How to tighten a car armrest with your own hands (using the Priora as an example)?

Universal armrest for cars

An armrest of this shape is not universal, it does not have shelves for small parts, a stand for a glass, a bottle, keys, business cards, etc., but it performs its main function well.

This option is easy to manufacture if you have a welding machine, 3 mm steel or iron sheet and cladding materials. If you don’t have welding or don’t have the skill to weld metal, there is a good option for making it yourself from plywood, wood, chipboard, OSB, thick fiberboard.

Materials and tools for the universal armrest:

• plywood;
• wood screws;
• hinges (furniture hinges);
• screwdriver or drill;
• jigsaw or hacksaw.

Sequence of preparatory work:

1. Measure the distance between the seats. Choose the length arbitrarily. By the way, regarding the seats, find out how you can make built-in heated seats.
2. Consider whether there will be shelves, glass coasters, etc.
3. Find materials for sheathing:
   velveteen;
4. leather;
5. leatherette;
6. velours;
7. carbon;
8. Alcantra, etc.
9. Prepare tools, buy plywood or chipboard, screws, hinges.

Sequence of manufacturing work:

1. Cut plywood to size.
2. Clean the edges of the plywood until they are smooth.
3. Use a pencil to mark the locations for the screws.
4. Assemble the structure.
5. Sand.
6. Sheath.
7. Install.

Sheathing with leather is not so easy. It’s not for nothing that there are salons that specialize in upholstery of steering wheels, armrests, etc. For beginners, it is better to take fabric material and cover it with it. Sew upholstery with the strongest threads, as this material will constantly pull in different directions. You don’t have to sheathe the internal surfaces and fasten them with furniture staplers, or you can sheathe them completely and sew the joints.

What is an armrest for?

In short, the armrest is needed for convenience. Experienced car enthusiasts know how exhausting long drives can be. The position of the hands while riding also plays an important role in this. They can't be on the steering wheel all the time. Sooner or later a moment will arise when you want to lower your hand and relax. This is where the armrest comes in handy.

DIY car armrest

The muscles of the forearm and shoulder will be able to relax. The load on the spine and neck will also be reduced, since the person will have the opportunity to give the body a more comfortable position and relax, leaning back in the chair. As a result, the driver gets less tired, which is especially important on a long trip.

In addition, the armrest can have a number of other functions:

Selection of material for reupholstery

It often happens that the armrest material deteriorates over time. Luckily, it's easy to fix this yourself.

Before you start reupholstering, you should decide on the material in which you will “dress” your armrest.

There are not many options on the market today. The best, of course, is leather. The armrest will look good in appearance. And in terms of wear resistance, it is much superior to other types of material. However, to cover the armrest with leather, you will have to tinker more. Moreover, it is not cheap.

You can also take a good leather substitute. Outwardly, it will not be much different from leather, but it has several disadvantages, including a tendency to damage and wear, and an unpleasant odor. In addition, leatherette is more elastic. This makes the re-upholstery process somewhat easier, but during operation this factor has a negative effect.

There is also Alcantara - a fiber material that is quite thin. It is durable, soft and silky. Has dirt-repellent properties.

We recommend: Full description of tire markings

When choosing a material, before purchasing it is worth checking its uniformity and at least looking at its quality externally. Also pay attention to the fact that it is in harmony with the interior color.

Covering the armrest with material

To cover the new armrest, you will need a pattern on graph paper, which you made at the stage of manufacturing the parts. And also take care of the following set of materials and tools:

We will analyze the types of materials, their advantages and disadvantages further.

Selection of materials and tools

Leather is best suited for covering the armrest. You can choose either natural or artificial leather, which is also called eco-leather. This material is quite durable and wear-resistant. By buying high-quality material, you can be sure that it will not crack in the cold and will not fade in the bright sun. High humidity is also not scary for him. In addition, leather always looks very stylish in the interior of a car.

