My happy left elbow

[wdb]

I don't know about anyone else but my left elbow was not happy in my Fit. It fell right into the door pull when I tried to rest it there while driving with my hand on the steering wheel. (Why do they make the door pull big enough for King Kong's hand anyway? Do they think we wear ski gloves or something?) Picture of my unhappy elbow:





I looked around but found nothing in the aftermarket to address this issue. So I went to my "packrat" shelf, dug out an old foam rubber computer pad (I think it was a touchpad wrist support), and hacked it up. I wrapped up the resulting pile of pieces with some kitchen drawer liner material and stuck the whole works together with two-sided tape. It is a press fit into the door pull. Now I have a happy elbow!

[trancedsailor]

that's pretty neat, but my elbow hasn't had any complaints so far. My left foot however, desperately wants a dead pedal for xmas lol
congrats on solving your problem!

[manxman]

Originally Posted by wdb

I don't know about anyone else but my left elbow was not happy in my Fit. It fell right into the door pull when I tried to rest it there while driving with my hand on the steering wheel. (Why do they make the door pull big enough for King Kong's hand anyway? Do they think we wear ski gloves or something?) Picture of my unhappy elbow:





I looked around but found nothing in the aftermarket to address this issue. So I went to my "packrat" shelf, dug out an old foam rubber computer pad (I think it was a touchpad wrist support), and hacked it up. I wrapped up the resulting pile of pieces with some kitchen drawer liner material and stuck the whole works together with two-sided tape. It is a press fit into the door pull. Now I have a happy elbow!

I have been thinking exactly the same thing, for about a year, because of my unhappy left elbow! Have not experimented with solutions because I've been too busy with other things, but this has really been an irritation. Now, you are just going to make me work on my own solution. Thanks for bringing this up, and your idea is a good one.

[Fitcapo]

... I don't have a problem because if I use that hand to drive my arm is always part way out the window. Or rather my elbow is out the window.

[manxman]

Originally Posted by Fitcapo

... I don't have a problem because if I use that hand to drive my arm is always part way out the window. Or rather my elbow is out the window.

How 'bout in January? In Wisconsin?

[Fitcapo]

I got elbow warmers :P


lol.... jk...

Well then my elbow rests against the window or i simply use the other hand.

[manxman]

Originally Posted by manxman

I have been thinking exactly the same thing, for about a year, because of my unhappy left elbow! Have not experimented with solutions because I've been too busy with other things, but this has really been an irritation. Now, you are just going to make me work on my own solution. Thanks for bringing this up, and your idea is a good one.

Okay, here's another solution for anyone who hates having just a hole for their elbow to rest in. Take a look at the window ledge arm rest at this link, and then read further to see how I adapted it to the lower position:

AutoSport Catalog - Arm-Restler 800-953-0814

I used this in its intended position on the window ledge, and it worked OK (moves up and down sometimes with the window glass), but I just did not like the height. Too uncomfortable for my left shoulder because it felt too high. I was about to give it away or trash it until this thread showed up today. I cut the thin plastic flap that goes down into the door next to the window glass so that it would fit the contour of the door-pull well. Then I used Industrial Strength Velcro, stiff hook side on the door inside the well, and soft loop side on the side flap of the arm rest. Now the elbow problem is completely gone and I can still use the door pull by flipping the rest up with my fingers. You can hide a pack of gum or your locking gas cap key under the rest. A few photos:




The white stripe that you see on the underside of the rest is adhesive residue from the rubber spacer that comes with the rest. The spacer keeps the rest level on the window sill with sloped sills like we have. Woops, I forgot. The rest NEEDS a rubber spacer for use on the window sill of the Fit, but doesn't come with one. So I made a spacer from a 1/2" thick rubber floor mat, and glued it to the bottom of the rest. Now I can't get the glue off.

This rest obviously costs more than the OP's solution, but it is really comfortable in this new application and it was not particularly comfortable when used on the top of the door. The pad on this arm rest is a soft gel material, covered in a slick nylon, jet black material. The "Arm Restler" logo is stark white. I colored it black with a Sharpie marker, but because it is a synthetic material, the marker does not get the logo really black- just tones it down a bit.

Thanks WDB for reminding me that this matter needed to be fixed!

P.s. I will use this for a while with the Velcro attachment just to be sure I really like it. If I decide to keep it this way, I will replace the Velcro with short sheet metal screws to make the installation semi-permanent.

[wdb]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with a demanding left elbow. Also good to see other folks' solutions. I wonder if a vendor would be interested mass producing either on or both? They're welcome to use my piece as a model!

[manxman]

Originally Posted by wdb

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with a demanding left elbow. Also good to see other folks' solutions. I wonder if a vendor would be interested mass producing either on or both? They're welcome to use my piece as a model!

For people who work with various types of polyurethane or mold-able polymers, it would be easy to make a mold of the back half of the door well. Then they could cast soft, cushy urethane (black) pieces, by the hundreds, that would just pop in or out of the door well whenever desired.

[trancedsailor]

my left hand is always on the wheel, right hand either on my lap (damn no armrest lol) or shifter...

[wdb]

Originally Posted by manxman

For people who work with various types of polyurethane or mold-able polymers, it would be easy to make a mold of the back half of the door well. Then they could cast soft, cushy urethane (black) pieces, by the hundreds, that would just pop in or out of the door well whenever desired.

That's pretty much what I had in mind, with the addition of wanting a free sample for having come up with the idea. Press fit into the door pull opening would be more than sufficient, so the whole thing would wind up being a one-piece, pop-in, no-brainer install. They could even do colors to match exteriors or the lastest in JDM hawtness. One thing I can say for sure, once you have this you'll wonder how you ever did without it. Just like Zeta's dead pedal.

[pwnstar]

one thing on the fit my left elbow is not happy with is the lock thing i dont see why thay dident just make them like the older civic's and put them into the handels, im about to cut it off all togeather lol

[Rod2Rice]

Originally Posted by pwnstar

one thing on the fit my left elbow is not happy with is the lock thing i dont see why thay dident just make them like the older civic's and put them into the handels, im about to cut it off all togeather lol

Just take off the door panel, it is barely longer that the piece that sticks out, and can be unclipped and removed very easily.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by pwnstar

one thing on the fit my left elbow is not happy with is the lock thing i dont see why thay dident just make them like the older civic's and put them into the handels, im about to cut it off all togeather lol

You're putting your arm on the top of the door, next to the window. I do that in my STi, but not in this car for some reason; in the Fit, my elbow naturally migrates directly to the back half of the King-Kong-sized door pull.

[greekdaddy000]

HA....enginuity pays off