Xantia driver's seat armrest removal

[Robin Hoffmann]

Fellow froggers, I'm preparing to install a full seat of leather seats into my Xantia CT Turbo because the driver's front seat cloth has worn through. The leather seats I have have a fold away armrest on the driver's seat, but it's broken where the armrest mount goes onto the seat, leaving half of the mounting mechanism still in the seat. Despite looking at Mr Google etc I can't work out how to remove it from the seat. I can see how it works, but can't see how to detach it, despite much hair pulling and standing on my head. The only thing I can find on the seat side is what looks like the end of a flat spring mechanism. Pushing this into the mechanism doesn't achieve anything. There must be some device that releases the mechanism so it pops out. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and cheers, Robin

 

[KimHowe]

I took one off recently. If I recall correctly, you push the spring loaded bit in, then rotate the armrest beyond it's normal upright point and it comes to a position where it can just come off.

If that doesn't help you enough, let me know and I'll go back to it and make a proper set of instructions up.

Cheers

Kim

 

[Robin Hoffmann]

I took one off recently. If I recall correctly, you push the spring loaded bit in, then rotate the armrest beyond it's normal upright point and it comes to a position where it can just come off.

If that doesn't help you enough, let me know and I'll go back to it and make a proper set of instructions up.

Cheers

Kim

Hi Kim
Thanks for the feedback. I could see where the problem lay, and that was the piece that used to be attached to the arm wouldn't go the last little bit, through the pinch point, around to the end of the travel to allow it to come out, even though I was pushing against the spring washer. Pushing it inwards toward the centre of the seat moved the piece inward to facilitate going through the pinch point but it wouldn't go. I had been searching for another release to let the piece travel fully to the end, but of course there isn't one, as your post confirmed. So with a judicious application from a percussive persuader, hey presto, it went through the pinch point and came out easily and simply. Just a bit tight on the pinch point even with the swivel pushed in against the spring washer. I'm guessing that with the armrest attached there's enough leverage from the other end of the armrest to negotiate the pinch point. It's easy when you've done it once!
Now to get the cover removed from the armrest so the mount can be welded back together.
Thanks again Kim! Much appreciated.

 

[Robin Hoffmann]

An update on the armrest. I took it to an upholsterer in Toowoomba and picked it up yesterday. He reattached the broken mounting point and it's as good as new! Cost? $88. More than happy with that.
Cheers, Robin