Remove spring from center console lid?

[martinjmpr]

On my new-to-me 96 B2300 (a/k/a 4 cyl Ranger) the flip-down center console has lost the little latch that holds the lid closed on the console. Right now the lid is held closed by a velcro strap but that's a PITA to put on and take off and if I remove it the spring will force the lid into an open position.

Rather than try to replace the latch, my thought is that if I can just remove the spring that tries to force the lid open, gravity will keep it shut (and a latch isn't needed since I don't intend to try and seat anybody in that center space anyway.) So how to do that? I looked at it and I can't figure out if the various trim pieces are held on by clips or screws. I can't see any screws so I'm not sure how to proceed. My thought is that if I can simply remove the lid, I can take the spring off, and then put the lid back on. Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

 

[cvar]

See some photos here: http://imgur.com/a/sKBTV <<<== CLICK

This was done long ago, but there were clips inside that you could easily pry apart. I think it might have been glued too. My lid was cracked, cuz I tend to lean on it (old geezer). I disabled its spring, and added a better, more convenient, handle. My latch still works, fwiw. Can you fabricate a new latch from sheetmetal or JB-Weld?

 

[martinjmpr]

Bumping this to see if maybe anyone else knows? I'm reluctant to start just pulling stuff apart until I know I can get it back together.

 

[kck]

At the bottom under the black fuzzy material in the corners are screws. peel back the materials corners, remove screws then the plastic box can be removed. Then you can see the screws that are holding the top hinge in.

 

[Downey]

i took a pair of side cutter adn cut the spring

 

[martinjmpr]

i took a pair of side cutter adn cut the spring

You know, I was wondering if that would work! I just went out and looked at mine, I think I can do that. Clip the ends of the coil spring that push against the lid and it should lay flat. Gonna try that tonight when I get home!

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Downey]

yep it migth still pop open on rough bumps or off road. but thats why i went to bucket seats and shorty center console

 

[martinjmpr]

No joy!

i took a pair of side cutter adn cut the spring

Tried it yesterday, couldn't get it. Tried a couple of different kinds of clippers but I couldn't get close enough to the end of the spring to cut it off. Any suggestions? What kind of cutters did you use? Can you show me where you clipped the spring?

I have the dremel tool on a charger now, thinking maybe with a dremel cutting wheel I can get close enough to cut the spring ends.

yep it migth still pop open on rough bumps or off road. but thats why i went to bucket seats and shorty center console

My plan is to just put some velcro on the lid to hold it shut. Since I never stand the console/backrest up (because it would pretty much be impossible to sit a 3rd person in my truck - it has a stick shift) the velcro should work OK.

 

[4x4junkie]

Someone on here used a Sharpie marker pen top to fix the latch on theirs once (cutting the pocket clip part off just so that the 'stub' left over fits into the latch hole and catches on the mechanism). If there's anything left of the old latch stem on the lid itself, this could be another option (there were pics of it but I'm not finding them now).

Edit, looks like it was "ranger 93". Not sure he's still around though... His last post was a bit over 3 years ago.
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47279&highlight=sharpie+latch

 

[martinjmpr]

Wrong end of the problem!

Now that I looked at those pictures on the Ranger Forum, I realize I've been working on the wrong end of the problem. I'm trying to take the cover off of the lid itself.

What I need to do is figure out how to get the "bucket" (that is, the interior portion) of the console itself out. If I can get that "bucket" out, I can unscrew the lid and remove the spring. Does the bucket just pull out?

 

[martinjmpr]

No joy!

Well, I was unable to cut the spring tabs with the dremel tool! Maybe I need a different type of cutter wheel than what I was using?

Very frustrating! Any other tips? Still trying to figure out how to remove the plastic "bucket" from inside the console. I don't want to just 'brute force' it out and break something. Is it just glued in?

 

[strokerdave]

Don't know if you ever got your problem solved but this is what I had to do. There are three screws holding the lid to the box, look where the hinge goes into the box, you'll see the screws. I used a drill bit that was a little larger that the screw head and drilled a hole directly over the screw. You can the unscrew the top.
should look like this when done.



I'm planning on making my own custom console and am going to incorporate the box into it.

 

[paramud]

My latch broken and I just used a strong magnet on one side and a washer on the other side. works great.