Been in a wheelchair for almost 30 years. never used this technique for replacement bearings. and I've changed bearings every summer due to fishing in the ocean up to my waist in saltwater LOL. learn something every day!
Hey, I'm a part time wheelchair user, and I was wondering if you could make a video about how to deal with others who make rude comment, etc when they see you stand from your chair. I use my chair mostly for long trips and in the future to save my energy for going to school so I can focus on learning, but I struggle. I feel as if I live a double life because yes I can walk, but it's sometimes really taxing in my body. Yet, as I said above, I feel weird and uncomfortable when people find out that I can in fact walk or vise versa. It would be a nice world if people could just accept everyone as they are, but I realize that that's not possible. I was just hoping you could give some advice, but I'm pretty sure you'll never see this comment. I love your videos and I've learned so much, I appreciate every little tip and trick you've given and doing my own repairs will be so much easier now. Thank you so much, and I will definitely keep watching, I'm always excited about what you'll take about next
It could have been me writing your exakt words! Thank’s for voicing this kind of ”problems”... or: other peoples narrow mindes comments to us who struggle with daily issues how to divide our strenght and abilities to last the entire day, and not run out of it on our way to school but to have some left for studies or hang out with friends. With you all the best &Hope you will have a great day!!
The valve on your tube is a Schrader valve, not a presta. It's important to know the difference, since a presta valve is narrower in diameter & would reqire a smaller-diameter hole in the metal wheel rim. A Schrader won't fit the small hole on a presta rim, but a schraeder-sized hole on a rim can be fitted with a grommet (available at most bike shops) in order to "down-size" the hole to fit a presta valve. Here's another tip: Marine grease is an excellent choice for wheel & caster bearings, and it's much cheaper than bike grease. It's commonly sold in 14-oz. tubes in the automotive section of most big-box discount stores, usually for less than 5 or 6 dollars per tube. Cheers!
This saved me from having a breakdown your channel has really helped me ! Thank you , I’ve been in my chair all my life and never had anyone to teach me these things and can’t depend on insurance and wheelchair mechanics to fix it I’ve been rolling on a broken castor wheel since January and am about to just order and fix it myself now .
Richard, thanks so much for all your helpful tips and tricks! I work in Physical Therapy and find myself fixing and adjusting assistive devices/chairs for my patients. Your videos about life in a chair has also helped me be a better advocate and clinician for my Patients. Thank you for all you do
Great video, just a few little pointers (from a Dutch former cycle mender, who is now also in a wheelchair). Over here we have these tools to remove the tire from a rim, they are blunt and rounded so no chance to damage your tire/rim or your hands (Brand is Simson). And after you remove the inner tire you first want to check the outer tire for anything sharp before putting the new inner tire in (can be visual, but using your fingers works better, just take it slow to not hurt yourself). When putting the new tire on never use any kind of tool, you will not be the first to damage the inner tire while doing so and you can start all over again. if you cant flip that last part over you can start from the side that is firmly on, grab the tire and kind of squeeze towards the part that still needs to flip on the rim, this is also why you dont want to screw on that ring around the valve stem to tight, while doing this you can damage the inner tube. After the tire is 100% on you can just move it a bit so that the valve stem is not all wonky out of the hole, then you grab the vale stem and just push it in as far as it will go (if it was in the way of the outer tire you will feel it plop into place), make sure the outer tire is set on the rim and fill the tire with air, this will prevent the unset tire as seen in the video.
Love this. I just got a bike shop to do a tyre change. Next time i might try do it myself. The only thing i’d do different is i often use a socket wrench socket over a bearing to press on just that outer lip, and hammer the socket thing, that way no direct hammering on just one part of the bearing, and it leaves a convenient hole in the middle that a screwdriver/screw can poke through to keep everything lined up while still being able to hammer over the middle instead of having to slowly work around the sides. The same socket wrench I use to adjust the pivot bearings is about the right size. The other bit of maintenance i try to keep an eye on is occasionally going over every bolt head i can find and tightening them up if they’re loose enough to finger turn. Sometimes those bolts that hold down the carbon fibre board the seat cushion lays on can work their way loose especially. Good to get some loctite in there but it doesn’t last forever.
Oh, and, as needed, taking some sand paper to the pushrims. Inevitably eventually they hit a rock or something and get a little spur on them, which can really mess up hands quick when braking down a hill, so whenever they get a little damage I try to go for the sandpaper ASAP and just kinda file down any little burrs or other details to keep things as smooth as possible.
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing it’s gunna be super helpful next time! You’re like the 6th person to say “stop hitting the bearing and no more screw drivers” lol. I’ll try that socket move next time. Kinda genius tbh
@@Wheels2Walking Hey like hitting it on the side works like, we all just do our best, not criticising just offering how I've solved it for myself. If it works it works!
First off I greatly appreciate everything you share with your fellow wheelchair users. I used the Reds ceramic bearings for about 4 months. I switched to Bronson Ceramic speed skateboard bearings. Theyvare cheaper and last me about 25% longer than all the Reds bearings ive tried.
