How can I fix my office chair?

I read all your postings.. very helpful..

I turned my chair upside down, extended it to the highest level.
I put a old pair of vice grips on it and locked them.

$0 , I put those old half broken vice grips back to work.

darkslayer96atyahoodotcom
March 2015

+1 for a hose clamp around the base of the cylinder. Quick, cheap and easy fix.
These are also called jubilee clips.

Tom
April 2014

I was so annoyed with my chair, I had to do something. I had thought of and tried the hose clamp but it did not hold the chair up. In fact it put deep scratches up and down the cylinder. So went looking online and I found you guys & girls with the same problem. The fix I used was Martin's 2010 suggestion. Home Depot actually sells remnants of the PVC pipe for about $2.95. Got it home cut the pipe to the length I needed for the cylinder. My chair came apart much easier than I thot. Thank you Martin for posting your solution. It worked great. Proud to be a woman who can fix things!!!

Pat
April 2013

There is a new product to fix an office chair with a failed gas lift cylinder. It called a Chair Saver kit and can be found at www.chair-saver.com. No tools are required and installs in under a minute. Cost 8-20 times less than a new cylinder or buying a new ergonomic chair.

Grid
December 2012

didn't have a hose clamp. used a c-clamp. worked great! thanks.

diane
November 2010

I just fastened a hose clamp as some of the others had suggested. It worked like a charm and only cost me $2.00

Bret
March 2010

hi,
i had the same problem with my office chair for my home office.
what i did was this a cheap east fix ...

1, put chair on highest level and measure the ram from the top of cylinder to base of seat fixing (measuring the silver piston showing)

2, turn chair over on to front and remove the small clip off the bottom of the ram below the wheeled section.

3, remove the sections piece by piece taking care not to loose any of the washers and bearings etc from inside until your left with basically the piston itself.

4, then get some plumbing white plastic pipe (under sink or waste pipe) and cut to the length that you measured at start.

5, then slide over the ram to just under where it joins the seat section of the chair.

6, then re assemble in reverse order piece by piece ending with the clip on the bottom below the wheel on end of ram.

then your chair will spin and tilt etc but it will not got up and down. a cheap easy fix for about 5 mins work :0)

hope it helps you !! worked for me :0)

martin
March 2010

The Hose Clamps on the gas cylinder worked perfectly. It saved me at least $40 per chair.

Thanks again...

Paul D. Phoenix,
September 2009

I just fixed my chair! I wanted one that had no arms and a lever to change the height. I have 3 different chairs that I bought at thrift stores for next to nothing. One had the adjustable lever but it is impossible to take the arms off without taking the back off too. I looked under each chair and found that one of the armless chairs had the same size base as the lever chair so I unscrewed the whole base from both chairs and switched them. When I say base I mean the part that screws directly into the bottom of the chair seat. Now I have the chair I want plus two other chairs. It's 8:00 pm and it's taken me all day (off and on) but it was certainly worth it. So I suggest going to a thrift store and finding a chair that has the same size base as yours and switch them or you may find another chair you like. Goodwill is a good thrift store and if you go with someone over 50 on Sundays they can buy things for you at half price.

Handy Woman
May 2009

you can also try a simple hose clamp, like you use on your radiator hose on your car.
put it around the cylinder, right by where it re-enters the larger cylinder, adjust the height as you wish, and then tighten the clamp down as tight as you can.
we do this at my job in the assembly dept, where we would otherwise go through about 20 chairs a year...

willis
March 2008

Hi, try and find a new & used office furniture dealer who with any luck will help. The gas cylinder itself is beyond repair and you will need a new one. If it is under warranty you should contact the seller and they should rectify it. If not contact a dealer who will be able to help - that's if they're any good!?! It would really depend on the value of the chair - if it's worth repairing or not. Good Luck

Jills Office Solutions, Manchester
May 2007

I had this happen at work. I ended up using a piece of pipe and welded it below the chair on the frame. You won't be able to adjust the chair anymore, but it won't move down either.

Michelle
April 2007