need to "break the seal" . Make really sure that you hold the spline bolt in square as I can imagine it would end really badly if it slipped - rounded off knuckles as well as the bolt head...

Not sure if you can fudge a way to put the bit in an impact driver but the hammer action of that would probably break the seal, and allow you to concentrate on holding the bit dead straight

Ok, thanks for the advice, was yours a standard thread (anti-clockwise to undo)?

 

[steve_b]

Ok, thanks for the advice, was yours a standard thread (anti-clockwise to undo)?

yes, standard thread.

 

[Lunny2112]

yes, standard thread.

Ok, think I can borrow an impact driver, I may summon up the courage and have another go at it.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Blux]

I would avoid impact on that one. It's a shallow XZN 12 point. Use a good lengt tool for leverage and push inwards on the bolt to avoid going sideways or not fully engaging the splines.

 

[Lunny2112]

I would avoid impact on that one. It's a shallow XZN 12 point. Use a good lengt tool for leverage and push inwards on the bolt to avoid going sideways or not fully engaging the splines.

Done it! Normal thread, just went very steady with the socket set. Problem now is that there doesn’t appear to be anything to undo inside the rear of the armrest to release the tensioner.

 

[Blux]

you have tu onwind the adjuster knob a bit and If I remember correctly at the end pull the metal pin through so the adjuster knob falls out. After that you can get the broken part out. It has been a few years that I've done one and it was a bit of a 3D puzzle to figure out how to replace the part.

 

[steve_b]

you can find a video somewhere but as Blux says, you take out the metal insert which I think has the broken part on (assume you have a new one in a bag) , wind the adjuster wheel so that the spindle inside unscrews from the centre of the adjuster wheel, then the adjuster falls out or something like that ..

-edit=

slightly different method shown in video. Not clear in the video that you either have to twist the metal insert (that rotates when you raise/lower the arm) so that you can see the screw head. The easiest way I found to do this was offer the armrest back up to the seat and raise it or lower it as it needs quite a bit of force and the leverage of the seat helps.

Or remove the metal innard first which I think is what I did

 

[Lunny2112]

Are you handy? Maybe this tutorial can help you find out?

you can find a video somewhere but as Blux says, you take out the metal insert which I think has the broken part on (assume you have a new one in a bag) , wind the adjuster wheel so that the spindle inside unscrews from the centre of the adjuster wheel, then the adjuster falls out or something like that ..

-edit=

slightly different method shown in video. Not clear in the video that you either have to twist the metal insert (that rotates when you raise/lower the arm) so that you can see the screw head. The easiest way I found to do this was offer the armrest back up to the seat and raise it or lower it as it needs quite a bit of force and the leverage of the seat helps.

Or remove the metal innard first which I think is what I did

I can access the screw in the back but cannot disengage it from the adjuster, when I turn the screw the adjuster barrel turns. Can’t hold the adjuster barrel fast when trying to undo the screw, even in the jaws of pliers it just slips and turns when the screw is turned. Stumped.

 

[steve_b]

you may be snookered in the same way that I was then - what I suspect happened was that when whatever event that broke the armrest occurred, instead of shearing off the metal lump from the barrel (which I guess is means to be a weak link in the chain) it broke off an internal nut and wedged the screw well and truly into the adjuster barrel. If you can get the metal barrel out then you might be able to look down the top - there is a nut there that looks like it is meant to be held captive in the plastic and hence as the screw is turned the threaded rod moved up and down the nut, withdrawing the rod from the adjuster as it moves. If the nut has broken free then all that happens is the whole lot goes round and round.

I ended up giving it to a mechanic who managed to get the rod out with brute force pulling but the damage was unsalvageable, so I took the armrest off the 5th seat and put that on driver's seat.

Still looking for an armrest to replace the missing one ...

 

[Lunny2112]

you may be snookered in the same way that I was then - what I suspect happened was that when whatever event that broke the armrest occurred, instead of shearing off the metal lump from the barrel (which I guess is means to be a weak link in the chain) it broke off an internal nut and wedged the screw well and truly into the adjuster barrel. If you can get the metal barrel out then you might be able to look down the top - there is a nut there that looks like it is meant to be held captive in the plastic and hence as the screw is turned the threaded rod moved up and down the nut, withdrawing the rod from the adjuster as it moves. If the nut has broken free then all that happens is the whole lot goes round and round.

I ended up giving it to a mechanic who managed to get the rod out with brute force pulling but the damage was unsalvageable, so I took the armrest off the 5th seat and put that on driver's seat.

Still looking for an armrest to replace the missing one ...

Scary. I'll have to wait until I can use father-in-law's vice then try to hold the barrel adjuster firm (without damaging it) while turning the screw. Nothing's ever easy.