Here's one issue specific to ambulatory wheelchair users to check for. When I'm getting in and out of my chair a lot at something like a theme park or convention, I have a habit of stepping on and off my foot plate with one foot. That can knock the foot plate ever so slightly off level and pull the casters out of alignment just enough so that one caster is slightly off the ground. It's a good idea to loosen your foot plate and re-level it during regular maintenance. To make sure you keep it at the right height, this is easier to do with two people or by putting some books under your foot plate to hold it where it should be.
I totally agree, if you are reliant on your wheelchair 24/7 its always a good idea to be able to perform some maintenance on it yourself. I usually carry a small emergency kit with me for some basic maintenance while on the go, as I travel frequently for work, and always ensure I at least have two spare inner tubes in it. Yes punctures can be repaired, but your when mobility is impaired while performing the repair, this is a simpler sure bet fix to just replace the inner tube. That said I have never seen a wheelchair tyre being changed with a screwdriver that way, I much prefer the traditional tyre levers used on bicycles so I can avoid pinching the tube accidentally or damaging the rim. As for bearing maintenance I carefully remove the seals and clean them with a de-greaser then repack them with fresh grease again and that increases their lifespan dramatically, I will only replace them if there is too much play in them. For axle pins I normally use a dry lube commonly used on bicycle chains, this way there little chance of getting grease on your clothes or car interior when transferring, and still having the benefits of a wet lube.
Thanks Mr Weelchair-fix! I know now what to do about my manual chair going to the right. It's my bearings (not mine ha-ha) I will share you're Tube with my friends. Tanx again my Friend, God bless! From South Africa :-)
In one year I had a flat tire in the Montreal Airport and had to push a mile on a flat. The taxi driver stopped at a bike shop to have it fixed and the same year I had a flat in Johannesburg. I told a friend on my rugby team and everyone was using airless tires. The last 4 to 6 years or as long as my wheels last. If you remove the hair when needed it will prolong the bearings lifespan. I didn't know about the hot and cold on the bearings, great trick 👌. Good video good 👍.
Thank you for this, Richard - it will be very helpful when I get my chair. But I gotta say: I love that little air compressor! I got one for Christmas (because of your video), and I was able to inflate my completely flat bike tires in about 5 minutes total - if I had used a hand pump (which I do have, and it's what I've used in the past), it would have taken me forever, and I would have been completely worn out before they got even 1/3 full. Also, I didn't use it until 4 1/2 months after I got it, and the battery was still perfectly fine (still almost fully charged), even without having charged it. So excited to be able to use it when I get my custom wheelchair later this summer! I think I'm going to get one for my parents as well, since one of the nozzles fits our air mattresses perfectly (such a pain to blow up by hand, or with the only other pump they have, whose nozzle isn't small enough so you have to hold it in just the right spot the entire time), and because I don't want to have to pack mine when I fly.
This video was so helpful! My chair needs to be worked on and I didn’t want to wait months for it to be serviced. This is my first chair, so I’m SOL if something goes wrong with mine. Love your content!
Good Video, I really need to clean my wheelchair. You are right, it is our legs, so we need to keep them clean. I will check my bearings in my casters today. Hopefully they are good. But if not, I will be ordering today. Thank you for this video, keep them coming, I will be looking for more!
That’s a Schader valve, the Presta valve needs to have an adapter to pump and usually used on hand bikes or racing chairs. Enjoyed the video, keep it up.
I used to run solid back tires, then I needed to change my hand rims (push rims) and discovered I had to take my tires off to work on the hand rims. Problem with solid tires is they have to be cut off and you need a machine to put them back on so you don’t damage the wheels. I cut them off and put air tires back on. I will never go back to solid tires. I can air them down if going on gravel or off road and for curb jumping, but can then air them up for in the house and on the sidewalk/street. I recently had an issue with the spokes on my Spinergy wheels and was able to remove the tires, hand rims and D’s Lock ring before taking them to a bike shop. Only cost me $12 to have the spokes adjusted on both wheels because I had everything off. Then while my wife was shopping in Walmart I put them back together in my van in the parking lot with just a few hand tools. I carry a spare tube, air pump and some extra hand tools in a backpack I keep in my van.
This is fantastic, thank you so much for all the how to and tips! I still have a clunky rubbish chair right now while we figure out if I can manage self propelled or if I will have to go powered but having all this info is such a big help!
The big clunky works for a short period of time but when you get a custom your whole life will change. It’s like a custom Tailored outfit VS discount sweats.
You had my like at the metric comment!!! This stuff is seriously important but never taught, I removed my castors for the first time since I got this chair, it was ghastly and super sluggish from trapped hair and grease... Luckily you brought this video out before I replace the bearings, which will be soon! Thank for the videos!
Lotta bike shops in California won't do the wheel work anymore thanks to insurance stuff. This is why I'm glad I can do this on my own as long as I have what I need.
