How to Fix a Recliner Chair Mechanism? Lazy Boy Recliner Mechanism

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In this article we are going to guide you how to fix a recliner chair mechanism at home. A recliner with a faulty mechanism is as bad as the one that is scrap. But you don’t need to worry too much if you know how you can fix chair mechanism. We have listed some of the most important steps which you can follow to get your recliner fixed at home. By the end of the article you’d probably know how to fix a lazy boy recliner mechanism.

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✏ How to Fix a Recliner Chair Mechanism?

If the tipsy chair of your recliner appears to have a faulty mechanism you can fix it at home. It’s not a rocket science! All you need is to follow these simple steps and you’ll see your recliner is as good as you expect it to be.

Top 5 Things to Consider Before Fixing a Recliner

Before you jump into fixing the recliner you should identify first what actually the problem is. If you can diagnose the problem properly there’s no reason that you can’t fix it. We want you to look over the following things.

✏ Padding means you can fix it immediately without unlocking the chair mechanism. All you have to do is to add some more pillows because it’s not really a structural problem.

✏ Construction Problems: Sometimes your chair is lop-sided primarily because it is built out of square. It’s a manufacturing fault and it must have been there since day one. Thus the manufacturing problem cannot be fixed no matter what you do.

✏ Does your chair have a loose framework? If so, it will definitely lean. The chair often loosens over time when you do not pay heed to its maintenance. Some of the screws or nuts may have possibly loosened the entire structure. In this instance, better buy the new one. READ: [ 12 Black Recliners under $200 ]

✏ Uneven or crooked floor. Your chair can also be crooked if the floor on which it stands is crooked too. The structure of the chair doesn’t matter. You’d like to use a level to check your floors.

✏ Is your reclining mechanism out of screw? Most of the times, the mechanism is creating all sorts of problems and preventing the chair from recline. If that is the case, we suggest you buy new parts online.

Step-by-Step Instruction Manual

Step no. 1 – Check your Recliner’s Tension

✅ First, you must check if your backrest is leaning in a way it should.

✅ If the recliner’s backrest gets hard or it isn’t smooth anymore, you should decrease its tension. Alternatively, you can also decrease its tension if you’ve a petite build.

✅ Sometimes it so happens that your recliner leans back far too quickly. If that is the case, you may need to increase its tension. It occurs mostly with heavy or taller individuals one that needs firm back support.

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Step no. 2 – Tilting the Recliner Forward

✅ In order to take a look at the underside of the chair, you need to tilt the entire recliner gently forward.

✅ Before tilting, please make sure that the back of the chair is in the upright posture.

✅ You’ve got to put the recliner on the front of armrests. In order to rest the recliner on its armchairs you’ll probably use both hands. It’s a bit hard.

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Step no. 3 – Check Adjustment Mechanism

✅ You can only adjust the recliner tension if thumb wheels are present underneath the seat. Without thumb wheels you are unable to adjust the tension. Plus, the adjusting mechanism also sometimes comes with the wing nuts instead of thumb wheels.

✅ The thumb wheels should be fixed on both sides of the chair i.e. right and left. A thumb wheel occurs at the end of the bolt. You can also see the tension springs that stretch from the left bolt to the right bolt.

✅ Sometimes the adjusting mechanism isn’t found underneath the seat. A few manufacturers have fixed them toward the back of the seat.

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Step no. 4 – Rotate the Adjusting Mechanism

✅ You can increase and decrease the reclining tension simply by rotating thumb wheels clockwise and counterclockwise respectively.

✅ Please do follow the fundamentals of fixing a recliner by consulting the recliner’s manual repeatedly for the basic instructions ought to be the same.

✅ See if you can turn the mechanism only by your fingers? If the mechanism is hard you won’t be able to do so. In that case, we suggest you to use sturdy pliers.

⛔ Do not turn the wheel to the full.

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Step no. 5 – Test the Adjusting Mechanism

✅ You’ve got to make the recliner to stand on its upright position again.

✅ Sit on it and relax in a way you do while stretching out your legs as well as leaning back in the chair.

✅ The recliner tension should be comfortable now but if it isn’t you’ll probably need some more adjustments.

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Step no. 6 – Repeat the Adjustment Process

✅ If the recliner isn’t comfortable enough you’ve got to continue adjusting it by tilting the chair forward while closing the footrest.

⛔ Do not over-adjust the tension. You’re required to adjust it only one-quarter each time.

⛔ Do not tighten or loosen too much the adjustment mechanism for you can damage the tension spring.

✅ Once you’re done with the adjustments the tension spring shouldn’t be moveable. If it moves it means the spring is too loose. In order to fix it, you’ll have to turn the mechanism one half clockwise turn.

Likewise, if the spring is too tight to move, you can turn the mechanism one half anticlockwise.

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How to Fix a Recliner Chair Mechanism? – Video

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