How to Fix an Office Chair that leans Forward?

How to Fix an Office Chair that leans Forward

how to fix an office chair that leans forward

Have you ever tried to fix an office chair that leans forward?

Chairs are a necessity in our day-to-day life and we create, bring out ideas, follow deadlines, all from sitting on an office chair.

Pretty Scary, isn’t it?

If you have an incorrectly adjusted office chair, you are most likely to develop a number of back problems. Many physiotherapists, doctors, and chiropractors say it can cause you extreme back pain, and permanent back pain related issues.

The bad posture caused by a poorly adjusted chair can increase your spinal disc damage. Apart from this, the static posture acts as a major cause to enhance stress in your back, arms, shoulders, and legs.

how to fix an office chair that leans forward

Pretty scary, right?

But actually, fixing an office chair that constantly leans forward is quite simple. It will require only a few minutes to adjust it according to your body completely. 

Still, even the simplest tasks may seem complicated at times. That’s why we bring you all the solution to fixing an office chair that leans forward. Let’s begin. 

Step by Step Guide of Fixing an Office Chair that leans Forward

Step 1 – Sit Properly on the Chair

At first, you need to sit on your office chair, placing your feet on the ground firmly. Rest your back against the backrest in the most comfortable way. Make sure to have a gap of at least 2 inches between your knees and the seat pan. 

Step 2 – Finding The Knob

Now, try to find the tilt adjustment knob. These knobs are generally found below the seat pan of office chairs. 

Step 3 – Pushing the Tilt

The next step would be to push the tilt adjustment knob down. This will allow the seat pan to go forward.

Step 4 – Reclining Position

Here we come to the last step. Now, you need to push down that knob one more time. But don’t tilt the seat pan forward. You should tilt it backward and release the tilt adjustment knob. 

After all these steps, you will see that your chair is in a reclining position. This will make you extra comfortable. 

How to Fix an Office Chair that leans Back?

Working from your workstation will be highly difficult if you do not adjust the chair according to your body. That’s why we present you simple steps of fixing an office chair that leans back. 

Step 1 – Sit on the Chair

The first thing you need to do in order to fix your chair is to sit on it. Your feet should be placed flat on the ground. 

Comfortably rest your back on the backrest. Keep your knees 2 inches away from the seat pan. 

Step 2 – Tilt Adjusting Knob

Find the tilt knob under the seat pan of the office chair. Push it downwards to move the seat pan in a forward way. Then you can release that knob slowly. 

Step 3 – Tilting Forward

After tilting the seat pan forward, you will see that your chair is now in a straight position. You can further make it forward if you want by following the same steps. 

How to Fix an Office Chair that leans to One Side?

There might be some other problems occurring with your office chair. A chair’s fixation leaning forward or backward is quite easy and requires many similar steps to follow. 

But sometimes, you may face a problem with an office chair that keeps leaning to one side. Now fixing this problem that will demand a bit of time and hard work.

After a lot of research and practical execution of techniques, we have found the best way to fix an office chair that leans to one side. So, let’s discover how this problem can be solved. 

Tools required to fix this:

In most cases, a bent seat plate or a broken caster are the main causes behind the office chair leaning to one side. In order to determine the problem, you need to flip the chair over and see yourself what needs to be fixed. 

how to fix an office chair that leans forward

The following steps will guide you to make your chair properly adjusted:

Changing Uneven Casters

1. Look for Damaged Caster

Casters are the wheels of your chair, which rotate both horizontally and vertically. If one of the casters has become deformed or bent, it will make the chair lean-to that direction. 

Keep your chair in the normal upright position and see if any caster is slightly above the floor. Then, flip your chair over and see which of the casters is damaged and needs to be altered. 

  • Uneven distribution of weight can cause casters to bend. Also, some manufacturing defects can cause this problem too. 
  • If the floor is very uneven, some of the casters could not even touch the floor. This causes your chair to lean on its sides. 

a. Buy a Similar set of New Casters

If you end up finding a broken or damaged caster, then you should replace the whole set because single casters are not very easy to find. And they are not very convenient to attach to existing ones also. 

You should first contact the manufacturer of the chair and provide them the model number too. Ask if they sell only caster sets and order yourself one. 

  • If you cannot contact the manufacturer, you need to pull off the damaged caster set yourself. You can pull off the entire set of old casters and find the exact similar replacement.
  • Pay close attention to find a perfectly matching set of casters. The shape of the size must be accurate to be inserted into sockets. 
  • If you do not see any problem with the casters, check the seat plate.

b. Remove The Casters

Office casters are generally attached by the snug fit of the stem of the casters. So, it is not very difficult to detach them. Just place one hand on the caster wheel and one on the chair. 

Then, you should slowly start to pull. After doing that, you will see the casters popping out. 

  • If you are unable to pull away from the casters, use a flathead screwdriver. Place the head of the screwdriver into the meeting point of chair and caster. There should be a little gap. 
  • Use the screwdriver just like a liver. Once you see the caster wheel is getting detached slowly, pull on it without the screwdriver now. 
  • If you see any screws are used to secure the caster wheel, get a screwdriver to loosen them. 

c. Apply Lubricating Spray

Use a lubricant spray to every chair base socket. You should use a spray because it is more convenient than other forms of lubricants. 

Lubrication allows the casters to be inserted smoothly. If you don’t have a spray, you can use Vaseline petroleum jelly. 

d. Insert Casters into the Chair Sockets. 

Now, insert the casters into the intended socket by pushing them hard using hands. If you don’t see them going properly inside, use a rubber mallet. 

Give light taps on the caster until you see the stem going fully inside of the socket. 

e. Examine the New Casters

After completing all the steps, bring your chair back to its original position and see closely if one side is still leaning. You can also sit on the chair and make another person look at the casters. 

2. Repairing the Seat Plate

If you don’t find any problem with the caster, your seat plate will probably cause the whole chair to lean aside. Follow the steps mentioned below to fix this.

a. Identify the Metal Seat Plate

A seat plate is found on the underside of the seat of the chair. You should lay your office chair on the side; it is leaning to find the seat plate. 

b. Fix the Screws

Seat plates usually have 4 screws. Check each of them and look if any of the screws are not tight enough or even missing. 

Use a screwdriver to tighten them. If you find any screw is not present, use a matching screw in that place. 

c. Check the Seat Plate

If you see your chair is still leaning, check whether your seat plate is damaged or not. It must be replaced with a new one if it is bent or deformed.

  • If you want to replace the seat plate only, then flip the chair on one side. Now, you will find a cylindrical column that is connected to the seat plate.
  • Now you need to give a few taps with a rubber mallet where the cylindrical column connects to the plate. 
  • This will detach the seat plate along with the upper body of the chair. 

d. Replace the Seat Plate

Now, loosen all the screws of the seat plate. Screw up the newly bought seat plate and attach it with the cylindrical column. You can use a tiny amount of the lubricant here also. 

Press the upper section of the chair into the socket of the cylindrical column. After that, you will see that your chair is no longer leaning to one side. 

Conclusion

Office chairs are quite expensive and heavy. If you are facing minor issues, try to fix them first instead of ordering a new chair.

This article has provided every little information about fixing an office chair that leans forward. We have also covered most of the other common issues which tend to occur with an office chair. 

Modifying your office chair to your body shape will help you get rid of many health problems. To bid goodbye to your aching back, follow our step-by-step guide on how to fix an office chair that leans forward.