[Pappa60]

I wish Chrysler would have put adjustable armrests in the Pacifica. I find the armrests are way to low. So I decided to see what could be done. Here's what I found.

1) Take a small screwdriver and pop off the round plastic armrest cover at its pivot point. Below the cover you'll find a Torx bolt "T45" tip size.
2) Unscrew the shoulder bolt and the armrest will come off.
3) There is a fixture with a protrusion and tapped hole fixed to the seat (see picture of seat without arm attached). The protrusion stops the travel of the armrest by limiting the mating semi-circular channel in the armrest (the protrusion fits into channel).
4) By building up the inside of the channel (on the end that meets the protrusion when the armrest is in the down position) you can "adjust" its stopping position. This will "raise" the armrest.

I chose to use a 5/16" PVC fuel line that I cut in half. (see pictures). It adjusted the arm height to better fit my 6' 5" body. My wife (whose 5' 4") also prefers the raised armrest.

Maybe this info can help someone who also finds their armrest height to be to low.

 

[PacificCoast]

Did you have and problems reinstalling the armrest?

 

[BrettP]

Now that's the kind of post I like to see in a forum! Thanks Pappa60, I'm going to do likewise this afternoon.

 

[Pappa60]

Did you have and problems reinstalling the armrest?

No problems whatsoever. Just a matter of aligning up the bolt with hole and screwing the shoulder bolt back in. Easy-peasy.

 

[cue003]

Great post and thanks for the idea. Are you going to do the 2nd row seats as well?

How much does this actually raise the armrest and will that piece stay of fuel line stay in place after multiple back and forth movements or bumpy roads/vibration etc?

 

[Pappa60]

Great post and thanks for the idea. Are you going to do the 2nd row seats as well?

How much does this actually raise the armrest and will that piece stay of fuel line stay in place after multiple back and forth movements or bumpy roads/vibration etc?

A couple of great questions.

1) Though I didn't actually measure it (went by "what felt good"), I'd say it raised the "tip" end by 1.5" (I just confirmed with CAD Drawing). Anyways, I can now comfortably reach the steering wheel resting my arm on armrest. i.e. The way you should!

2) If you look at the one of the attached pictures (original post) you'll see a "bead" of clear glue to hold in place. However, before I cut the tube in half I tried it as a whole diameter (see picture attached). When it was a whole diameter it stayed in place w/o glue (curved arc stopped it from falling over). After a few days I realized it made the armrest too high, so I cut it in half.

This is literally just a 20 minute job to do 2 armrests for front seats. No I haven't done the two middle seats yet (4 armrests). They do have the same issue (to low) as front armrests did. Think I'll wait for cooler weather to do them.

 

[Tsuter]

Awesome post, I'm in the same boat, that's the one thing he Honda did better was the adjustable armrests. I might have to try this fix too.

Thanks again.

 

[cue003]

I was thinking about this a little more.... Couldnt you also adjust/tilt the seat back slightly to achieve the same result?

 

[Pappa60]

I was thinking about this a little more.... Couldnt you also adjust/tilt the seat back slightly to achieve the same result?

They do not raise up the same way when tilting seat back (like adjustable armrests do).
Since the armrests are tied to the seatback, when you recline the seat the armrest do raise up a little, but they also move away from steering wheel at the same time. The pivot point of the seat back is in a completely different position than the armrest pivot point.

I other words I found it didn't help (wasn't comfortable).

 

[dabrandt22]

I wish Chrysler would have put adjustable armrests in the Pacifica. I find the armrests are way to low. So I decided to see what could be done. Here's what I found.
(snip)
Maybe this info can help someone who also finds their armrest height to be to low.

Did as recommended using some 1/2" ID by 5/8" OD vinyl tubing, complete section, no glue. Worked perfect, THANK YOU

 

[Razorbackfan]

They make the headrest ratcheting adj but not the armrest. Good tip

 

[Norbert]

The armrests aren't adjustable at all? That's a huge oversight isn't it? Especially when you consider how adjustable everything else is, the armrest should also be. I haven't come across a non adjustable armrest for the driver seat ever!

 

[generaltso]

The armrests aren't adjustable at all?

Correct. They're either up or down. Nothing in between.

 

[PacificaJohn]

Correct. They're either up or down. Nothing in between.

Agree - an omission that I wish I had.

 

[bina12834]

This seems as though it didn't actually raise the height of the arm rest but rather prevents the arm rest from folding down to the flat 180 degree position, so it sits at an angle.

 

[generaltso]

This seems as though it didn't actually raise the height of the arm rest but rather prevents the arm rest from folding down to the flat 180 degree position, so it sits at an angle.

Well, yeah. The pivot point doesn't change, so all you can really do is add a spacer of some kind to keep it from folding all the way down. Depending on your seatback angle, this will likely put the armrest at an angle. Pick your poison, I guess.

But that would be the case if it had a ratcheting adjustment as well. The only way it would be able to raise and lower without that issue would be for the pivot point to be on some kind of a slider that could move up or down the seat. Maybe some cars have a system like that, but I've never seen one.

 

[Norbert]

But it does raise the touch point for your elbow. Which is the whole point.

 

[generaltso]

Not sure if anyone else encountered this, but that torx bolt holding the driver's seat armrest on was ridiculously tight on mine. Hand tools and a power drill could not budge it. I ended up having to use an impact driver on its highest torque setting to get it to come loose.

 

[Gohawks1224]

@Pappa60 do the barbies help with the cutting?

 

[Pappa60]

Sorry, I'm not following. Barbies?

Did my granddaughter change my profile again? Lol.

@Pappa60 do the barbies help with the cutting?