You should also feel around inside the tire to see if what ever caused your puncture is still in there. Also, they make plastic tire levers so that a metal screwdriver won't gouge up your carbon fiber rims.
Great tip and you’re so right. I definitely need to get me some proper tools. These haven’t failed me in the last 10+ years but I think next time around I’ll be using all the proper tools :)
@@Wheels2Walking Huge fan. I'm a transfemoral amputee and have only been in a chair since January(long Story). I was a bike mechanic in a previous life and I'm happy that my skills crossover a bit to my new wheeled legs. Great tips!!
Been using wheelchair for 10+ years and I actually just learned a few things here....since my daily wheelchair goes thru my patio and is dirt at that part it does takes a beating, my front small wheel left side is completely off bearings they are long gone worned out and is the "Walmart" cheap brand so at the same time gives me the feeling to just get a new one but when I imagine it on the dirt again kinda makes me sad 😅, to put a new one down there so I'm learning as much as I can about casters and maintenance
Some people are so new to wheelchair maintenance you might want to break things down to toddler size info. I'm not a user myself but know others and if I'm unsure I know they probably are too. Thanks for this video.
I use white lithium grease for my powerchairs suspension. I used to get someone else to do it but it needs doing so often I just purchased my own. 😂 Most repairs on mine require specialist repairs sadly. I agree about the pristine thing. Clean yes but it gets damaged in daily life. I just used metal paint to repaint the 4 leg things on mine as it was scratched to buggary and i have some car stuff to make the plastic and tyres look better. lol
That grease last the longest and lubricates so well. I think of my chair as an extension of myself. If you see someone with pristine shoes it’s likely that they’re not using their body to its full potential. Same with my chair. I want it to be a little rough
Zumiez also does bearing replacements for free using their press, not sure if all casters would be the right size to fit their press, but they also sell red's bearings. They're what I used to use on my boards lost the ability to skate.
Changed a tire on vacation in Boston and must have had the inner tube pinched. Later in the day while riding the elevator in the Hancock building the pressure change coming down caused the tire to blow with a very loud bang that scared the crap out of everyone in the elevator.
A few tips, plastic tools are cheap on Amazon for the tire change. Also you can easily do a tube with the tire only off on one side. That said I went to the solid tire INSERTS years ago and honestly I'll never go back
It took them six months to do wheelchair maintenance on my chair. It’s like I’ve never even heard of it. My doctor went back-and-forth with prescriptions, but they didn’t get them - such a confusion and a mess -
Hi fellow charioteer, great channel. I'd like to make one comment, you should check the inside of your tyre for the foreign body (i.e. thorn) that caused the puncture in the first place or it will be ready to greet your new innertube when you inflate it ♿😁
One tip if you just can’t change your inter tube yourself but can’t wait for a maintenance. You could try going to a bike shop if you have a spare inner tube on hand. A bike shop may be able to change the inner tube for you as bike tires are similar. Or if you have friends who cycle they may be able to help you out?
Bike shops SOMETIMES have the right tube. I like to keep extras around for this exact reason. If you have your own tube they can also install that for you :)
I just did this a few days ago. Local bike shop was super helpful, really fast, got it done for $30 including the tyre and the service fee, which felt reasonable to me.
I was taught to just take off one side of the wheel. As a kid I would never have had the strength to do it the way you did. And we fixed our bikes from a very early age. Remember, if you are fixing a flat, check the inside of the tyre for the culprit: a stone, thorn etc. No point going through all the steps, just for your new tyre to pop immediately.
@@Wheels2Walking Yes, I am very grateful for my father to teach us to look after our bicycles as soon as we were old enough! He was born during the war and grew up when you had to make do and repair.
Line up the valve with the label on the tyre. If you have a flat then find the hole, and make sure the debris is no longer in your tyre, else the new tube will just get a hole in the same place. Also - get a set of cycle tyre levers rather than a screwdriver. The wire bead should be pushed down into the bottom of the rim well so that there is enough slack to get the wire out on the other side.
Quality tip! Thanks for that advice. I know I should have totally used those tools but I’ve never had any in the 10+ years I’ve been rolling and just use what I have available 👊🏻
Wheels2Walking absolutely use what’s around when you have to, but tyre levers are much less likely to damage your rims, particularly CF rims. I’m just replacing the bearings in the caster king pin at the moment, had to wait for a blind bearing puller they’re so far beyond corroded!
I love these practical video's. You seem pretty strong in your hands, when you're puting the outer tube off and on. As a Dutch guy I did not know that you could use a screwdriver for it. We learn how to change a bime tire, before we can bake an egg. ;-) Ever thought about bike levers (you need less power for those) or a bike repair kit? Did you check the inside of the outer tube for glass or pointy objects? (I learned the hard way that it could puncture your inner tube twice.) And do you fix/patch your punctured inner tube, or do you throw them away?
