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      01-07-2016, 12:53 PM   #1
dandandan
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DIY: Rear Passenger Armrest (With Cupholders)

I’m not sure why BMW decided that the Canadian/US versions of our cars shouldn’t come with the ski bag/arm rest. Perhaps this was a cost saving/safety strategy or something to that effect. They smartened up with the 2 series.

I just got my 135i in September of last year and I was very unhappy that my rear passengers did not have a proper armrest or place to put stuff/drinks. The rear tray is a joke IMO.

After searching through options I decided the only way to do this was to create a fully custom and removable solution. This DIY is not for everybody.

The Process

Step 1: Find a suitable donor armrest form a junkyard. (Approximately $10-25 CAD)
- After measuring and searching through several different rear armrests, I came to the conclusion that the seventh generation Accord is the perfect size, has matching black plastics, and arm support height I was after. The foam on these is perfect and the cup holder plastic matches our interiors. Try to find one that had leather to avoid a smelly/gross donor.

Step 2: Remove the cup holder assembly and upholstery.
- Pry upwards from the rear portion of the plastic cup holder insert and it should pop out. Installation is the same in reverse. Be careful not to bend or chip it but use a good deal of force.
- The back of the armrest has a plastic fold tab, instead of a zipper, that flips open to reveal the foam inside.

Step 3: Cut the armrest foam to size.
- I took a hack saw and cut about 2-3 inches off the back, including the metal portion that would have been mounted to the Accord bench seats in the back. You won’t need any of that hardware.
- Inside the middle of the foam there are two metal rods that the hack saw will bite through. This part can get a little messy so plan on having a vacuum on hand for the little pieces. A straight cut will do just fine.

Step 4: Cut the new upholstery.
- Take the existing upholstery and use the pieces as a template for your new upholstery.
- My car came with Coral Red leather; the iphone pics I took make my leather choice look a little pinker than actuality.

Step 5: Sew the leather together.
- This part can be done if you have access to a sewing machine designed for leather; otherwise there are plenty of upholstery shops that can do the work. I was very lucky that my girlfriend’s dad does this for a living and had extra red lamb skin leather pieces for the job.
- IMPORTANT: Make sure you add a 7” two ply flap at the bottom rear corner part. This will fit through the gap behind the seats and under the dense foam cover that is placed in the trunk.
- The bottom of the armrest can be made of any durable material or more leather.
- I used staples to connect the leather pieces at the bottom and some tape to cover up the sharp edges of the staples. It’s not the prettiest under there but nobody will see that part anyways.

Step 6: Installation and final touches.
- Not pictured are some ½ inch round rubber feet I bought at home depot that I screwed into the bottom of the armrest. These stabilize the armrest in place by hitting the corners of the existing tray in the back.
- Also not pictured: The rear flap that I had sewed on the armrest has a hole that lines up perfectly to the frame of the car found in the trunk. This flap slides under the 60 portion of the 60/40 splitting seats.
- IMPORTANT: For more stability, make sure this flap is held in place with a lot of tension. This tension will keep the back of the armrest pressed against the rear of the seats. You really want to keep things snug. Amazingly, there just happened to be a place to screw in a short bolt to hold the flap in place (with tension). I used a small washer and short bolt that keeps the flap in place and is very easy to remove by hand when I need to remove the armrest.
- Installation/removal is very easy when you fold the seats down half way. The bolt/washer has to come off before you can slip the flap through the thin gap under the hinge of the folding seat.

I’ll post pictures of what it looks like in the car when I have a chance and some more details of the bolt that hold everything in place.

MORE TO COME

Hope this helps!

Dan
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Last edited by dandandan; 01-08-2016 at 04:10 PM.. Reason: more pics
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      01-07-2016, 04:00 PM   #2
smrtypants44
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Looks good. Not something that id attempt but it came out looking good.
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