W201 under dash leg bar/knee pad, can it be easily removed?
 

I've found that my shins are constantly knocking against that driver's side under dash "knee pad", (a 'new to me' stick shift '84 190D). Can that "pad" be unscrewed and removed easily? Anything under or inside it, other than bracing? Other than the possibility of breaking my legs in a frontal collision, any adverse effects by removing that "bar"?

IIRC the bolts are accessable through holes in the bolster. I believe that it is there only for safety, no other function.

yes, the knee bolster (which looks like some corrugated pipe and Styrofoam) be removed. Its actually metal painted black. The bolts are accessible throu the bolster itself..probably the usual 10mm or 13mm.

bolster screws
 

The bolt holes are "keyholed". You need only loosen them and pull the bolster assembly toward the driver seat and down to remove.

Good tip. I'll try it tonight when I get home. Thanks all for the replies.

10mm. Of course you need to remove the underdash cover first, at least from the front of the dash, and let it hang down. You may have to do some "plastic surgery" (like a tummy tuck?) on the underdash cover to gain any more legroom, or leave the cover off (careful not to get your feet into the wiring under there).

Should I check the junkyards???
 

Very simple to remove.

1.) Unscrew and remove the Philip screw on the left side of the cover, all the way to the front (of the car) next to the hood release lever.

2.) Use a small flat blade screw driver to pry off the two plastic trim tabs at the top of the bolster on either side of the steering wheel. That will reveal three Phillip screws.

3.) Unscrew and remove the three Philip screws notated above. The bolster cover can now be dropped and removed.

4.) Using a 10 mm socket with a long extension, loosen and remove the two bolts holding the Styrofoam bolster. The bolts are accessible through holes in the Styrofoam on either side of the steering wheel. (note: the Styrofoam is covered by a black, ribbed plastic "shield", but you can see the Styrofoam on either end.)

That's all! But, I had to put it all back together again because there were too many wires hanging down with a couple "boxes" and a fuse. All of these hung down to the point where it would be a safety hazard to drive like that.


What I need to do is obtain an under-dash cover for a W201 that does not have that leg bolster. Did all W201 models imported into the U.S. have that leg bolster? Should I scour the junkyards looking for a cover from a W201 without the bolster? I'll also need the left center console vent cover. It is not on my car because the leg bolster covers it up pretty good. No need for the vent cover with the bolster in position.

By the way, without the bolster, the under dash area is wide open, just like the W123 and W124 cars.

That dont sound good does it? Sounds like a easy way for something to be damaged.

Volosong - does your car have the airbag option with the big knee bolster?

I had a '84 190D and I dont recall the lower dash panel protruding that much, but I am only 5'6". Also, my car didnt have the airbag option.... as you can see...

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...100_8530-1.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...s/100_8518.jpg

A perusal of the pick-a-part W201 bodies, (there are currently about five or six), show that the cars with the steering wheel air bag also have the knee/shin bolster. The one car without an air bag, (steering wheel like yours), did not have the bolster. I took that underdash panel, and even though cracked with a broken firewall tab, it was able to be fitted properly and secured.

The bolster must be part of the SRS, and probably I'll get two broken legs in an severe accident, but I'd rather have the leg room and two broken legs will be the least of my worries if I'm hit that badly.

Had to pick up a center console vent cover as the bolster hid that opening and as such, no need to have it installed in the first place. The junkyard sold me one for three bucks.

Only thing I need to figure out now is how to remove the after-market alarm that the PO installed. There are all kinds of "junk" under that dash (wires and electronic boxes) that make a tight, clean fit a little off. I'll get the advice of my mechanic first, but he won't like it because he says that those bolsters are "a good idea" and I should have left it on.

p.s. Where'd you get your dash cover? Approximately how much do they run? I don't have any cracks in my dash yet and understand that UV is one of the major causes. Perhaps I should have one as a preventative measure?

Yeah, I think the airbag equipped models are the ones with the big knee bolsters... my '88 300SEL has the big bolster.

About the dash cover - I wish I knew. It was on there when I bought the car and I loved it. I would love to have one for my W126. It only had two cracks in it and I am sure it was put on because of that. If the old lady whom I bought the car from still lives there I would like to ask her. She was moving though, which is why she was selling her deceased husbands car. I regret selling it, but I needed a larger car. I loved the diesel engine though.

The guy that bought it lives in Asheville and said he visited this site from time to time, but I have not seen him here... hopefully the car is still giving him good service. I feel that with care that car would have easily gone 400K miles before major repairs. I really do.

I'm 6'2" and i really don't mind the knee bolster. I noticed a similar setup on a lot of US market BMWs.

Have you tried lowering the seat? You know that there is another lever that allows the seat to slide up or down an inclined track. If you lower the seat all the way on that track, you may find you have sufficient leg room.

Did that! Seat all the way down. There is just too little foot/leg room in the W201. Removing the bolster has really helped. Got a junkyard seat with the front height adjustment (under the thighs), but can't figure out how to remove the knob so I can put my own upholstery on it. Going to my mechanic tomorrow so he can show me. A query post/thread several days ago did not elicit any responses so far.

On my 300CE, I did have my front seat removed and had a upholstery shop tie some of the springs together so that I could sit lower on the seat. Even then, in the mornings (after a sleep when your spine expands a bit), my head touches the roof, so I have to recline the seat more than I really want. In the evenings, after a day's work when the spine has compressed, headroom doesn't seem so bad and I can incline the seat more to my liking.

That's the curse of being taller than average...can't really fit comfortably into any car I want.