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Anyone interested in replacement cup holder parts (flat style)?
I had two small pieces on my cup holder break and decided it would be the perfect excuse to finally buy a 3d printer. After spending 2 months printing useless trinkets for my desk, I've bit the bullet and removed the cup holder from my car and begun the process of studying, modeling, printing, testing, revising, printing, etc.
So far I have a working replacement for the little gear piece that actuates the faceplate when the holder pops open/closed and I'm just about finished with the larger of the two spring loaded ring/retainers on the first cup hole that adjust to fit various sized cups. These are the only two pieces that were broken on mine, and I would assume they are the most common parts to break. But, before I put everything back together I figured I'd post here to gauge how widespread the problem is, what the interest is in DIY fixes vs. just replacing the entire units, and what parts seem to be the most common to break. Trying to decide if it would be worth it to re-create more parts and put together a low cost rebuild kit of replacement parts for anyone else that wants to tackle disassembly.
For those finding this thread via search, I'm going to be posting a link to a step by step disassembly and re-assembly video once I finish up the project.
Here are some pictures of where I'm at currently. The test pieces are printed in blue, the originals are black. Obviously for the final part they will be black, and printed in a strong, heat resistant, plastic.
Yes! My cupholder still pops in and out. But the parts in the middle picture do not pop up into place automatically anymore. Given how fragile they are, I would buy multiple sets from you. Even at dismantler prices, I've decided it's not worth it to get the whole assembly. But I'm definitely interested if you can build replacement parts.
Just to clarify - the cup holder I have is the flat one that slides out as a tray and then pulls out to reveal the second cup holder spot.
Originally Posted by mrjonger
Yes! My cupholder still pops in and out. But the parts in the middle picture do not pop up into place automatically anymore. Given how fragile they are, I would buy multiple sets from you. Even at dismantler prices, I've decided it's not worth it to get the whole assembly. But I'm definitely interested if you can build replacement parts.
Hey MrJonger - is your issue cracked/broken plastic parts or are your springs missing/worn out?
Please post up what parts you guys have that are currently broken so I can make a quick list of what to model while I have it in pieces.
Quick update. Version 5 of what I'm referring to as the outer ring for lack of a better term is able to fit into the assembly and function properly. It isn't as perfect as I want (especially since this part is visible) so I'm going to continue to tweak it for better fit and smoother movement. But, its a promising milestone so I thought I'd share!
I started from scratch on the outer ring because I wasn't happy with the way it fit. Now it fits pretty much perfect, and operates properly. I thickened the little arms up vs. the stock part, and had to make a little notch for the spring to rest in as a result. I also spent some time adding a bevel to the edge to try to match the original.
1-2 iterations more and I think the mechanics of it will be working perfectly. Then, I'm going to try to get more of a textured top to match the factory part + print it in black PETG.
My plan is to finish up the 2 parts that I need and then re-install and do some real world testing for a few weeks to make sure they hold up like I expect them to. Once that's done, if there's interest, I'll look for a broken cup holder for sale to buy as reference to model the rest of the pieces.
Thanks Charlie, that blue outer ring is exactly what I need. It's broken at the part where the spring pushes it back up. I'll take a few, just let me know how much and preferred method of payment.
Now that I'm satisfied with the model (size, fit, etc) I've switched over to printing it in black PETG material. I used some painters tape on the print bed to get a textured surface to match the original as closely as possible. Here's the final result. I'm more than satisfied with the results - I didn't think I could get it this close when I started the project.
07-12-2018, 01:35 PM
Anyone interested in replacement cup holder parts (flat style)?