Of course, to save money, you can rip open an old leather jacket or skirt to make a cover. But such material will be much worse in quality than specialized automotive leather in the middle price segment. Materials intended for reupholstering furniture are also not suitable, since they are designed for use in a room with a constant room temperature. An armrest covered with unsuitable material will very quickly become unusable.

To save on the purchase of materials, you can use artificial leather to upholster the part of the body that is located between the seats and is not exposed to constant external influence. But it is better to cover the armrest cover with high-quality genuine leather, which is more scratch-resistant and softer to the touch.

Do you need an armrest in a car?

Some models of cars in the budget segment are sold without a special elbow rest. Drivers quickly get used to it and don’t even notice that their car is missing something. Therefore, a logical question arises: is there any benefit at all from the armrest?

In fact, there is, and it is quite noticeable. The armrest significantly reduces the strain on the arm and back muscles during frequent use of the gear lever. This is especially true in cars with a manual gearbox. When traveling long distances and even in regular traffic jams, the hand becomes tense and tired, in some cases the muscles begin to cramp, which can lead to an accident.

The armrest in the car significantly reduces the load on the muscles of the arm and back

Another nice feature is the ability to use the armrest as a place to store useful little things. A water bottle, wallet, car documents, sunglasses case and more can be placed inside and will always be at your fingertips (literally and figuratively). Expensive models often have armrests equipped with control buttons for some vehicle devices.

In addition, an ordinary armrest can create an atmosphere of home comfort in a car and make your stay in it more comfortable.

Re-upholstery process

When the box design is ready, all the elements are in place, all that remains is to give the armrest a completed look. Therefore, it will need to be re-upholstered with the selected material.

Let's assume that you have chosen faux leather.

To get the job done, prepare a kit consisting of:

The sequence of operations will look something like this:

The edges are hidden inside. They can be glued or simply fixed with a stapler.

I can’t say that the work is very simple and anyone can do it. This is wrong. And if an adult man can assemble the structure, then much more serious problems can arise with the production of patterns and templates.

Therefore, think in advance whether it is worth taking on the production of an armrest, or whether it is better and easier to purchase it from the manufacturer.

For those interested, you can use this link to read useful material about the nuances of choosing an armrest in a car.

The element seems ordinary, but if selected incorrectly, some problems arise.

Thank you all for your attention and activity in the comments. Continue in the same spirit!

Source

Sheathing

First you need to make the structure softer. To do this, you need to cut out pieces of foam rubber that will fit the upper parts of the armrest. It is not necessary to cover the areas that are attached to the seat with foam rubber; in the lower part the armrest comes into contact with the seat adjustment elements. If there is foam rubber in this place, it will quickly tear.

For upholstery you need:

• Apply glue to the places where the foam rubber will be and glue it.
• When the material sticks firmly, you can cover it with felt (this is optional).
• Cover the structure with velor or leather. It is best to use a construction stapler for this. If you use glue, then in the future the question may arise of how to tighten the material.
• Perform the same manipulations with the lid.
• Cover the inside of the armrest with fur or any other material.
• Install a furniture magnet. This is necessary so that when driving over bumps the armrest does not accidentally open. To do this, a magnet is installed on the cover of the product, and a metal element is installed in the armrest itself.
• Install the hinges, thereby connecting the lid and the main structure. Fastening is also carried out using small self-tapping screws.

Examples of armrest drawings

Nowadays, car dealerships sell many armrests for different car models. But they cost no less than 1000 rubles, and often much more. Therefore, if you want to save money or get an original thing that no one else has, you can make it yourself.

It is often possible to create a truly original product. First you need to draw its drawing. To do this, measure the opening between the front seats and choose a comfortable height so that the accessory does not interfere with the use of the handbrake and other vehicle controls.

