Head Rests not moveable

[66toaster]

I am unable to remove the headrests. This I discovered after buying sheepskins. I get some movement with the inner posts, but only get a tiny amount of movement on the door side posts. Didn't see anything in the archives. Have sprayed a lot of WD40 & have banged it with a rubber mallet, but no go. Advice needed. Thanks in advance.

 

[steve in reno]

I know that you will think I am crazy.
Hang the seat by the head rest from a strong ceiling or tree?. Then pull and and push to move the posts.
Go in and out to break up the corrosion. Give the one that isn't moving the most effort. Can also use penetrating oil and time, wd40 is more of a cleaner than lubricant/corrosion breaker.
There are no clips to hamper removal just corrosion.
Be careful of the chrome plastic seat top caps as they are hard to find in good shape.
Take off the plastic black trim parts next to the headrest and use r mallet at that point for striking.
Give the P oil time to work.
HTH
steve

 

[Stan]

P Blaster

I had the same problem. I used P Blaster and the rubber mallet and it worked

 

['69 2800cs]

Yep, PB Blaster is a better penetrant.

I used that, and a long 2x4 to pry them up.

Once they're clean you may need to bend the posts to better align with the seats, but your problem will be solved.

 

[tmason]

I like the idea hanging from a tree in a e9 seat. That would be a picture for the kids!
We boys in Reno now how to live if you can't drive in winter, swing in in winter! Tim

 

[PaulinPa]

After weeks of soaking with Kroil (great penetrant) I tried similar method of tying rope to headrest and then to pole suspended between two elevated sawhorses and dropping seat hangman style.Broke the pole.Eventually strapped seat to support pole in basement and used a come-along to pull headrest out.Can't figure out why there is so much corrosion on a chrome plated shaft in a tube inside a seat inside a car? Just another example of how these cars came equipped with secret rust deposits from the factory.

 

[pmansson]

I now realize how lucky I have been, pulling them out from 2 cars recently.
I used similar products as mentioned earlier, but managed to do it with seats mounted in the cars. It took a lot of work though. I was standing on the threashold, pulling the nearest end of the bars, and they finally gave way.
There were small spots of rust on a couple of places. How can that lock them so badly??
I then smeared grease all over before reinserting them.
Now I can move them with one hand....

 

[Bill Riblett]

Can't figure out why there is so much corrosion on a chrome plated shaft in a tube inside a seat inside a car? Just another example of how these cars came equipped with secret rust deposits from the factory.

This is a common problem with lots of older BMWs: 2002s, E21 3 series and early 5s and 6s. It only seems to take a tiny amount of corrosion to lock the headrest post in place.

 

[PaulinPa]

I wish the plastic interior of my '99 318Ti with it's glue and plastic snaps held together as well as those headrest posts do with just a coating of rust!

 

[66toaster]

Stuck Headrests

Well, after a lot of banging, & with the help of PB Blaster, I got the passenger headrest out. Had to give up a chromed plastic piece on the underside. There was not much rust on the inner rod. Driver side remains embedded.

 

[Stan]

More P Blaster!

 

[66toaster]

Went another round on the driver's side head rest. Even had help from a neighbor, banging & pulling it at all angles. I think PB has met its match. The sheepskin seat cover has an opening at the top with velcro underneath. Last resort will be to slide it over & make 2 slits & then secure with the velcro underneath.

 

[Stan]

P Blaster

When I had the same problem, the Coupe King said to let the P Blaster soak in for a few days then use the mallett again.
Good luck!!

 

[Shawn]

I was able after about a week of soaking and working on both of my headrests able to dislodge them by using a 4' or so 2X4. The seats were out of the car and I was able to wedge and leverage the 2X4 at the ends of the headrests along the metal lifting bar. I then levered up and down, all around and just literally beat the hell out of them until they broke loose. And they did! Good luck but you are going to need more leverage than your hands.

 

[Arde]

Went another round on the driver's side head rest. Even had help from a neighbor, banging & pulling it at all angles. I think PB has met its match. The sheepskin seat cover has an opening at the top with velcro underneath. Last resort will be to slide it over & make 2 slits & then secure with the velcro underneath.

Bummer, perhaps a bigger neighbor?

 

[66toaster]

I goofed on a detail in my previous message. I did in fact use a 2 x4 with the seat in situ. As there is almost no space between the top of the seat & the bottom of the headrest, I have to be careful of leaving an impression from one of the boards I'm using. I have already slightly separated the vinyl from the cap that surrounds the post. Also, where is all the PB ending up anyway? Will it leak out somewhere?

 

[66toaster]

Driver side headrest won...at least for now

I goofed on a detail in my previous message. I did in fact use a 2 x4 with the seat in situ. As there is almost no space between the top of the seat & the bottom of the headrest, I have to be careful of leaving an impression from one of the boards I'm using. I have already slightly separated the vinyl from the cap that surrounds the post. Also, where is all the PB ending up anyway? Will it leak out somewhere?

I went another round with it. This time I took a 2 x 4 & attached a vise to it. I placed the the board in a vertical position behind the seat with one jaw under the headrest bar. Proceeded to crank about 8 times slowly until I heard a pop. Unfortunately it wasn't the headrest, but the back of the seat. I immediately stopped. Seat seems to be ok.

Epilogue: Did some minor "surgery" on the sheepskin seat cover to slip it over & looks seamless. Sent PB Blaster home.