armrest removal

[Rick Davis]

Thank you Mike!! I have been wrestling with that arm removal task for the longest. One of my arm rests has padding that has slipped. Drives me nuts.

(you're right, San Antonio area is hot! I was in Clydes shop in Seguin yesterday for about three hours, and it was scorching!)

Rick Davis

'93 WLSA

in Houston

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From: mbulriss <mbulriss@...>
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 1:13:57 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: armrest removal

Art -

Yes, I have removed the front seat arms on an early 80s model. I had read the same story that Fred posted. However, when we re-did the interior in our 83 PT40, that did not work. I believe the seating was by Flexsteel in the 80s. Since I disassembled the seats down to the frame, I can tell you what I had to do. Although the arm covers have a zipper on them, the arm has to come off to get the cover off over the arm pivot shaft.

In order to get the arm off, you have to go up through the seat back with a long flat screw driver and pop off a small semi-circle wire c-clip lock on the end of the pivot shaft. This will probably require removing the hog rings that secure the seat back fabric covering to the seat frame, in order to see up into the interior of the seat back. The wire c-clip sits in a groove on the end of the arm pivot shaft quite close to the round piece of tubing that it comes through. Do not loose that c-clip as they
appear to be made of "unobtainium" . I had to search for the 'lost' one for days, since I could not find a replacement c-clip anywhere. After you pop the c-clip off and put it somewhere safe, the arm slides right out of the seat back pivot tube. As soon as you get the arm off, you can re-secure the hog rings as you will not be going back in the seat back.

To reassemble after you repair the arm or covering, you put the c-clip back in the groove on the pivot shaft while it is off. Note that the tube shaft end is internally chamfered to compress the c-clip into the groove when the arm is inserted. You might want to put a little silicone grease on the pivot arm before inserting. Then you gently slide the end of the pivot shaft into tube, with the arm at about a 45 degree angle to position it between the arm rest up/down stops, until the c-clip goes into the chamfered area. Then put a clean 2x4 board against the outer edge of the seat arm behind the
pivot shaft, get a good hammer and drive the pivot shaft in by pounding on the 2x4.

When it is all the way back in, you are done. And NO, you can pop the arm off by using a big pry bar, because the internal end of the shaft tube is not chamfered to compress the c-clip.

Have fun.

Mike Bulriss
1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX - where another balmy 102-105 day is coming on

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Fred Bellows" wrote:
>
> > Has anyone removed the armrest. ...
> > Art Weatherly
> > Riverside Ca.
> > '85 PT36
> >
>
> if it's a Villa brand seat, I've been told you put the armrest straight
> up, push in, and tilt back even further, and it comes off.
>
>
>
\/\/\…Fred
> ____________ ______
> Fred & Wendy Bellows
> Queen Creek, AZ (so.east Phx)
> '90 SP36
> "Maunder Maximum"
> photos of coach and upgrades
> <http://picasaweb. google.com/ Bluebirdzoom/ MaunderMaximum>
> current location <http://www.bbirdmap s.com/user1. cfm?user= 125%20>
>