How to make a metal armrest:

1. Choosing a mounting location.
   In this case, these are the seat belt buckle bolts. The lower bolt secures the seat belt buckle itself, the upper one secures the tip of the support.
2. To create the armrest frame we need a sheet of iron 3 mm thick. We cut a strip of sheet metal approximately 30 mm wide.
3. We bend this metal strip along the edges, as shown in the photo. There is no need for exact dimensions. Approximately what is the width of the sheet, we measure and bend it from the edges.
4. Next, we drill holes on the resulting foot and on the strip itself.
   We weld the hinge and stiffener.
5. We also make the base for the armrest from a sheet 3 mm thick.
6. We weld the profile for reinforcement.
7. It turns out to be such a moving part.
8. We choose corduroy fabric for covering and upholstering the armrest.
9. Let's make a cover. For example this option.
10. We make the lining to size. For example, several layers of padding polyester.
11. We apply it to the armrest frame, tighten the base and sew it together.
12. Sew on corduroy fabric to cover the bottom of the base.
13. We put on the cover and tighten it with a cord.
14. The end result is a car armrest that looks like this.

Installation

Most often, the armrest is installed as follows: it is clamped with bolts that hold the seat belt buckles. The seats will have to be moved forward, the mounting bolts will need to be unscrewed, the fork-shaped brackets for attaching the armrest will be inserted there and the bolts will need to be tightened back. Some people make special corners with which the armrest is attached to the floor with self-tapping screws.

How to drag

Reupholstering the Priora armrest begins with its dismantling.

Next you need to remove the old casing. The easiest way to do this is to use a hair dryer. Heat the armrest with a hairdryer, after which the hot-melt adhesive will soften and the previous covering can be easily removed. It's enough just to pry it with something. Using a hairdryer, remove any remaining glue from the armrest. It is important not to overheat the lid with a hairdryer, because under the influence of hot air the plastic may lose its shape. When everything is removed, it is worth additionally cleaning the surface of the armrest from possible dirt and degreasing it.

After this, we move on to cutting the material. In order to guess the dimensions, you can take the old trim and make a pattern following the example, leaving a little extra space for bends.

If you decide to reupholster it with leatherette or Alcantara, attaching the new trim is easy. The material is stretched, secured and glued around the perimeter. It is important to spread the glue a little in advance, since it takes a long time to dry on plastic. To remove wrinkles, you can use a hairdryer. Under the influence of temperature, the fabric, leather substitute softens and sticks more easily.

Pulling the armrest with leather with your own hands is a little more difficult. Since this material is less elastic. There will be more folds and it will be more difficult to remove them. There are two options for solving the problem. First, you can try to warm up the skin a little more and stretch it a little more.

Secondly, if you want to tinker and also have sewing skills, you can make the trim from several parts, which are then sewn together on a machine.

Here the sequence of actions is slightly different. Before removing the old trim, we make markings on it along the edges of the armrest. After this, carefully dismantle the old material. We cut it according to the markings. Only after this we make the patterns. We simply outline the smooth edges on the side where the old sheathing was just cut, making a margin of about 7 millimeters so that the parts can be sewn together. The second edge is free. It will bend and attach to the inside of the armrest. Important! When you start cutting out the central part, make sure that the piece you cut is symmetrical. After all, the top of the armrest has a symmetrical shape. After everything is cut out, you can sew. Sewn with a regular stitch on a machine. If you have the desire and imagination, you can make decorative ones along the edges of the main seam, so to speak, to decorate your armrest. The decorative seam is made at a distance of about 0.5 cm from the main one using a thicker thread of a slightly different shade.

After everything is stitched, the seams can be slightly beaten, so they will become softer, and the leather will lie more evenly on the armrest.

At this point the sewing ends, the covering is ready, you just need to tighten it and secure it. When stretching the new skin, make sure that the main and decorative seams are symmetrical and correctly positioned. If the stitching somewhere is not quite perfectly straight, this can be corrected with the help of a hair dryer and tension. Once everything is correctly positioned and tensioned, the new skin is fixed with glue on the inside. Wait until the glue dries and the armrest is ready, you can install it back.

Types of minibars

When deciding to install equipment in an apartment, you should think about its appearance.

1. Open. Alcoholic beverages will be visible to all house guests. Typically, mini-fridge shelving will be similar to that found in a café, but will be smaller in size. If you want to show guests the delights of alcoholic products, it is better to give preference to this type of bar.
2. Closed. These are the same racks or shelves, but with doors. This type of design is recommended for installation in an apartment with small children or animals. Safety comes first.
3. Portable. One of the most convenient types. This mobile version has wheels, so it is very easy to move it anywhere.

When choosing an option, you should also focus on the style of the room.

Manufacturing process

Making an armrest with your own hands is quite simple if you have at least some experience with a jigsaw. If you have correctly measured all the distances and made the correct drawing, then all you need to do is follow the diagram and our instructions exactly.

1. Cut out the pieces from graph paper. After use, do not put them away far, because they will still be useful when covering the body with material.
2. Attach them to the plywood and transfer the contours.
3. Using an electric jigsaw, cut out the necessary parts.
4. To create curves, for example on an armrest cover, soften the plywood over steam or hot water.
5. Fasten all the parts using self-tapping screws, according to the project. If necessary, you can use glue, but it alone will not be able to firmly hold the structural elements.
6. If desired, you can install partitions inside the armrest: you will have compartments of different sizes for storing useful little things.
7. Glue foam rubber onto the armrest cover, otherwise your hand will feel the hardness of the wood even through the upholstery material.

Making an armrest

cut out the parts from plywood, according to the diagram, think over the principles of connecting the parts and fastening the lid. After all the parts are connected, all you have to do is glue the foam rubber on top and cover the body with leather

Your armrest is almost ready: now its body needs to be sheathed with material, and then installed between the seats in your preferred way.

How to make this part for your car with your own hands

First of all, select the material from which the body will be made, as well as the fabric for subsequent upholstery. Their thickness affects the dimensions of the future product. Next, you need to make all the necessary measurements, and only after that start constructing the drawing.

We will talk about the choice of fabric for covering a little later, but we will dwell on the material for the armrest itself in more detail.

Material selection

Wood-based material is best suited for the armrest body. It can be a chipboard, fiberboard or ordinary plywood. If the proposed design does not have curves, then your choice is unlimited. Otherwise, the only material that will suit you is plywood, since only it can be bent by holding it over steam for some time or soaking it in hot water.

To bend the plywood, soak it in a bath of hot water

Consider the thickness of the board: it should not be less than 0.8 cm or thicker than 1.5 cm. The ideal option, which will be strong enough but not particularly bulky, is plywood 1 cm thick. To cover the lid you will need ordinary foam rubber.

The final stage

At this stage, it is necessary to install the prepared product directly into the machine itself. To do this, it is best to use a polypropylene pipe with a steel rod and an M8 pin, designed for fastening plastic elements in the machine.

After this you need:

• Insert the pins into the holes.
• Install a metal plate on the reverse side and secure with a wrench.
• Cut a rectangle out of plywood, cover it with leatherette and make a couple of holes in it.
• Install the part and put on the tubes.
• Mark holes on the armrest and make them.
• Install the finished product between the seats and secure it with nuts.

Fastenings can be designed at your discretion. Some car owners simply fix the armrest between the seats. If it holds tightly, then additional manipulation may not be required. However, it is worth pressing the product several times to make sure that it does not fall out.

If the car owner experiences discomfort when using the made armrest, then it is better to remove it or remake it.

Armrest VAZ 2110 Do It Yourself Dimensions

Comfortable armrest

Available colors: SERIES-black.
Dimensions: Height. 360 mm, length. 290 mm, width. 120 mm, box depth. 70 mm. Distance between the legs of the installation. 70 mm.

Premium armrest

Main differences from the Comfort version:

• Refreshed look
• Premium eco-leather
• Faux leather legs
• The inner box is lined with soft fabric

Available Color: Dark.

Dimensions: Height. 375 mm, length. 290 mm, width. 140 mm, boxing depth. 80 mm. The distance between the legs of the installation is 120 mm.

Peculiarities:

1. The driver's elbows are made personally for the VAZ 2110, in accordance with the dimensions of the console of this particular car. Suitable for any modification of the VAZ 2110, all years of production. Get to mm!

2. Installation takes less than 1-2 minutes. All you need to do is place the armrest on the center console and push it in completely. No drilling or screws required!

3. It is installed very firmly. Don't stagger and don't walk! Watch the video below. you will appreciate its stability!

4. From the outside, the elbow rest looks fashionable and modern. Again, you can see what it looks like inside the car in the video below.

5. Three-dimensional inner box (bar) allows you to put a phone, wallet and even a small laptop inside.

6. The elbow rest does not interfere with the use of the handbrake, control keys on the console and does not interfere with the seat belt.

Guarantee: Payment upon receipt. 14 days for returns for any reason. One year warranty.

Delivery: Russian mail with payment upon receipt or with a discount for prepayment. Transport companies SDEK, GTD (formerly CIT).

Details on technical characteristics and materials:

Installation example:

Delivery:

Delivery by Russian postal and transport companies. Payment upon receipt or prepayment with a discount. For prepayment to a Sberbank card. discount 200 rub.

Additional accessories

Headrest cushions are a logical complement to the armrest. From 600 rub. High quality and durable materials. Belt with carabiner Discount on a set of 2 pieces! Go to the pillow page

Decorative and protective stainless steel window sills are also available for your vehicle. Price. from 980 rub. Per set (4 pcs.). Go to overlay page

Stainless steel license plate frames. Rectangular and round. Available in 3 colors. From 450 rub. Go to the personnel page

The vast majority of motorists, in addition to ordinary everyday driving, want to get the greatest comfort and little inconvenience from the driving process. But if we talk about the VAZ 2114, then we don’t have to talk about any comfort.

But there is no reason to be upset, there is a way out of any situation, for example, making various modifications for your beloved steel stallion. One of these very comfortable and favorite improvements is the VAZ 2114 armrest, which we will talk about now.

Device and purpose

Elbow. This is a product designed to support the driver’s right hand, and in some cases to store personal items (documents, phone, etc.). The device is located between the 2 front seats. There are models on sale that differ in the following parameters:

• cover type (opens, does not open);
• production materials (plastic, wood, MDF);
• quality of upholstery (leather, substitute, fabric);
• dimensions (width, height, depth);
• for construction.

In addition, elbows are made at the factory or independently, which is very common among some motorists.

How to make an armrest for weight 2114

To make a high-quality and multifunctional product without the help of others, you need to draw an armrest for the VAZ 2114. It is needed in order to get a smooth and discreet design.

Universal armrest Azard gray crocodile plastic

Practical universal car armrest AZARD

equipped with a spacious compartment. The armrest is installed between the front seats of the car and helps to drive the vehicle with greater comfort.

Conveniently and quickly installed in the car. The armrest is attached between the front seats of the car using plastic legs. The kit includes a mounting kit. Installing the armrest will take no more than 10 minutes.

Armrest AZARD

Convenient to use and easy to clean with a soft cloth. Fits perfectly into the car interior. Any of the presented product design options will perfectly complement the interior and serve as a comfortable hand support when driving a car.

Thanks to its ergonomic design, the armrest creates additional comfort while driving. The lid with a magnetic lock is securely fixed and provides easy access to the large box for storing necessary items. Packed in a protective cardboard box. The armrest is completely safe and complies with UNECE regulations.

Equipment:

• Armrest
• Plastic feet
• Mounting kit
• Cardboard packaging

An armrest is a special part of a car on which you can rest your arm while driving. It helps to avoid early fatigue on the road, as it relieves stress from the arm muscles.

Armrests for the VAZ-2110 are manufactured by Alamar and Varta. Also for this car model you can choose Chinese-made armrests or universal armrests.

Armrests Alamar

The Alamar company produces quite a lot of models of armrests for the VAZ -2110, made in black and gray colors of various shades: light gray, graphite, black, black metallic, etc. These armrests have two modes of operation - hidden and working, and are also equipped with removable covers with zippers. Alamar armrests fit perfectly under the required console and at the same time have a fairly affordable price!

Price : from 460 rubles - out of stock

Varta armrests

These armrests allow you to easily use the handbrake, as they are easily and simply installed in the rear cup holder. In addition, they are available in black and gray colors with high quality leatherette upholstery (“eco-leather”). Also, these armrests have a removable top cover, under which there is a convenient compartment for storing all sorts of small items!

Universal armrests

As the name suggests, a “universal” armrest should fit any vehicle, regardless of make or model. But in fact, such “versatility” is rather a clever advertising move by armrest manufacturers. In practice, having bought such an armrest, you will most likely finish it yourself and file it, twist it and try in every possible way to fit it into its regular place, which will be quite difficult to do. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary waste of money and time, we strongly do not recommend that you buy such armrests.

Selecting materials and making your own armrest

To make your own armrest body and cover, any wood material 8 mm thick is ideal. It can be plywood, board, chipboard or fiberboard. If the support pad and/or front wall must be curved (rounded), then only plywood is suitable for their manufacture - it can be bent over steam. To cover the armrest with your own hands, you can choose leatherette, leatherette, leather or other material.

We cut out all the details with our own hands from the selected material using a hacksaw, or better yet, a jigsaw (it will ideally handle all shaped elements). Then we steam the parts that need to be bent and wait until they cool down. Only after this can the necessary cutouts be made in them, if provided (for example, for a handbrake in the front wall).

When all the body parts are ready, we fasten its structure with self-tapping screws or wood glue. If its fixation should be based on the spacer principle, then we decide on the thickness of the cushioning material, which can be thinner plywood or craigs. We glue the cut overlays to the sides or place them on self-tapping screws. Then we cover the body with the material chosen for this. It is advisable to first make patterns for the body from graph paper, and then use them to cut the fabric for fitting and sew a cover from the resulting pieces, which will need to be stapled over the body.

We give the support pillow softness and the desired rounded shape. To do this, we glue foam rubber or sponges for washing the body or dishes onto its top. We place the latter with their side ends facing the armrest cover and tightly to each other, and after gluing, we sew them together, cutting off the excess and protruding parts. Felt of suitable sizes is glued on top of such a lining, which is then attached along the edges to the lid. After that we tighten it. We install the lid and hinges for opening on the body. Finally, you can cover the inside of the drawer.

A universal armrest must match the dimensions of the vehicle and not interfere with the parking brake, seat belts, or gear shifting. Wear-resistant and durable options should be used as materials, for example, genuine leather or high-quality leatherette. Cordura and Oxford have also proven themselves well; these materials can be washed and washed if necessary. The armrest body must be metal or plastic. The color should match the overall design of the upholstery; in the absence of such an opportunity, it is better to give preference to the universal black color.

Types of armrests

Some car enthusiasts know that the manufacturer does not provide for the installation of an armrest on the VAZ 2114. Moreover, an armrest was never on the list of possible options during the release of the 2114 model, but this accessory is very popular among many car enthusiasts. This is precisely why some companies have started producing armrests for the VAZ 2114. This compensated for the lack of such an important element for the car.

All presented armrests can be divided into several categories:

1. Model armrests. They were created for certain car models.
2. Universal armrests that are designed for installation on almost any car (regardless of the manufacturer).

The armrests also differ depending on the presence of a special compartment for small items.

They can be divided depending on the design:

• with bar;
• no bar.

An element with a bar allows you to store various small items, as well as documents, inside.

Many car enthusiasts accumulate a lot of different items over the years spent behind the wheel, so an armrest with a bar will be a great way to bring order to the car interior.