i think it actually tells you not to in the manual (or somewhere) - if you hit a bump while its moving in the inside it can jam and you wont get anything out without pliers and/or a sawzall - just trying to keep someone from making the same mistake i did - if i could have found a replacement for $20 i would have put one back in but i just replaced with aftermarket cd/mp3 and a dash pocket - i use that dash pocket all the time