I removed mine. Can't remember how I actually did it but I have them in a can around here somewhere. If you left them on they would be obvious when you folded the seat down. I haven't had my seat up since I installed the fold down. I figure with all the trouble to put it in I want everybody to know it's there. Besides I have to take the cross bar off the roll bar to put it up cause it's in the way. Too much trouble. Nobody's sitting back there anyway.