body and interior Removing Early 02 Headrest. How To?

[PaulTWinterton]

Feel kinda dumb.  Without beating on the headrests, is there a way to get them off easily!

 

I haven't adjusted them in years and I can't remember.  Hopefully my last dumb question for 2014.

 

I just bought a new chrome cap for the top of my seat. Missing for years.  Walloth & Nesch. 

 

 

 

[LarsAlpina]

Do not tilt and just pull. Real hard pulling needed sometimes if not moved for a long time.

 

Myself I have also used a wooden slat covered in rags for leverage effect to loosen them the first bit.

 

Regards, Lars.

Edited March 12, 2014 by LarsAlpina

[Mike Self]

Two tricks:

 

1.  drizzle a little penetrating oil down each of the two shafts that support the headrest.  They slide into steel tubes and shaft/tube rust together.  Let it sit a day or two.  Then try.

 

2.  If that doesn't work, remove the screws that hold the back side upholstery in place on the seat and remove it; that will reveal not only the tubes that hold the shafts, but the shaft ends.  Then you can gently tap those ends with a soft (copper/brass/lead) mallet.  That'll loosen 'em up in a hurry.

 

mike

[PaulTWinterton]

Great answers.  Thanks.

[Jace]

i always forget about the buttons on the side of the later seats.

 

feel a little dumber every time.

[LarsAlpina]

I have to admit that I´m mostly a bit lazy - Mike´s ways are of course more elegant. I do apply the penetrating oil after the headrests are off and use just brutality to get them there.

 

Be careful: From some year on no longer just the 6 screws hold the back plates of the seats but there is also the leatherette cover clamped at the bottom. So don´t tear it off, when going that way maybe.

 

If you do look inside your seats, check if the locking springs on the tubes the headrests silde in are able to move freely and not rusted. Otherwise your headrests might in future not stay in the position you want them to. If rests feel a bit loose anyway, bend their shafts together a little bit - mostly helps.

 

Regards, Lars.