[Suthrn]

Just did the install on the wifes E90. Great mod and thanks to everyone on this site for the info. By the way, my car had the spring and other little thingy already on the old armrest. Thanks to JD at Crown too.

[tracerit]

is realoem.com the cheapest place to get the split arm rest for $209? i believe that's for the leatherette arm rest. is there a noticeable difference in appearance from the leather and leatherette material?

[bimmernupe]

Originally Posted by tracerit

is realoem.com the cheapest place to get the split arm rest for $209? i believe that's for the leatherette arm rest. is there a noticeable difference in appearance from the leather and leatherette material?

try crown bmw or Tischer

[deletedelete]

Id be all over this if it was cheaper.

[MarkW221]

What's the thing with the gear/spring? I've got an E92, and my (normal) armrest doesn't do anything with any springs - I have to press the button and pull it up manually, and then it clicks into position when at 90°. Also, when pushed forward slightly so it unclicks, it just slams down. Shouldn't it be like this? Nov 2006 (UK).

[bimmernupe]

Originally Posted by MarkW221

What's the thing with the gear/spring? I've got an E92, and my (normal) armrest doesn't do anything with any springs - I have to press the button and pull it up manually, and then it clicks into position when at 90°. Also, when pushed forward slightly so it unclicks, it just slams down. Shouldn't it be like this? Nov 2006 (UK).

See here:


http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=105

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=107

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=120

[MarkW221]

Originally Posted by bimmernupe

See here:


http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=105

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=107

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=120

Thanks; is the spring just something the extended arm rest comes with then?

[IRL-MN]

Originally Posted by MarkW221

Thanks; is the spring just something the extended arm rest comes with then?

I believe the spring has always been part of the split armrest, but '08 and newer E9Xs have it standard on the regular armrest.

I just swapped mine out over the weekend, and as mine is an '08 it already had a spring. This made getting the pins out a real pain as the spring prevented me doing anything but tapping them out little by little. Beyond that it's an easy install and well worth it. Great DIY

[snareman]

I can't get the bars out. its almost like they are locktited in. When I try and push them outward they won't come out and just push the piece that they are locked into out. Any ideas? Here's some pics of my trying it.

BTW, I tried hitting the pliers with a hammer to try and bang it out, but its not budging.

[vgame64]

snareman, it can be done. I just spent 4 hours doing it. Some WD40 and a hairdryer/heatgun will help. What I did was hammer a screwdriver on the pin but from outside in first to loosen it. I then sprayed some WD40 in the hole and heated up the plastic. I then took the hammer/screwdriver from the inside to out and it came out. Throughout this, I was squeezing together the plastic so the metal pin would pop through.

Worst explanation evar.

[snareman]

Originally Posted by vgame64

snareman, it can be done. I just spent 4 hours doing it. Some WD40 and a hairdryer/heatgun will help. What I did was hammer a screwdriver on the pin but from outside in first to loosen it. I then sprayed some WD40 in the hole and heated up the plastic. I then took the hammer/screwdriver from the inside to out and it came out. Throughout this, I was squeezing together the plastic so the metal pin would pop through.

Worst explanation evar.

I ended up taking mine to the dealer and they did it for free. That's the easiest way do to it.



BTW, that's grey poplar with trees reflecting in it.

[vgame64]

Originally Posted by snareman

I ended up taking mine to the dealer and they did it for free. That's the easiest way do to it.

BTW, that's grey poplar with trees reflecting in it.

Lol nice...and trippy trim haha

[NoWr2Go]

I just received my split armrest in leather. I noticed that the cushion (sponge material or whatever it is) bottoms out and there does not appear to be a lot of cushion. When I put my elbow on the armrest, it bottoms out and my elbow feels like it is resting on a hard surface. I'm curious to know if my split armrest does not have enough cushioning or if they are all like that. The original armrest that I have is leatherette and does not bottom out. Let me know what yours feel likes. THX

[TL]

I just removed my armrest for my E92 with a long nose pliers. I basically used the pliers to push the metal rods out.

[chromisdesigns]

Here's a mod I could use -- my wife is an iPhone addict, and runs her charger from the 12v socket in the armrest. With this, she could have her side open for the charger cord, stowing the iPhone, fetching her sunglasses, and what not, and I could still use the arm rest on my side! But she's gonna choke at the cost, I think.

