How do you remove or attach the armrest - arm rest in a Ford Windstar?

Answer

I have a loose armrest on a 2000 Windstar. I took it to a certified mechanic who couldn't figure it out. He obtained an exploded view of the seat assembly and told me that the apoulstry (sp?) would need to be removed to get to the nuts and bolts from the inside. This is dealer work, he told me.

Answer

Mine was not loose, it fell off. It had what looked like a 3/8 stud it turned out to be metric (10MM, I think). On the seat side it had a post that rode in slot in the armrest to stop travel at the up and down positions. I was able to pull the fabric and foam of the seat away enough to knock the spot welded square nut off the bracket using a chisel & hammer. I put the armrest in place and put a NyLock nut on in place. I tightened it about half way using an end wrench (No room for a ratchet/socket) then the stud started to turn with the nut. There was room to grab the end of the stud with a small vice-grip to finish tightening the nut. Then I pulled the fabric back in place and everything looked factory new. As a bonus I got a Kiss and Thank-You from my wife. -Jeff Beck

THE REAL ANSWER!

I own a 2000 Windstar, and mine fell off two days ago. After searching the 'net with no luck (and after reading a few out-right lies), I decided to take a shot at this one. I figured since the thing wasn't going back on by itself anyway (and my father's has done this as well), I might as well try. Ruining it wasn't going to make it work any less. Here's how I fixed mine:

1. Use a hair blow dryer on high to warm the rubber outer layer at the seat end of the arm rest. After about 30 seconds of moving it around the end (don't let it get so hot it burns), the rubber "shell" will be soft and flexible enough to peel back and off of the end. Peel it (don't tear it) back over the end so you can get to the foam and plastic inside. I only peeled mine about 1/3 of the way up. If the rubber cools and becomes stiff, warm it up again. I had to warm mine four times to get it that far. Also, save any large pieces of foam that break loose. You'll want to put them back in when you replace the cover.

2. Look at the bolt sticking out of the arm rest. If you follow it through the arm rest to the other side, and feel the foam in that area, there is a depression. Scrape the thin layer of foam off of the plastic, and you will find a plastic circular cap about 3/8" wide under the foam. It is recessed slightly, and there are a couple of curved C-shaped holes about 1/8" away from it. Remove this cap. I used a drywall screw and my cordless drill/driver. I ran the screw into the cap, and when it hit the metal underneath, it pulled the cap free. The hole in the cap is harmless. You'll want to replace the cap later.

3. Under the cap is the end of the bolt that is sticking out of the arm rest! I stuck a 1/4" diameter carriage bolt into the hole (it just happened to be handy - ANY object that will fit into the hole will work), and tapped it with a hammer about a dozen times. The threaded bolt slid right out of the arm rest. The end opposite the threads is tapered, and there's a notch cut in the smooth shaft. A metal clip rides in the notch and holds the arm rest in place on the bolt.

4. Thread the bolt you just removed back into the side of your seat. Be sure to clean out the threads in the frame of the seat first. I was going to use some thread locking compound on the threads when I put it back in, but found I didn't need to. I had to use locking pliers to force it back in where it belonged. If you gouge up the smooth shaft the arm rest rides on, be sure to sand it down until it is smooth. I used some emery cloth I had in my plumbing kit (don't know what kind) to smooth it out. Run the bolt back into the seat frame until it is flush with the frame.

5. Replace the cap you removed from the arm rest. Warm the rubber cover back up and carefully stretch it back over the end of the arm rest. Don't forget any pieces of foam rubber that came loose. Slide your arm rest back into place! I put mine on at 45 degrees just in case it could go on wrong, but I don't think you can put it on wrong. A good hard push from the other seat while moving the rest up and down snapped it into place!

Fixed!

Hope this helps someone!

Jim S.

First answer by ID1108294320. Last edit by RedRyder89. Contributor trust: 1 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 52 [recommend question]