Arm Rest Rebuild ???

[Torqueranger]

I will be doing 2 arm rest restores and I wanted to know if you guys had any tips or tricks ????? Also is Zealous Interiors good to deal with and do they have any coupon codes ????
Has anyone tried Octane Upholstering's for a arm rest rebuild kit??

Thanks
Jay Sr

 

[koda2000]

I will be doing 2 arm rest restores and I wanted to know if you guys had any tips or tricks ????? Also is Zealous Interiors good to deal with and do they have any coupon codes ????
Has anyone tried Octane Upholstering's for a arm rest rebuild kit??

Thanks
Jay Sr

yeah, zealousinterior is a good source. watch his video as far as how to do it. i'd rate the one i did on my '00 Mountaineer a 9.5 (on a scale of 1-10). if your underlying foam isn't perfect, be sure to also order replacement foam as any defect will show through.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I think I got mine through Octane. Good quality, but their dark gray isn't anywhere close to as dark as my Sport Trac's original. There are also Explorers and Mountaineers that use the same shade as a Sport/Sport Trac.

Do use the size staples they recommend and not something bigger. Bigger is not better in this case.
Ditto what koda said on the foam. I didn't replace the foam, but should have.

 

[Torqueranger]

I think I got mine through Octane. Good quality, but their dark gray isn't anywhere close to as dark as my Sport Trac's original. There are also Explorers and Mountaineers that use the same shade as a Sport/Sport Trac.

Do use the size staples they recommend and not something bigger. Bigger is not better in this case.
Ditto what koda said on the foam. I didn't replace the foam, but should have.

Well both of mine are med gray and I was liking the Octane 1/2 padding cause it seems like it has a fabric over it instead of just a piece of foam but will ask him and make sure ....
Thanks for the info

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I have a med gray lid from an extra console. Octane's dark gray is darker than that, but compared to what I needed, it looks like med gray.

 

[koda2000]

I have a med gray lid from an extra console. Octane's dark gray is darker than that, but compared to what I needed, it looks like med gray.

i ordered a new cover for my '97 Sport (with light grey interior) from Octane. the color was a good match, but i think Zealous's material is better quality. i'd only rate the job on the '97 a 7 out of 10, as i should have replaced the foam and didn't and the material didn't seem to stretch as nicely as the material i got from Zealous for my Mountaineer.

 

[Torqueranger]

i ordered a new cover for my '97 Sport (with light grey interior) from Octane. the color was a good match, but i think Zealous's material is better quality. i'd only rate the job on the '97 a 7 out of 10, as i should have replaced the foam and didn't and the material didn't seem to stretch as nicely as the material i got from Zealous for my Mountaineer.

Thanks for the help ...
I think I am going to place a order from Zealous and see what happens..

 

[FROADER]

If you can find a material that is a close match at the fabric store, here is a very cheap and easy way to fix it.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164801

 

[koda2000]

Thanks for the help ...
I think I am going to place a order from Zealous and see what happens..

one other thing... i have the Prairie Tan interior in my Mountaineer. when i received the armrest cover from Zealous i was disappointed because it looked brown under my kitchen lighting. i contacted Zealous immediately. they informed me that the color match should be correct. as it turned out the issue was that the color looks completely different once inside the truck. i contribute this to the green tinted windows of the truck. once installed it is a very good match.

 

[toypaseo]

I got a Willow Green cover from Zealous Interiors. I have yet to install it, but the quality seems excellent. I think the color was as close as a match you are going to get, besides going the OEM route. Any questions I had were promptly answered well within 24 hours.

 

[koda2000]

I got a Willow Green cover from Zealous Interiors. I have yet to install it, but the quality seems excellent. I think the color was as close as a match you are going to get, besides going the OEM route. Any questions I had were promptly answered well within 24 hours.

i have a pneumatic stapler. this made attaching the new cover very easy. following Zealous's video instructions allowed me do do a near perfect repair in about 20 minutes working on my kitchen table. the main thing is to keep the material pulled tight to minimize wrinkles at the front corners. sitting down and propping the lid against my chest helped to keep me to the material pulled tight.

 

[toypaseo]

Thanks for the advice

i have a pneumatic stapler. this made attaching the new cover very easy. following Zealous's video instructions allowed me do do a near perfect repair in about 20 minutes working on my kitchen table. the main thing is to keep the material pulled tight to minimize wrinkles at the front corners. sitting down and propping the lid against my chest helped to keep me to the material pulled tight.