tnoll Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 I have a great new armrest console from England, ready to install in my 2019 Connect LWB. Elsewhere on the forum, someone said put it at 60 degrees and pull from the passenger side. I tried that, the service manager tried that, he looked in the service book and it said to try that. The other day during service to the backup camera, five mechanics tried that. Waiting for Ford to comment. Any suggestions? Any problems with the last ditch of just hacksawing it off? Getting new sheepskin seat covers soon ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 So, since it's from England, are y'all pulling it to the English passenger side or the American passenger side? Because they're opposite, lol. I've never even seen one of those consoles in-person, only on online pics, so I can't help much beyond this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnoll Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 Pull to the American passenger side, since it's an American LWB Connect with one shitty stock arm on the driver seat. The new console drops right over the one in the floor and is really nice. https://www.armster.co.uk/shop/ford-connect-2018-with-usb-aux-armster-2-armrest-lhd-only/?v=7516fd43adaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnoll Posted November 1, 2019 Author Share Posted November 1, 2019 Per the title, trying to remove the stock driver armrest 2019 LWB CONNECT, American. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidparker Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 They may have gone to clip system like the full sized Transit. I found this with Google. https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/removing-armrests.23921/ tnoll 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrm223 Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 On 11/1/2019 at 5:13 PM, tnoll said: Per the title, trying to remove the stock driver armrest 2019 LWB CONNECT, American. Quote I have a great new armrest console from England, ... Elsewhere on the forum, someone said put it at 60 degrees and pull from the passenger side. When I originally read the post, I thought you were trying to remove an armrest from the console for who-knows-why, not the driver seat - maybe some custom mods, different armrest cover, etc. Confusing, but lots of people do confusing stuff, so who am I to judge. Hell, everyone on this forum is probably confusing to "normal" people since we're enthusiasts of a minivan, essentially. I've never tried pulling off the armrest from my 2015, which could be different than your '19, anyway. But, I'm wondering if that 60 degrees is above horizontal or 60 degrees down from the 'up' position? I've never researched it before this post. Well damn, I just tried to remove the one in my van, tried every position throughout the range of motion and I can't get it to budge, at all. And I'm the type that can remove the headrest in a second or two, lol. I was sitting in the driver seat and pushing it towards the passenger side, I've got too much junk in the passenger seat at the moment, so I can't sit there & pull instead of push. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnoll Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 Sorry, I should have written it clearer. It became quite a saga to get the damn arm off. Two trips to the dealer, five mechanics and the service guy couldn't get it off per Ford's repair manual. One month waiting for Ford internal engineers to respond. They said per instructions, place the arm at 60 degrees from level, and pull from the passenger side. The service manager could easily do it on the 2018s, so easily that he said he almost fell out the passenger door backwards. On the second trip in, service took the seat out and claimed they took it apart, then reported it was all one piece with the arm. Hmm. Then how did they get the 'beauty ring' black plastic cup thing onto the arm between it and the arm hole in the upholstery to cover that hole, and how did they upholster the arm and the seat while they were assembled? Don't care, what was determined for me was I could safely cut the arm off with a hacksaw. So, I cut all the upholstery off the arm in order to see. The arm was a loop of steel rod with a crosspiece welded at the end that went into the seat. Then I cut the black plastic cup/ring (about 3.5" D and there to cover the hole in the upholstery in the side of the seat where the arm went in) from between the arm and the seat. This exposed some kind of silver slotted 'retaining ring' about 2.5" D that the rod of the arm went through. That ring had some black plastic prongs sticking through some of its slots from inside the seat. Those were there to hold the 'beauty ring,' so I cut them where they stuck out because part of this was prep for my sheepskin seat covers, as well as making room for the aftermarket armrest console. It appears that the silver slotted 'retaining ring' is press fit or crimped onto some mechanism inside the seat, probably the ratcheting assembly. I decided to stop deconstruction there and just cut the steel rod of the arm flush to the retaining ring, partly so is wouldn't forever rattle around inside the seat. The 5/8" D? rod is pretty tight through the hole in the center of the retaining ring, or it is part of that ring, or something. The ring itself seems to crimp onto an 'innie' for which it is an 'outie.' And somehow during assembly (it can't possible be all one part) the black beauty ring is put on the arm where I cut it on the right side of the picture, and over the silver retaining ring, so, doubtful it's all one part with the seat. Pictures of the silver slotted retaining thing after the arm going through its center was cut flush. The seat fabric hole is tucked behind the ring so the hacksaw wouldn't catch on the upholstery, so it looks like the ring protrudes from the side of the seat, but it doesn't, much. Picture of the cut arm, and the console installed, but not yet the sheepskin--next day. The console is very nice to have, just drops right over existing with four screws, blocks the exisiting 'well' but not the cup holders, comes with a usb extension to relocate yours if you have the feature where a usb comes out the back of the Ford console, also comes all black. Its interior space isn't huge, but works. Now my Connect and I can make friends. Hated that frickin' arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnoll Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 Sorry David Parker, your post wasn't forwarded to me by the forum. Looking at my pictures, it appears that there's a plastic button that I might have pushed in at the top of the silver retaining ring thing at about 12:30, the other four black things in the slots being the cut-off prongs that held the retaining ring. It's pretty hard to see or get to without cutting off the beauty ring between the arm and the seat. I was reluctant to try any more disassembly without knowing what I was getting into, so cutting worked for me especially to deter rattles. In any case, it's off and the new console and sheepskin covers are on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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