Has anyone come out with a fix for the lousy armrest top that is always sliding open when you actually use it as an armrest ? Mine is getting worse and worse with the repeated opening and closing.

 

Usually when they behave this way, it's a result of the mechanism actually being broken. If you're still under warranty, they'll replace it... Otherwise, you can order a new lid...

That said, even when it's *not* broken, it doesn't work great. I replaced mine with the flip-top version... much better IMHO.

 

Flip top version ? please tell !

 

This one: http://www.minspeed.net/MAR.htm



While installation of this armrest is pretty trivial, removal of the OEM one is more involved, and to truly do it *right* you must replace the center console and a few other parts, basically converting the car to a "no OEM armrest" config, then adding this armrest instead. Requires about $60 in additional parts.

 

I having the same problems, I take it back to dealer they order a new top cover and is under warranty.

 

Thanks guys, I think I'll get back to my headscratching and try to come up with a fix.

 

So Blimey, do you know it there's a way to adjust the angle of the flip-top version? I did this mod recently, and noticed that in the down position it sits "nose down" several degrees. Maybe this is the way it is supposed to be; it even appears this way in several of the promo pics.

I'm fine with it as is, but am curious if it can be adjusted. No clues based on the install directions (which are hilarious, BTW) or by inspection.

 

Yeah, mine tilts forward a bit as well.

It's not adjustable... and I realized a few weeks back that it doesn't even rest against what I *thought* was the "stop" underneath... the whole thing just seems to "hang" from the pivot arm... I made a "chock" to go in the gap between the armrest and the support, but it isn't thick enough to work. Someone else taped I wine cork in there... but I'm going to make something a little more sophisticated eventually.

 

I just ordered this one in the picture for my 2006 MINI and it wont fit! The spacer welded to the bottom of the rail is too big to fit in the holes of the armrest feet. I did notice your picture has round holes, and I have been told those were the first ones made and they only fit certain years(not sure which years) and then they came out with one that I have that has oblong holes that is supposed to fit all the MINIS. My problem is the spacer on the rail will NOT fit into the oblong hole, and Im wondering if the ones with the round hole are bigger and maybe thats what I need, but supposedly the oblong hole feet fit all of them so Im confused why mine wont fit.

 

Hmmm.... it was definitely a SNUG fit the first time on my 2006... but it worked its way in as I torqued down the seat bolts, and has worked fine ever since...

 

I finally pulled my seat out and laid them upside down on the ground and looked at them. I tried to put the feet over the spacers on the seat rail. NOT EVEN CLOSE!! There is no way in the world these would ever have fit. Since I had my seats out, I took a hack saw to the feet and cut out the small section of metal towards the outside on each foot, thereby opening the hole up. Now it was better but still not quite right. I had to get a dremel tool and open up the entire hole a little. More so on one side than the other. I did this on each side of the foot and test fit it again and it worked. I re-installed my seat, put the armrest in place and bolted everything back down. It looks great, but not an install for someone who is not handy with tools! Total time to do everything was maybe an hour and a half. Not too bad, but for something that's supposed to just pop in easy, that's not good. I wish I had taken pictures as I went along but I was fighting the darkness coming on and trying to hurry. I had to finish with a spotlight as it was. I guess I will never know if I just had some oddball seat rails or what. Without opening up that hole and using the dremel tool to enlarge the inside of the hole in certain areas, there was NO WAY these were going to fit. I cant believe no one else has had this problem.

 

Does this one actually tilt up any higher than shown in the photo at Minspeed?

It looks like it only goes up to about 20-degrees from vertical, and looks as if it would be in the way of an elbow when using the parking brake.

 

It does tilt downward slightly, but it looks good in the car. To pull the handbrake all the way up, you have to tilt the armrest upward or it will it the bottom of the armrest. I like the way it looks in the car, but they say it does not effect using the handbrake. It really does, because as I said you have to tilt the armrest up to pull the handbrake all the way up. After going through all that to install, Im glad I did. It looks good.

 

My concern was about when it is raised to it's uppermost position - does it not tilt up to anything close to vertical to get it out of the way when you don't want to use it?

I'd like it to tilt up and over the top, to match the inclination of the seat back - does it do anything like that?

 

It does not get vertical, but in my opinion it does go high enough to get out of the way, but it does not match the inclination of the seats. I have mine installed and am completely happy with it. Its solid, and well built and looks nicer than just about any of the other armrests out there! The picture pretty much shows though how far it tilts up.

 

Here is a quick and easy fix I did for this problem. I searched for solutions and found this thread so figured I would reply.

Fixing a 1st generation mini cooper armrest