I'm not sure if this is appropriate but; my friend (a wheelchair user) said to me that he can sell his shoes, that he's had for a while, as new because there's no wear on the bottom. Made me chuckle ngl
I have a TiLite ZRA2 and wish I could find a video on how to replace the castor wheels - I found a video for those w mono forks but I don’t have those!
I have been watching your videos for a while on your channel. I am now a user to a wheelchair due to having an amputation below the right knee. The wheelchair I've been given by the hospital is not too bad. It's solid wheels. But I am looking to get my own custom one what would you say would be the best things to have on it to make the ride more comfortable and safe. I'm based in the UK
I prefer to use plastic tire changing tools as the screw driver runs the risk of puncturing tubes. Also I dont use gease on axles because I find it attracts more dirt and grim when taking wheels off to transfer into vehicle. If anything I use wd40 on occasion in winter to keep release smooth.
Hey Richard should you know when you measure your wheelchair what are the most important dimensions like width length etc to measure for the perfect fit ?
What if your tires don't have tubes yet they still sound flat against the ground. Also, is a loose wheel the cause of when you roll the left back tire and the same left front tire turns left instead of right? If not, how do you fix that?
Lol, please use tire levers. You’re using a schrader valves. Presta valves have lock nuts at the base and then at the top for air. I used to mtn bike a lot & am finding there’s a lot of similarities in tools/parts. Lotsa differences too. Saw you had knobby tires sitting there... when you put those on do you have a more aggressive caster too?
How can I get my front wheels to stop wobbling when I speed up? I just got new casters and wheels yesterday and I still have this problem. Not as bad as before but it still happens. Would using these bearings help me?
Dam now I have to buy a hair dryer, never considered that part before. I wheel around a dog park area and often, when cleaning my casters, it's almost like I have enough hair to build my own "Barbie" wigs. In my early wheelchair sport days (with the old E&J's) we could take a player out of the play with a few "unseen" twisted of an Allen key but the Americans were harder because the rest of us had metric except you guys. Good video, is that a RoHo Hybrid cushion?
Wait you didn’t do any spoon bending popping the tyre off the rim 😆 Loctite 242 (blue) on the screw threads helps preventing any screws or bolts rattling loose 🤗🦽🤗
I hate bicycle type tires i tired for one my old wheel chairs and it sucks bc i ended up crashing all the time and the spokes would come out all the time
“no scrapes then you’re probably not using it to its full potential” that’s right!. Just had to send my chair to the manufacturer to fix the frame I could have done it im sure but I don’t know how to weld yet... before the virus thing happened. I beat the heck outta my chairs
For real! Biggest reason I have a raw titanium chair is to hide all the blemishes it gets from hard use. Too many people baby their chair and I find that silly.
Wheels2Walking Your new custom chair is sick bro! I might look into it. My current one is an APEX and it SUCKS never get one of them. I like how yours is solid pieces my seat is literally held up my velcro straps man once they rip you fall through which I had happen the design doesn’t make sense now though it did at the time because I wanted a lighter chair but man id rather have your chair. Skateboarders put their boards to better use than some of us use chairs, we outta show them up!
I'm on a new Apex chair, about a week and a half old. There's hardly enough gunk in the casters to clean out of them, and I've tried loosening the bolts. Still, every time I try the spin test on my casters, they make like half a rotation and then stop. To prove my point, I even started typing this in the middle of a bunny hill with no brakes on, and my chair literally just sat there. My last wheelchair would glide down this hill so fast I'd normally have to ditch into the grass if I wanted to stop before the bottom. Is there anything else I could do to get the casters spinning like you show in the video?
How often do you go through axel quick release pins? I must have had 3 go on me in the space of 3 years, the little ball bearing that pokes through the hole to lock it in place seem to wear away at the metal and fall through.
I need to take better care of my wheelchair. It looks like it was ridden hard and put up wet. I never really learned to properly get in a car and break it down. It is skinned up. I guess if it is an extension of our bodies being skinned up it matches the body.
When you put bearings in your casters they must be all the way in, dont use the retaining bolt to pull them in as youll damage the bearings race ans significantly reduce their life span
Probably why your bearings didn’t last very long is because of your installation. You should try find a socket that will match the outer diameter and the tap with hammer
Brother, get us a PO Box or your local equivalent or even an Amazon wishlist and I will order you tire levers for ease of changing. Flat heads can damage both your tubing and your valve. Edit: write the date of bearing replacements on the new box with your old bearings inside for emergency use, length of use reference and specific brand/size
Oh god, I'm at the bearing swap. Please let me order you a bearing punch set or bearing puller set, there's no need to destroy bearings when you take them out. Edit again: DON'T EVER DIRECTLY HAMMER BEARINGS. OH GOD. AT LEAST PUT A BOARD BETWEEN THE HAMMER AND BEARING... that's how you break bearings before use, brother. And why you need a bearing punch or puller.
