How to Correct an Office Chair

The correction of an office chair can be carried out according to the following steps:

Step 1: Check the Wheels
Place the chair upright and check if each wheel foot is in contact with the ground. If the ground is level but not all wheels are touching the ground, it may be due to uneven weight distribution or damaged wheels. Then, turn the chair upside down and inspect the wheel feet for signs of bending, breakage, or wear. If the chair is placed on an uneven surface, the wheels may not all touch the ground when unoccupied, but the chair will tilt towards the lower side when someone sits on it. In this case, prioritize adjusting the ground or the wheel condition.

Step 2: Replace Damaged Wheels
If any wheels are found to be damaged, purchase matching new wheels. You can contact the chair manufacturer to provide the model number for ordering original wheel feet or remove the old wheels and take them to an office supplies store to select a replacement set based on the shape and size of the wheel axles. If all wheels are in good condition and the ground is level, skip this step and proceed directly to checking the seat plate.

Step 3: Remove Old Casters
Pull out the casters directly by hand: hold the wheel with one hand and the bottom of the chair with the other hand, and pull outward forcefully. If they are stuck and cannot be pulled out, insert a flat-head screwdriver into the gap between the caster foot and the chair contact point, and use the blade as a lever to pry slowly. Once the caster stem protrudes about 1 centimeter from the socket, pull it out again. In rare cases, the casters are fixed with screws, in which case you need to loosen the screws with a screwdriver and then remove them.

Step 4: Apply Lubricant
Spray a small amount of WD-40 or other spray lubricant onto the chair base sockets. Insert the straw into the nozzle and spray quickly for half a second at each socket. If no spray lubricant is available, apply a pea-sized amount of petroleum jelly to the wheel axles to reduce installation resistance.

Step 5: Install New Casters
Align the stems of the new casters with the base and try to push them in gently by hand. If they are not in place, tap the casters lightly with a rubber mallet, preferably near the base of the stem (not the bottom of the wheel) to avoid deformation or breakage until the stems are fully inserted into the base.

Step 6: Test the Chair
Turn the chair upside down and check if the new wheels are installed firmly. Sit on the chair, and if it rolls smoothly and evenly without tilting, the correction is complete; if it still tilts, further inspect the seat plate for damage.