Sigh.

[bimmernupe]

Originally Posted by chromisdesigns

Here's a mod I could use -- my wife is an iPhone addict, and runs her charger from the 12v socket in the armrest. With this, she could have her side open for the charger cord, stowing the iPhone, fetching her sunglasses, and what not, and I could still use the arm rest on my side! But she's gonna choke at the cost, I think.

Sigh.

The armrest opens as one unit, not two.

[SyrianHamster]

So close, Please help.

I thought I had found the solution to all my problems, well one of them anyway! (Thanks to this post) I have a rattle coming from the armrest which is driving me mad it only seems to happen when I turn a corner, I'm thinking the kids have posted something through one of the vents.

I can get the top of the heating control panel off but cant get it removed completey, the bottom seems to be attached still and no matter how much i pull it wont come off! (I know I know) Are there some more clips or should I just give it a tug a bit harder?

Thanks in advance.

[sleepyx637]

Did this mod earlier this week and I'm liking it so far. As others have said, if you have the spring pre-installed, getting the bars out can be a pain in the ass. I struggled for a good 15 min and they weren't moving. I got my can of jig-a-loo, sprayed it at the notched ends, and both bars were out within 2 minutes. Also, an even bigger pain in the ass is seating the spring once everything is installed. I found that the best way to do this was to get two flathead screwdrivers and push on the sides of the spring at the same time. Poor diagram, but hopefully this gives others an idea (push where the x's are with the flathead):

|_______________|
|_______________|
x_______________x
|_______________|

[nirvanaman]

I did this install on my e92 a couple weeks ago. A bit frustrating at times, but not too bad overall. I used this guide as a reference but had to put my own twist on it to make it work. Here is what I did:

Here are all the tools I ended up using for the job.



First I laid down some towels to protect any potential slips from damaging the aluminum trim.



Getting the rods out was a bitch. What eventually worked was some of that white lithium grease, a hammer and a nail set. Slowly tapping a bit on one side, then the other, they finally came out all the way.





Once free, this is what it looked like with the armrest removed. My car is a 2009 so it already had the 'soft landing' gear attached. This frustratingly popped out several times during installation of the new armrest and was difficult to retrieve.





Installation of the new armrest was relatively easy, just make sure you put everything back where it belongs.



And the finished product.



I do find the new armrest to be much more comfortable, but I do wish it had more padding.

IM me if you have any questions about the install.

[luxun54]

Thanks to all of you for this great thread -- I just installed the split armrest this morning in my wife's 325i. I NEVER could have done it without this thread, since there are no instructions, and it's just not intuitive. It was especially helpful since different people described different tricky aspects (I think I experienced ALL of them, LOL ) and their solutions.

The split armrest in the forward position is definitely more comfortable and stable than the custom made pillow that my wife had fashioned, so we're pleased.

[Catfish454]

I just put mine in. Took all of 10 minutes from the time I opened the rear door until the time I closed it. I don't understand why people are having problems with the gear. You simply put the new armrest in place, then snap the gear in from the inside. It only fits one way, and the tabs on it hold it firmly in place. In fact, you need to press hard to get it to seat properly. You should hear an audible "CLICK" when it's in correctly. Also, I found that using small Vice Grips help in removing the hinge rods. Clamp the grips onto the rod, then push out while twisting them very slightly. I do like the additional support the armrest provides, but still not sure if it was worth the $225. Looks cool though!

[sleepyx637]

Originally Posted by Catfish454

I just put mine in. Took all of 10 minutes from the time I opened the rear door until the time I closed it. I don't understand why people are having problems with the gear. You simply put the new armrest in place, then snap the gear in from the inside. It only fits one way, and the tabs on it hold it firmly in place. In fact, you need to press hard to get it to seat properly. You should hear an audible "CLICK" when it's in correctly. Also, I found that using small Vice Grips help in removing the hinge rods. Clamp the grips onto the rod, then push out while twisting them very slightly. I do like the additional support the armrest provides, but still not sure if it was worth the $225. Looks cool though!

It took others forever because your 2007 model didn't have a spring installed already. With the spring pre-installed, there's no room for a vice or pliers to grip onto the bars, so it's a pain to get them out.