Rear Armrest won't come down

hawk43

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Mine would not come down either...after getting it down and looking at it you have to pull the strap up and not "out" From the passenger side put you thumb on the center head rest and use your index finger to pull up toward the head rest and it pops right open. Sort of using a trigger motion.

Pulling it down which seems logical just makes it locked more tight the way it is designed...

good luck.
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IrishCrusader

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So I had my strap pull out when my son tried to lower the armrest (he clearly didn’t read this thread). I got it open and the little pin holding the strap came loose. I got the armrest open but have no idea how to properly reconnect the strap so the catch opens. Does anyone have a picture of a properly attached strap?
 

Stangman570

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So I had my strap pull out when my son tried to lower the armrest (he clearly didn’t read this thread). I got it open and the little pin holding the strap came loose. I got the armrest open but have no idea how to properly reconnect the strap so the catch opens. Does anyone have a picture of a properly attached strap?
My wife broke mine the same way a few months ago. Going to the dealership tomorrow for the taillight recall along with my passenger rear break pads squealing like a pig. So will see what they say about the pull tab and let you know.
 

Truckee Bill

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My rear armrest has been "stuck" in the up position basically since I bought the car. I've always gone through the fast lane and they don't fix things like that. So today I took my truck in for it's 20,000 mile tune up and the rear brake light recall so I asked them to look into it.

They just called me and said the "fix" is to "put your elbow into the leather as you pull on the handle to release the latch".

Doesn't this sound Ridiculous??? Is anyone else having issues with the rear seat armrest getting stuck??

(also, my truck apparently has an oil leak....)
It's apparently a great place to hide valuables...<g>
 

Stangman570

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Got back from the dealership today. They must order a new assembly for the pull tab to allow the armrest to come down. Now for the squealing rear brakes. Ford has slotted the brake pads to help cut down on brake dust. Well those verticle slots pack with mud and it can't escape even though I've religiously hose off mud out of the assembly after off road trips. Only solution will be to step up to a solid pad for the rears. Dealership is ordering a new set for me and I will just pay the difference in price of the pads. The squealing was driving me insane when I lightly apply the brakes at stop signs and red lights.
 


James Caper

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I just fixed my sons with JB Weld. pop the cover and you will likely see a small pin with a tiny piece of plastic on it. that is what holds the strap. It is way to weak of a plastic piece and if tugged on will break. JB Weld will repair and make it stronger than the original.
 

Mustang2Ranger

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My rear armrest has been "stuck" in the up position basically since I bought the car. I've always gone through the fast lane and they don't fix things like that. So today I took my truck in for it's 20,000 mile tune up and the rear brake light recall so I asked them to look into it.

They just called me and said the "fix" is to "put your elbow into the leather as you pull on the handle to release the latch".

Doesn't this sound Ridiculous??? Is anyone else having issues with the rear seat armrest getting stuck??

(also, my truck apparently has an oil leak....)
For the armrest, give it a good pull

I am more interested to hear about your oil leak though, please elaborate
 

PonyXpress

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I ran into this problem last night and pulled too hard and the strap came off. How do I get it open without the strap?
 

PonyXpress

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My truck is out of warranty so I'm not taking it to the dealership.

Others have pulled the strap off and figured out how to open the armrest. I needs some advice on that trick to open it. I have pounded, pushed, and pulled in all directions and it will not fold down. Once I get it down, I can sort out how to reattach the strap.

Anyone know the trick to open without the strap?
 

Dr. Zaius

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I'd push slightly inward on the armrest to release the tension on the latch, then slide a butter knife in at the top and try to depress the catch.

Edit: After thinking about it, I decided that I could hopefully do better than my armchair suggestion so I went out and grabbed a pic of the latch.

IMG_1560.jpeg


And here is the catch for it.

IMG_1561.jpeg


So the cushion is squishy enough that you can put your finger on the catch when it's closed. The latch is almost exactly the same width as the catch so you'll need something thin to push down on the side of the latch to release it.

I would think that a stiff enough feeler gauge would work.

Good Luck.
 
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Cabose-1

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If once you open it and you look at the way the latch catches, you’ll see where it gets stuck. I was grappling with the same thing on Rangers I was looking at.

Basically, if you pull by the tether it forces the latch into the catch, making it hard or impossible to release. I believe this is when the padding on the armrest is new so it’s kind of tight when shut and already wanting to push out, if that makes sense. So the latch is already forced into the catch with some pressure.

So in my experience, if you slightly push the armrest in (doesn’t have to be an elbow) while pulling on the tether at the same time, it’ll release the latch and then you can open it the armrest. Again, just push on armrest with slight pressure and pull the tether to release the latch. This has been flawless and my 10 year old can do it so while it may not be ideal it works just fine.
Exactly what i have to do and same explanation i would give
 

PonyXpress

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I'd push slightly inward on the armrest to release the tension on the latch, then slide a butter knife in at the top and try to depress the catch.

Edit: After thinking about it, I decided that I could hopefully do better than my armchair suggestion so I went out and grabbed a pic of the latch.

IMG_1560.jpeg


And here is the catch for it.

IMG_1561.jpeg


So the cushion is squishy enough that you can put your finger on the catch when it's closed. The latch is almost exactly the same width as the catch so you'll need something thin to push down on the side of the latch to release it.

I would think that a stiff enough feeler gauge would work.

Good Luck.
Thank you! That worked. Your picture helped a lot. Now that it's open, I see my latch is actually covered by leather. I don't think mine was really ever latching, as it has always been super easy to just pull it down. I think it got slammed closed and pushed so hard that it latched over the leather, making it a super tight fit. Lame design for sure.
 

Dr. Zaius

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That reminded me that mine used to be covered too but I removed it early on because it was such a pain to open.
 

Rebel Ranger

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Mine is super hard to pull down as well. When pulling on the little fabric release strap I swear that it's going to rip off before finally unlatching and opening. So I'm curious to know if anyone has a DIY to fix this too.
I realize this may be a little more "simple" than you wanted, but my suggestion is..... Don't sit in the back seat. You can't drive from back there! (I know, it is rude to your passengers, but if they buy their own Ranger, they won't have to worry about it from the front seat either!)
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