This has to be my favorite series of comments ever. The development of “BRO WHAT ARE YOU DOING” is all the appropriate response. I do need to learn the “best practices” with the right tools but I’ve been doing it this way for 10+ years with no issues. However, next time around I’ll buy the right tools. I tend to use whatever is around and that’s usually hammers and screw drivers 😂
@@Wheels2Walking I completely identify with the repetition and getting it done with what's at hand, it is what I grew up with on work sites but when I went on to engineering school, they drove home "use the right tool for the job"; as an older adult, I have then learned indulging in the right tool for simple jobs is a wonderfully cheap luxury. Bearings in particular can be useful to keep on hand after they've been retired. A bearing punch ranges from $10USD to $40USD and is heaven. One hammer tap on the end and it pops right out. Puller expands into the center "locking" in place and giving you the ability to pull them out with better ease. Total side note, those bearings can repurposed into some really nice rolling camera dollys.
I was born with a disability, spina bifida, I'll be 46 in less than a week and I've never done my own wheelchair maintenance, I think it's time I did!!. The only difference is my tyres are solids so I can skip that.
My insurance pays for my repairs and when I get a new wheelchair. I pay nothing out of pocket. Solid tires are the best way to go so you don't get flats.
it took 6 months to get your chair and lose the clunky hospital chair. Good grief I still have 4 months to go. I hate this piece of crap they sent me home in. But it may be time to do some maintenance. Than you for showing me how.
From the point of calling to let the repair company know my bearings on my right frontwheel were shot. It "only" took 5 weeks?!?! to get the wrong parts. Only by luck the damaged bearings were replacable. Idiots.
INNER TUBE 1:25
CASTER BEARING: 9:30
you should make a discord server and if you do can i be a mod
Are bad bearings responsible for that violent speed rattle that I hear in my chair at high speed
@@thepurpleclaws9168 what’s that?
wish i had seen this years ago! i am a PT and used to try and help my patients fix "minor" WC problems. It always took me FOREVER!!!
Been in a wheelchair for almost 30 years. never used this technique for replacement bearings. and I've changed bearings every summer due to fishing in the ocean up to my waist in saltwater LOL.
learn something every day!
Hey, I'm a part time wheelchair user, and I was wondering if you could make a video about how to deal with others who make rude comment, etc when they see you stand from your chair. I use my chair mostly for long trips and in the future to save my energy for going to school so I can focus on learning, but I struggle. I feel as if I live a double life because yes I can walk, but it's sometimes really taxing in my body. Yet, as I said above, I feel weird and uncomfortable when people find out that I can in fact walk or vise versa. It would be a nice world if people could just accept everyone as they are, but I realize that that's not possible. I was just hoping you could give some advice, but I'm pretty sure you'll never see this comment.
I love your videos and I've learned so much, I appreciate every little tip and trick you've given and doing my own repairs will be so much easier now. Thank you so much, and I will definitely keep watching, I'm always excited about what you'll take about next
It could have been me writing your exakt words! Thank’s for voicing this kind of ”problems”... or: other peoples narrow mindes comments to us who struggle with daily issues how to divide our strenght and abilities to last the entire day, and not run out of it on our way to school but to have some left for studies or hang out with friends. With you all the best &Hope you will have a great day!!
The valve on your tube is a Schrader valve, not a presta. It's important to know the difference, since a presta valve is narrower in diameter & would reqire a smaller-diameter hole in the metal wheel rim. A Schrader won't fit the small hole on a presta rim, but a schraeder-sized hole on a rim can be fitted with a grommet (available at most bike shops) in order to "down-size" the hole to fit a presta valve. Here's another tip: Marine grease is an excellent choice for wheel & caster bearings, and it's much cheaper than bike grease. It's commonly sold in 14-oz. tubes in the automotive section of most big-box discount stores, usually for less than 5 or 6 dollars per tube. Cheers!
I have Presta valves on my mountain bike and I don’t love them.
Im not even a wheelchair user
Why did i watch this
But also Richard so why not
Geneviève Émond yeah
This saved me from having a breakdown your channel has really helped me ! Thank you , I’ve been in my chair all my life and never had anyone to teach me these things and can’t depend on insurance and wheelchair mechanics to fix it I’ve been rolling on a broken castor wheel since January and am about to just order and fix it myself now .
Richard, thanks so much for all your helpful tips and tricks! I work in Physical Therapy and find myself fixing and adjusting assistive devices/chairs for my patients. Your videos about life in a chair has also helped me be a better advocate and clinician for my Patients. Thank you for all you do
Great video, just a few little pointers (from a Dutch former cycle mender, who is now also in a wheelchair). Over here we have these tools to remove the tire from a rim, they are blunt and rounded so no chance to damage your tire/rim or your hands (Brand is Simson). And after you remove the inner tire you first want to check the outer tire for anything sharp before putting the new inner tire in (can be visual, but using your fingers works better, just take it slow to not hurt yourself). When putting the new tire on never use any kind of tool, you will not be the first to damage the inner tire while doing so and you can start all over again. if you cant flip that last part over you can start from the side that is firmly on, grab the tire and kind of squeeze towards the part that still needs to flip on the rim, this is also why you dont want to screw on that ring around the valve stem to tight, while doing this you can damage the inner tube. After the tire is 100% on you can just move it a bit so that the valve stem is not all wonky out of the hole, then you grab the vale stem and just push it in as far as it will go (if it was in the way of the outer tire you will feel it plop into place), make sure the outer tire is set on the rim and fill the tire with air, this will prevent the unset tire as seen in the video.
