4 hour seat swap, armrest ?
 

hi forum...rained all day yesterday...so I decided to cross another thing off my list...a much dreaded swapping of the sagging driver's seat for the pass. one..The MB tex is in excellent shape on both, but the springs are weak on the driver's side..Anyway, I researched on this forum, and determined that it was "doable"...then took things a step further....I took out both seats, completely dissasembled the frames, hight adjusts on both, etc., Took the backs off, and swapped JUST the bottom cushions....I'm such a perfectionsist, I couldn't live with the adjust wheel, fore and aft adjustment, and hight adjust being on the wrong sides...soooooo, this took me a long time...but I now know every piece and part in those seats! My question is: I want to redo the armrest...and I can not figure out how to take it off!?!?!? Is there some trick to it?...I saw what appeared to be 10mm bolts inside between the seatback side and the armrest, but there's no way I could get to them with a small wrench or socket...Has anyone ever taken the armrest off on a 81 300D or similiar..??

thanks
sean :)

I can't believe I did this..
 

I want to be the first to admit...I spelled perfectionist wrong.

ok..no laughing..

thanks:)

Sean 300D, Whoa, hold up on the armrests till we get this seat matter cleared up... you took them totally apart and did not take pictures of the process for the FAQ pages ? Just head right back in there while you remember everthing and do this right...Then we can discuss the Armrests and whatever else.... Half the people on this forum need to know how to do this correctly,,, and who better to learn from than a Perfectionsist ?

umm...ok
 

I'm not sure how to do the FAQ thing.....but in outline, here's kind of what I did.

First of all, you have to switch the seat backs so the seatbelt latch is on the proper side, and of course, the armrest..(which I don't know how to take off anyway)

1. I moved the seat fwd in the car, removed the back two floor bolts, then moved the seat rearwards, removed the front two floor bolts, unplugged the seatbelt warning sensor (driver's side only) and slid the seat fwd, carefully sliding the seatbelt latch thru the black "track thingy" bolted to center "hump" in the floor. I found it easiest to remove the seat thru the front, as opposed to the back door.

2. Carefully unsnap the brittle 20yr old trim pieces that cover where the back meets the cushion. The trim piece on the adjust wheel side just rotates up out of the way for the bolts. You will see 2 13mm bolts on each side. These are all you need to unbolt to remove the seat backs...(easiest part of the job). I fished the seatbelt sensor wire thru the corner of the cushion, and lifted the back off.

3. To keep the heighth, and fwd/back adjust levers on the proper sides, you've got to totally remove all the hardware on the bottom of the seat cushion. You must remove basically every single screw in this assmbly to do this..good thing is: they are all the same, and I had none left over..

4. I removed this assmbly in "layers". First remove the two springs on the back..(makes sliding the tracks back and forth to expose screw access holes a lot easier) Then unscrew the gold coloured scews on the height adjust, release the catch, and slide it up and down until holes line up to expose the screws...there will be 3 on each side...top, middle, bottom.

5. Carefully remove this whole mess, THEN you will be able to remove the black steel-stamped bracket between the height adjust and the fwd/back track.

6. Once again: 3 screws each side, top, middle (thru bracket), and bottom. After you remove these screws, you will be able to lift off the tracks. You can get to the top and middle screws by once again, lining up the "pre-stamped" holes in the track. Then slide the tracks back up, or down..(depending which way you laid the cushion on the floor) to expose the last screw.

7. the fwd/back adjust handle will be between the seat cushion back and the track, just held down by the track. When I took this all apart, I simply laid it out on the floor and re-installed it all back onto the "other" seat cushion in reverse order...There's only one way this stuff all goes back on..and it's virtually impossible to mess it up! The hardest thing is sliding the height and fwd/back adjust tracks back and forth a hundred times to line up the screw access holes to reassemble!

NOTES:
You cannot screw up the fwd/back adjust tracks...as it is fool proof, but when you reassemble the final track (height adjust) make sure that BOTH sides are resting in the same slots..(i.e. 3 teeth sticking out one side or another, or something like that)

I also took this great opportunity to clean, and lubricate all the tracks, slides, and everything..makes a huge difference!

The trim piece on the height adjust side is clipped to a steel stamped bracket. (ok this one's for me)..Be sure to put it back directly on top of the tracks that bolt to the seat cushion itself...and not leave it 10ft away on the floor, and notice it after you have it all back together.

and Finally: Bolt the respective seat backs back onto your now, swapped cushions...and put 'em back in the car!

Ok...how do you remove the armrest?

sean

OK!
 

Remove the two Philip's Head screws from the bottom underside of the seat-back back panel. Remove the panel sliding it downwards and you have access to the large nut securing the armrest pivot frame to the seat back! Nice write up and good job! But those pictures would be nice if you did it again, if it rains of course. And if you could do it for the FAQ's just think how many would benifit from your experience! You can add the armrest R&R now!

;)

Good work Sean, I do not have a clue as to how to take off the arm rest.... :)

ok
 

I'll go try that right now...btw it's raining again...I don't know if I'll have the 4 hrs to do it again and take dig. pixs. It's gonna be kind of tough with my girlfriend standing in the garage glaring at me and saying something about "quality time" or whatever...I thought that WAS what I was doing..

thanks
sean :)

Sean, You can always get a new girlfriend, but a perfect armrest is a joy forever.....