Hey,

I am thinking about trying to remove the knee bolster on the passenger side of my 88 Sovereign.

I have seen many XJ40s that have had knee bolsters on the passenger side removed and then seem never to fit properly ever again, just hanging loosely from the upper left corner.

Actually most XJ40s I have seen seem to have had this problem.

What are people doing wrong when they remove the knee bolster? Are they ruining clips? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove it without making the bolster sitting loosely all ever after?

 

Hi rmbb,

I don't have photos of the knee bolsters on the earlier XJ40s, but below are links to photos showing bolster removal on our '93, in case they may be helpful. I think I recall that on our '88 one of the corners wanted to bend outward, but I can't recall the details. Hopefully one of our early car experts will chime in.

Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page


Cheers,

Don

 

The pictures of Don's '93 looks the same as on my '91. I seem to recall that it was redesigned for the '94s to accommodate the airbag with a much thicker and sturdier form.

Honestly, I think the bending you are describing is simply the product of age, heat, and an inferior design. The plastic (or whatever it's made of!) at the top of that bolster is way too thin. I've been slowly watching the one on my '91 bend in the left hand corner over time, without ever laying a hand on it!

My two cents…
Scott

 

This has been written about for years, it's apparently a poorly designed finish piece, they didn't engineer the fastening system properly and the left corner pulls away, as Midwest indicated, and is an irritation every time I get in the car.

However, I did see a post where someone utilized strips of velcro on the underside of the bolster and the metal brace. With advances in technology, velcro can be purchased in a variety of holding strengths and specialized for a variety of environments. I think if you can get a good bond to both surfaces, it may do the trick..... I should try it sometime......to hell with fixing the differential!!! I'll just sit and look at the newly fastened bolster....

 

Thank you guys for all the info!!!