Love this. I just got a bike shop to do a tyre change. Next time i might try do it myself. The only thing i’d do different is i often use a socket wrench socket over a bearing to press on just that outer lip, and hammer the socket thing, that way no direct hammering on just one part of the bearing, and it leaves a convenient hole in the middle that a screwdriver/screw can poke through to keep everything lined up while still being able to hammer over the middle instead of having to slowly work around the sides. The same socket wrench I use to adjust the pivot bearings is about the right size.
The other bit of maintenance i try to keep an eye on is occasionally going over every bolt head i can find and tightening them up if they’re loose enough to finger turn. Sometimes those bolts that hold down the carbon fibre board the seat cushion lays on can work their way loose especially. Good to get some loctite in there but it doesn’t last forever.
Oh, and, as needed, taking some sand paper to the pushrims. Inevitably eventually they hit a rock or something and get a little spur on them, which can really mess up hands quick when braking down a hill, so whenever they get a little damage I try to go for the sandpaper ASAP and just kinda file down any little burrs or other details to keep things as smooth as possible.
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing it’s gunna be super helpful next time! You’re like the 6th person to say “stop hitting the bearing and no more screw drivers” lol. I’ll try that socket move next time. Kinda genius tbh
@@Wheels2Walking Hey like hitting it on the side works like, we all just do our best, not criticising just offering how I've solved it for myself. If it works it works!
First off I greatly appreciate everything you share with your fellow wheelchair users. I used the Reds ceramic bearings for about 4 months. I switched to Bronson Ceramic speed skateboard bearings. Theyvare cheaper and last me about 25% longer than all the Reds bearings ive tried.
Here's one issue specific to ambulatory wheelchair users to check for. When I'm getting in and out of my chair a lot at something like a theme park or convention, I have a habit of stepping on and off my foot plate with one foot. That can knock the foot plate ever so slightly off level and pull the casters out of alignment just enough so that one caster is slightly off the ground. It's a good idea to loosen your foot plate and re-level it during regular maintenance. To make sure you keep it at the right height, this is easier to do with two people or by putting some books under your foot plate to hold it where it should be.
Very clever tip! My foot plate doesn’t adjust at all but those with adjustable foot plates could greatly benefit from this tip!!
Perfect advice, I'm going to use it right now! Thanks 👍
I totally agree, if you are reliant on your wheelchair 24/7 its always a good idea to be able to perform some maintenance on it yourself. I usually carry a small emergency kit with me for some basic maintenance while on the go, as I travel frequently for work, and always ensure I at least have two spare inner tubes in it. Yes punctures can be repaired, but your when mobility is impaired while performing the repair, this is a simpler sure bet fix to just replace the inner tube. That said I have never seen a wheelchair tyre being changed with a screwdriver that way, I much prefer the traditional tyre levers used on bicycles so I can avoid pinching the tube accidentally or damaging the rim. As for bearing maintenance I carefully remove the seals and clean them with a de-greaser then repack them with fresh grease again and that increases their lifespan dramatically, I will only replace them if there is too much play in them. For axle pins I normally use a dry lube commonly used on bicycle chains, this way there little chance of getting grease on your clothes or car interior when transferring, and still having the benefits of a wet lube.
Thanks Mr Weelchair-fix! I know now what to do about my manual chair going to the right. It's my bearings (not mine ha-ha)
I will share you're Tube with my friends. Tanx again my Friend, God bless! From South Africa :-)
In one year I had a flat tire in the Montreal Airport and had to push a mile on a flat. The taxi driver stopped at a bike shop to have it fixed and the same year I had a flat in Johannesburg. I told a friend on my rugby team and everyone was using airless tires. The last 4 to 6 years or as long as my wheels last.
If you remove the hair when needed it will prolong the bearings lifespan. I didn't know about the hot and cold on the bearings, great trick 👌. Good video good 👍.
That’s why I carry a spare tube, tire levers and a mountain bike pump...
Thank you for this, Richard - it will be very helpful when I get my chair. But I gotta say: I love that little air compressor! I got one for Christmas (because of your video), and I was able to inflate my completely flat bike tires in about 5 minutes total - if I had used a hand pump (which I do have, and it's what I've used in the past), it would have taken me forever, and I would have been completely worn out before they got even 1/3 full. Also, I didn't use it until 4 1/2 months after I got it, and the battery was still perfectly fine (still almost fully charged), even without having charged it. So excited to be able to use it when I get my custom wheelchair later this summer! I think I'm going to get one for my parents as well, since one of the nozzles fits our air mattresses perfectly (such a pain to blow up by hand, or with the only other pump they have, whose nozzle isn't small enough so you have to hold it in just the right spot the entire time), and because I don't want to have to pack mine when I fly.
