Anyone removed/replaced door armrests?

[DWS44]

Found I had a large scratch in the leather door armrest on my driver's door. (Pretty sure it happened while in for service earlier in the week, but no way to prove. ) Large enough scratch to bug the crap out of me.

Anyways...found the proper replacement part number to order, but wondered if anyone has tried to remove the driver's door armrest on a JL? Is it just screws/clips and pull it off, or does the entire door panel have to be removed to swap one out?

Sponsored

 

[melendez69]

Found I had a large scratch in the leather door armrest on my driver's door. (Pretty sure it happened while in for service earlier in the week, but no way to prove. ) Large enough scratch to bug the crap out of me.

Anyways...found the proper replacement part number to order, but wondered if anyone has tried to remove the driver's door armrest on a JL? Is it just screws/clips and pull it off, or does the entire door panel have to be removed to swap one out?

Howdy, neighbor. Have you had a peek at this? It looks like you'd have to remove the panel....at about the 3:20 mark, you can see the where the fasteners are.

 

[higbyz]

Howdy, neighbor. Have you had a peek at this? It looks like you'd have to remove the panel....at about the 3:20 mark, you can see the where the fasteners are.

 

[DWS44]

Howdy, neighbor. Have you had a peek at this? It looks like you'd have to remove the panel....at about the 3:20 mark, you can see the where the fasteners are.

Hey...thanks for the video, but that's showing a JK.

Can anyone confirm if the armrests on the JL are attached the same way or done this on a JL?

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

Hey...thanks for the video, but that's showing a JK.

Can anyone confirm if the armrests on the JL are attached the same way or done this on a JL?

Based on this parts diagram and no other research whatsoever, it looks like the armrest (#5) is held on by body clips and a single screw (#7). If I were a betting man, I would say the screw is located underneath the door mat (#6). I cant imagine you would have to take out the entire door panel to remove the armrest.

 

[melendez69]

Hey...thanks for the video, but that's showing a JK.

Can anyone confirm if the armrests on the JL are attached the same way or done this on a JL?

I'm gonna leave that up there just to showcase my stupidity and keep it on display.

 

[melendez69]

First you get me in trouble. Now this. I can't even show my face in Rock Hill.

 

[higbyz]

I'm gonna leave that up there just to showcase my stupidity and keep it on display.

 

[DWS44]

I can't even show my face in Rock Hill.

And that's usually a pretty low bar to start with.

Since you're another local, I'm curious which of the area dealers you use for warranty work? I had been having pretty good luck using Stateline in the past, but two visits over the last two weeks they failed two chances to fix the issue I took it in for (not even steering related), and both times I found damage after the fact that I'm 99% sure was while in their shop. Doubtful I give them any more chances. Bought mine from Gastonia, but that's pretty out of the way for service visits.

I just hijacked my own thread, didn't I?

 

[melendez69]

And that's usually a pretty low bar to start with.

Since you're another local, I'm curious which of the area dealers you use for warranty work? I had been having pretty good luck using Stateline in the past, but two visits over the last two weeks they failed two chances to fix the issue I took it in for (not even steering related), and both times I found damage after the fact that I'm 99% sure was while in their shop. Doubtful I give them any more chances. Bought mine from Gastonia, but that's pretty out of the way for service visits.

I just hijacked my own thread, didn't I?

I haven't needed any warranty work yet, but I'd go to Classic of South Charlotte here, right off 485... on Polk St. near 51. That's where I bought mine. I typically do my own work, but they've done my wheels & auxiliary kit and they're pretty good. I frequent that area where Stateline is. They just look to large & busy.

 

[DWS44]

I haven't needed any warranty work yet, but I'd go to Classic of South Charlotte here, right off 485... on Polk St. near 51. That's where I bought mine. I typically do my own work, but they've done my wheels & auxiliary kit and they're pretty good. I frequent that area where Stateline is. They just look to large & busy.

Thanks...I'd wondered about Classic, since they aren't far from my office in the Carmel Commons area.

 

[melendez69]

Thanks...I'd wondered about Classic, since they aren't far from my office in the Carmel Commons area.

I think they're worth a look. I live right off Park & 51 near Carmel. Feel free to send a PM if you'd ever want to meet up.

 

[cosmokenney]

OMG! This reminds me of my entire marriage.

 

[cosmokenney]

I haven't tried to remove my arm rest yet, btw, but I would love to be able to move it up about two inches. I hate having to use the window sill.

 

[DWS44]

Well...a lot of life got in the way since I posted this thread initially, but I finally had some time to tackle this project! I wanted to come back and follow up on this old thread with answers to the questions I posed, in case anyone else stumbles across this thread searching for info on removing or replacing the door armrest on the JL. Looking at the diagram that was posted in one of the replies, I was hopeful that it would be a matter of removing a screw from underneath that little removable tray in the door pull area and yanking on some body clips.

Unfortunately, once I received the new armrest, I realized that wasn't going to be the case. Also, if you pop that little tray out, you realize there are no screws under it...just a couple holes (drain holes, perhaps?). So, IOW, yes, the whole door panel has to be removed, after which you can access the eleven (11) Torx T20 screws that hold the driver's side armrest onto the door panel.

Luckily, in another thread, I found removal instructions and a YouTube video showing the procedure to remove the inner door panel:



Armed with those instructions the panel removal was pretty simple. The linkage and wiring was just long enough that I was able to hole the panel with one hand and finagle the screwdriver in place to remove the necessary screws with the other. I was working by myself, so I wasn't able to get a shot of the inside of the door panel, but I grabbed a shot of the outside of the panel with the armrest removed for reference. I circled the actual screw locations. The two circled in bright yellow were the hardest to find on the back side initially, as they are well recessed and somewhat hidden from the angle I was looking at it (from the top looking down). Not terribly hard to get to with a screwdriver once you find them, just difficult to see.

...and here is a shot of the back side of the armrest, with the screw locations circled. Eleven of the fourteen posts you see are the mounting points:

All in all, it wasn't near as bad of a task as I was afraid it would be, and now my OCD is much happier with a scratch-free armrest again.

(also...for anyone needing a driver's side armrest, black w/ red-stitching, that wouldn't be bothered by a scratch across it, the old one will be up for sale in the marketplace section shortly. )

Sponsored