All about chair bases

The base is an essential part of an office chair. There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to replace the base, renew the castors or change the gas lift. We give you tips on how to handle these tasks with ease.

• Assembling the base
• Replacing the castors
• Changing the gas lift

Assembling the base

As a rule, an office chair is delivered disassembled into its three main components. In most cases, the castors are already inserted into the base – if not, they must be pushed into the designated fittings with light pressure. We give you 2 options for assembling the base in no time at all.

Option 1

• Protect the floor or materials with a large towel or blanket
• Position the seat element so that you have access to the underside
• Insert the gas lift into the recess in the centre of the base, with the thick end pointing downwards
• Lift the assembled lower section of the office chair and insert it into the fitting on the underside of the seat
• When the top of the gas lift is fully inserted, press down lightly
• Set the chair upright & done!

Option 2

• Protect the floor or materials with a large towel or blanket
• Lay the seat element on its back, resting on the long back of the backrest
• Insert the gas lift into the centre of the base
• Secure the castors of the five-star base
• Lift the seat element and carefully place it onto the gas lift
• Make sure that the valve engages
• Carefully turn the seat element and make sure it runs smoothly

Important!
As with all repairs, assembly and disassembly work, the same applies here: safety first. Never use brute force, never use heavy tools or sharp implements that could damage your office chair. Never attempt to take the gas lift apart – this component is under enormous pressure and, if opened, can cause serious injury.

In this video, you can take an even closer look at the assembly process!

As a general rule, the castors on a quality chair can be replaced easily. When ordering castors, make sure to check the diameter of the pins used to insert the castors into the base: the standard sizes are 10 or 11 millimetres. Once you have found the right chair castors, you can get started with the replacement.

Option 1

• Remove the gas lift
• Lift the base and pull firmly on the castors with your free hand
  (To avoid injury, always pull away from your body)
• The pin of the chair castors should come loose with a short, firm tug
• Check whether all plug connections are free from dirt and clean if necessary
• Press the castors one by one into the mounting holes until they click into place

Option 2

• Protect the floor from damage with a blanket
• Place the removed base “on its back”
• Use your body as a counterweight and hold the base in place on the floor with your foot on the axle
• Pull the castors out of the base with one or both hands
• Keep your back straight
• Check whether all plug connections are free from dirt and clean if necessary
• Press the castors one by one into the mounting holes until they click into place

In our video, you can take a closer look at how to replace the castors.

With a bit of luck and some DIY skill, the gas lift can be repaired quite easily using a universal spray or cleaner that contains lubricating and care substances. While repeatedly spraying the ball valve, keep operating the adjustment lever so that the sprayed liquid can reach the ball closure of the valve as thoroughly as possible. If this still does not work after several applications with short waiting times, the chair gas lift must be replaced. With high-quality office chairs, this is not a problem at all. We show you two ways to remove the gas lift.

Option 1

• Lay the office chair down so that the base is facing upwards
• Check whether the base is screwed to the gas lift – which may be the case in rare instances
• Carefully strike the lower end of the cylinder (usually made of hard plastic or metal) with a rubber mallet
• With your free hand, shake the outer end of a base leg
• The base will loosen and can be removed after a few strikes
• Hold the gas lift firmly with one hand and carefully but steadily tap against the underside of the seat near the central column with the rubber mallet
• The gas lift will come loose and can be pulled off
• The chair is now dismantled into its components

Option 2

• Lift the chair by the seat on the left and right by approx. 10 to 15 centimetres
• The aim is to shake out the base together with the gas lift
• Make sure it can fall straight down to avoid damaging the castors
• Shake the chair vigorously – watch your feet
• As soon as the base has fallen out, lift it to the side and knock out the gas lift with a rubber mallet
• The chair is now dismantled into its individual parts

Important
Do not use brute force under any circumstances during removal, and do not attempt to open the gas lift. This component is under immense pressure and the piston in particular can cause serious injury if the cylinder is opened. If in doubt, please contact the manufacturer of your office chair.

In our video, we show you how to remove the gas lift easily.