I honestly don't know what started me watching your videos, but i am very grateful for you uploading them.
I’m glad you’re here and enjoying them!
This video was so helpful! My chair needs to be worked on and I didn’t want to wait months for it to be serviced. This is my first chair, so I’m SOL if something goes wrong with mine. Love your content!
Good Video, I really need to clean my wheelchair. You are right, it is our legs, so we need to keep them clean. I will check my bearings in my casters today. Hopefully they are good. But if not, I will be ordering today. Thank you for this video, keep them coming, I will be looking for more!
That’s a Schader valve, the Presta valve needs to have an adapter to pump and usually used on hand bikes or racing chairs. Enjoyed the video, keep it up.
Yes! If you check the description I ended up correcting myself. For whatever reason I tend to ALWAYS get the names messed up 🤦🏻♂️
@@Wheels2Walking Me too. I've bought Presta tubes before only to realize I didn't have a pump to inflate it. I've always used Schrader.
@@Wheels2Walking haha no didn't read the description, cheers!
Metric is definitely best, the most logical and precise scaling :)
As a brand-new wheelchair user Thankyou so much. Those tips were so helpful.
I used to run solid back tires, then I needed to change my hand rims (push rims) and discovered I had to take my tires off to work on the hand rims. Problem with solid tires is they have to be cut off and you need a machine to put them back on so you don’t damage the wheels. I cut them off and put air tires back on. I will never go back to solid tires. I can air them down if going on gravel or off road and for curb jumping, but can then air them up for in the house and on the sidewalk/street. I recently had an issue with the spokes on my Spinergy wheels and was able to remove the tires, hand rims and D’s Lock ring before taking them to a bike shop. Only cost me $12 to have the spokes adjusted on both wheels because I had everything off. Then while my wife was shopping in Walmart I put them back together in my van in the parking lot with just a few hand tools. I carry a spare tube, air pump and some extra hand tools in a backpack I keep in my van.
This is fantastic, thank you so much for all the how to and tips! I still have a clunky rubbish chair right now while we figure out if I can manage self propelled or if I will have to go powered but having all this info is such a big help!
The big clunky works for a short period of time but when you get a custom your whole life will change. It’s like a custom Tailored outfit VS discount sweats.
Yessss RED BONES!! 🤟👌 all time favorite
You had my like at the metric comment!!!
This stuff is seriously important but never taught, I removed my castors for the first time since I got this chair, it was ghastly and super sluggish from trapped hair and grease... Luckily you brought this video out before I replace the bearings, which will be soon!
Thank for the videos!
Lotta bike shops in California won't do the wheel work anymore thanks to insurance stuff. This is why I'm glad I can do this on my own as long as I have what I need.
You should also feel around inside the tire to see if what ever caused your puncture is still in there. Also, they make plastic tire levers so that a metal screwdriver won't gouge up your carbon fiber rims.
Great tip and you’re so right. I definitely need to get me some proper tools. These haven’t failed me in the last 10+ years but I think next time around I’ll be using all the proper tools :)
@@Wheels2Walking Huge fan. I'm a transfemoral amputee and have only been in a chair since January(long Story). I was a bike mechanic in a previous life and I'm happy that my skills crossover a bit to my new wheeled legs. Great tips!!
I used to use a screwdriver but switched to the tire levers
I needed this video 13 years ago
Been using wheelchair for 10+ years and I actually just learned a few things here....since my daily wheelchair goes thru my patio and is dirt at that part it does takes a beating, my front small wheel left side is completely off bearings they are long gone worned out and is the "Walmart" cheap brand so at the same time gives me the feeling to just get a new one but when I imagine it on the dirt again kinda makes me sad 😅, to put a new one down there so I'm learning as much as I can about casters and maintenance
Some people are so new to wheelchair maintenance you might want to break things down to toddler size info. I'm not a user myself but know others and if I'm unsure I know they probably are too. Thanks for this video.
I use white lithium grease for my powerchairs suspension. I used to get someone else to do it but it needs doing so often I just purchased my own. 😂
Most repairs on mine require specialist repairs sadly.
I agree about the pristine thing. Clean yes but it gets damaged in daily life. I just used metal paint to repaint the 4 leg things on mine as it was scratched to buggary and i have some car stuff to make the plastic and tyres look better. lol
That grease last the longest and lubricates so well.
I think of my chair as an extension of myself. If you see someone with pristine shoes it’s likely that they’re not using their body to its full potential. Same with my chair. I want it to be a little rough
Excellent video
Zumiez also does bearing replacements for free using their press, not sure if all casters would be the right size to fit their press, but they also sell red's bearings.
They're what I used to use on my boards lost the ability to skate.
