How To Fix Back Of Center Arm Rest

[MrAl]

Hello again,

Oh hmmm, interesting, i didnt think it would be like that, but now that i hear it, it does make sense.
I'll have to check mine too tomorrow.
But wait, i did not feel any sticking action like i do with normal magnets, unless it is terribly weak
I will check though...see if i can get something to stick to either part (arm rest or lower part compartment edge).
I thought it was just the weight that kept it in place, as it is somewhat heavy.
I think if i could also install some sort of post to make it stronger side to side that would help too. It moves too easy and therefore stresses the hinge and plastic the hinge mounts to.

[erikv11]

Both of my x70 cars have the standard latch mechanism like on an 850, no magnets or other devices. They are all the same.

[MrAl]

Both of my x70 cars have the standard latch mechanism like on an 850, no magnets or other devices. They are all the same.

Hi,

Ok thanks, i had a feeling something was missing in that arm rest. I would guess that the latch holds the front of the arm rest stable so it cant shift side to side and thus break the hinge or plastic.

The magnet idea is a good idea though so maybe once i get it fixed ill just mount my own magnets.
That wont keep it from shifting side to side though, unfortunately.

[MrAl]

Hello again,

These three pictures show the break as well as the 'why' it broke.
The three pictures are, "ArmRest-1, -2, and -3" which i call picture 1, picture 2, and picture 3 here. They might get ordered backwards here.

In picture 1 we can see one break just under the screw head near the bottom left, and the other break to the left. The plastic piece that went in between the two breaks is missing from the photo and i'd have to find out where it went in the car in order to glue it back.

In picture 2 we see a strange looking ribbed 'protrusion' which presumably is supposed to fit inside the 'indentation' in picture 3. The protrusion part and indentation part are shown in the pictures with a yellow square drawn around them.

The other thing shown in picture 3 is the latch (to the left side of pic) and that is clearly intact and working.

What it looks like caused this break was the protrusion is supposed to sit inside the indentation when the arm rest lid is closed. If that happened correctly then the latch (pic 2) would actually meet up with the lip on the edge of the compartment (pic 3 to the left of the yellow square but hard to notice). That would hold it shut, and the indent/protrusion would help keep it from swaying left or right and thus put less stress on the hinge.

The main problem is the protrusion does NOT match up with the indentation, apparently because the lid is NOT aligned properly with the indentation. This is probably because of the cheap hinge (pic 2 left side) which if it bends even a little it will cause the lid to be misaligned with the compartment and thus the protrusion does not fit nicely into the indent.
If it fit as it should, then the latch would have grabbed the 'lip' on the edge of the compartment, but since it is not aligned properly the latch doesnt work (yet).

You can look on your own v70 and see if it's the same for your car.

[hayesman76]

I have about the exact same problem as described in the OP with the center console of my '98 S70. The hinge at the back or the lid disconnected completely from the (as correctly described) flimsy plastic lower part of the console. What I've been reduced to doing for some time is just picking the entire lid off the console when I need to get something from inside of it, then put it back on top and hope it stays put. Unfortunately, somethimes when I actually put my arm onto the arm rest or don't perfectly seat the lid onto the storage console it slides off, which is frustrating as heck when the car is being driven. I'm going to look into some of the things others have tried as described above.

[DrJammer]

So I blindly bought a new console from a guy parting out his V70 and asked if the armrest hinge was intact. They said it was and went ahead with purchase, but the infamous cracked plastic on the back form the weight of the armrest was not (my fault for not being specific enough).

So now I have 2 consoles and I am frankensteining the parts I want from each to get as close as 100% as I can. right now, the last piece to fix is that pesky broken plastic. Others have stated that JB weld works great for the charcoal/grey interiors. I have the oak/tan.

I am at the point of metal strapping on the inside, which probably won't work due to a slight gap that still allows the armrest hinge to push the plastic with weight. Other choice I guess is Bondo. I am hoping I can do a thin strip across the top, sand it down and paint it. Any thoughts on best paint color/brand?

Has anyone else come up with a better fix for this dilemma?

[sleddriver]

Has anyone else come up with a better fix for this dilemma?

As our cars age and plastic becomes brittle, I think it's time to learn plastic welding. Rather amazing what can be done to reinforce cracks using wire mesh embedded in hot, molten plastic. I've watched a few YT videos on this.

Hot glue + wire screen may also work.

3M makes an adhesive for hard-to-glue plastics. It's about $20-30/tube and may have a limited life once opened. First up, is to ID what type of plastic it is, then choose an appropriate adhesive.

[WhatAmIDoing]

My armrest sways due to the same plastic breaking. Hinge and latch is still good. The cigar lighter piece completely detached and snapped the wires at one point. I've been trying to hold it together with tan/beige duct tape, but it hasn't really been working. Let us know if you find a good solution. I've been thinking of trying glues or epoxys, but worried I'll just make an ugly mess.

[sleddriver]

Polyvance's plastic welder: