Cheap Ebay Armrest - Is it any good?
#30
Alright guys...I got my armrest. First off the armrest is pretty good quality. Easy to put together and is pretty sturdy. By the way its from Hong Kong not Cali.
It came with 6 screws even though there were only three holes to fasten to the existing console. I used the other three to add additional support. Three total in the bottom cup holder one in the side on the cup holder and two on the back tab. Of course its not going to hold your body weight but it will hold two arms easily and no worries about being unstable.
Now for the annoying part. I took off the existing armrest. There are two studs that stick out. See here on college hills honda instruction in step 2 of 5..
http://www.collegehillshonda.com/ins...09/armrest.pdf
Well they say you can unscrew it from the seat...well on mine you can't. They spot welded the nuts to the seat frame. So now I am not for sure what I am going to do with that existing hole. I might need to make some sort of cover for it....
I will keep you guys updated.
it also came with a piece of felt to lay in the inside of it. It is just laying in there in this picture. I used double sided tape to place it.
Summary for $50 you can't do better.
I will keep you all updated on the daily use. I'm interested to see how it holds up.
It came with 6 screws even though there were only three holes to fasten to the existing console. I used the other three to add additional support. Three total in the bottom cup holder one in the side on the cup holder and two on the back tab. Of course its not going to hold your body weight but it will hold two arms easily and no worries about being unstable.
Now for the annoying part. I took off the existing armrest. There are two studs that stick out. See here on college hills honda instruction in step 2 of 5..
http://www.collegehillshonda.com/ins...09/armrest.pdf
Well they say you can unscrew it from the seat...well on mine you can't. They spot welded the nuts to the seat frame. So now I am not for sure what I am going to do with that existing hole. I might need to make some sort of cover for it....
I will keep you guys updated.
it also came with a piece of felt to lay in the inside of it. It is just laying in there in this picture. I used double sided tape to place it.
Summary for $50 you can't do better.
I will keep you all updated on the daily use. I'm interested to see how it holds up.
Last edited by Committobefit08; 07-28-2009 at 09:46 PM.
#32
im here to learn about my car, and gain general knowledge to what people have to say about it and what to look out for.
#33
Thanks alot for the update! Looks like the existing holes in stock armrest are a problem. I wonder if you have room to install the stock armrest, but just keep it in the "up" position.
It really doesn't look bad at all for $50.
It really doesn't look bad at all for $50.
#34
Is it any higher than original? I find my original is too low to use when driving. In my Dodge Caravan I am able to rest elbow albeit hand is not in best driving position. In the Fit I am finding I actually use a 10 and 2 position so the arm rest would have to be rather high.
#35
I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with the existing holes. I might contact CollegeHillHonda and ask their advice since they think you can just take those bolts out and insert their plug.
#36
Is it any higher than original? I find my original is too low to use when driving. In my Dodge Caravan I am able to rest elbow albeit hand is not in best driving position. In the Fit I am finding I actually use a 10 and 2 position so the arm rest would have to be rather high.
#37
Our armrest includes a plug to cover the stock seat-mounted armerst hole, just like the Honda OEM. Our armrest is sturdy enough to support the average driver. The one on eBay will fail over time. An armrest shold be able to hold you without fear of falling apart.
#38
Our armrest includes a plug to cover the stock seat-mounted armerst hole, just like the Honda OEM. Our armrest is sturdy enough to support the average driver. The one on eBay will fail over time. An armrest shold be able to hold you without fear of falling apart.
They are spot welded the nuts to the seat frame. Care to enlighten?
#39
Our armrest includes a plug to cover the stock seat-mounted armerst hole, just like the Honda OEM. Our armrest is sturdy enough to support the average driver. The one on eBay will fail over time. An armrest shold be able to hold you without fear of falling apart.
I can really argue the same thing about yours. Mine is sturdy enough to support the average driver right now too. Yes in the long run it might not hold up but who's to say yours will be any better. Based on what I've seen on yours you have a piece go into the rear cup holder and if you want you fasten in down with the one existing bolt. Just like what I've seen on the ebay armrest the one flaw I've seen is there is not alot of side support (meaning if you push on it from the side is it going to move. With the ebay one right now I used the extra screws included and fastened then on the inside cupholder to resolve this issue but with yours only sitting in the cup holder and with one bolt holding it down how is this resolved with yours?
Also what about the back area where your armrest comes over the back of the existing cupholder. You have a little ledge there to support the armrest and then continues down to your built in cupholder. What is to stop this area from scratching the existing console up especially if its only laying in there not securely fastened?
Don't get me wrong I am not trying to attach Zeta by any means but since I have the ebay armrest and have seen yours I don't see alot of differances from a consumer standpoint. Yes it might be slightly more secure but remember yours cost double. Truly the OEM one seems the most solid using heavy duty metal brackets but yet again your paying over triple the cost of the ebay armrest.
This again just reiterates you gotta pay to play I guess.
Last edited by Committobefit08; 07-29-2009 at 10:10 AM.
#40
The 2 studs are not spot welded. Get a box wrench and apply some pressure. They do come off. I did this several times in our tests.