Changed a tire on vacation in Boston and must have had the inner tube pinched. Later in the day while riding the elevator in the Hancock building the pressure change coming down caused the tire to blow with a very loud bang that scared the crap out of everyone in the elevator.
I love all your vids I always find them super helpful
Dang, haven't ever done a tube tire, but they look way easier than solid inserts!
A few tips, plastic tools are cheap on Amazon for the tire change. Also you can easily do a tube with the tire only off on one side. That said I went to the solid tire INSERTS years ago and honestly I'll never go back
Awesome videos!!!
Thanks!
Awesome video love it
Thanks!
WHeelchair maintenance is really important if you use a wheelchair. :)
Sure is! This is just a few minor things I run into using a manual wheelchair :D
It took them six months to do wheelchair maintenance on my chair. It’s like I’ve never even heard of it. My doctor went back-and-forth with prescriptions, but they didn’t get them - such a confusion and a mess -
Thank you
Hi fellow charioteer, great channel. I'd like to make one comment, you should check the inside of your tyre for the foreign body (i.e. thorn) that caused the puncture in the first place or it will be ready to greet your new innertube when you inflate it ♿😁
Wheels walking: what kind of chair do you have? My hubby needs a new one and yours looks like it would fit him good. 🙂
One tip if you just can’t change your inter tube yourself but can’t wait for a maintenance. You could try going to a bike shop if you have a spare inner tube on hand. A bike shop may be able to change the inner tube for you as bike tires are similar. Or if you have friends who cycle they may be able to help you out?
Bike shops SOMETIMES have the right tube. I like to keep extras around for this exact reason. If you have your own tube they can also install that for you :)
I just did this a few days ago. Local bike shop was super helpful, really fast, got it done for $30 including the tyre and the service fee, which felt reasonable to me.
I was taught to just take off one side of the wheel. As a kid I would never have had the strength to do it the way you did. And we fixed our bikes from a very early age.
Remember, if you are fixing a flat, check the inside of the tyre for the culprit: a stone, thorn etc. No point going through all the steps, just for your new tyre to pop immediately.
You crafty germans! You’re 100% right! The one sided method is so much easier than what I demonstrated. Thanks for this info Silke!
@@Wheels2Walking Yes, I am very grateful for my father to teach us to look after our bicycles as soon as we were old enough! He was born during the war and grew up when you had to make do and repair.
Little shards of glass also.
Tip: have someone to fetch you stuff from your freezer or you might just have to crawl yourself there lol
Line up the valve with the label on the tyre.
If you have a flat then find the hole, and make sure the debris is no longer in your tyre, else the new tube will just get a hole in the same place.
Also - get a set of cycle tyre levers rather than a screwdriver.
The wire bead should be pushed down into the bottom of the rim well so that there is enough slack to get the wire out on the other side.
Quality tip! Thanks for that advice.
I know I should have totally used those tools but I’ve never had any in the 10+ years I’ve been rolling and just use what I have available 👊🏻
Wheels2Walking absolutely use what’s around when you have to, but tyre levers are much less likely to damage your rims, particularly CF rims.
I’m just replacing the bearings in the caster king pin at the moment, had to wait for a blind bearing puller they’re so far beyond corroded!
Loved it! Thanks for all of the info
Thanks Amanda!
très précieux merci!
I love these practical video's.
You seem pretty strong in your hands, when you're puting the outer tube off and on. As a Dutch guy I did not know that you could use a screwdriver for it. We learn how to change a bime tire, before we can bake an egg. ;-)
Ever thought about bike levers (you need less power for those) or a bike repair kit? Did you check the inside of the outer tube for glass or pointy objects? (I learned the hard way that it could puncture your inner tube twice.) And do you fix/patch your punctured inner tube, or do you throw them away?
Good thing you got gloves
please make a video about your wheelchair brakes.
I'm not sure if this is appropriate but; my friend (a wheelchair user) said to me that he can sell his shoes, that he's had for a while, as new because there's no wear on the bottom. Made me chuckle ngl
I have a TiLite ZRA2 and wish I could find a video on how to replace the castor wheels - I found a video for those w mono forks but I don’t have those!
Instead of grease, I use beeswax. It is far more beneficial and less messy.
Great information as usual.👍👏👏👏👏 next video, how to mount a pulse jet onto your wheelchair.😉😬😬😬😬
‘D Locks... best brakes ever!
I have been watching your videos for a while on your channel. I am now a user to a wheelchair due to having an amputation below the right knee. The wheelchair I've been given by the hospital is not too bad. It's solid wheels. But I am looking to get my own custom one what would you say would be the best things to have on it to make the ride more comfortable and safe. I'm based in the UK
I prefer to use plastic tire changing tools as the screw driver runs the risk of puncturing tubes. Also I dont use gease on axles because I find it attracts more dirt and grim when taking wheels off to transfer into vehicle. If anything I use wd40 on occasion in winter to keep release smooth.
Hey Richard should you know when you measure your wheelchair what are the most important dimensions like width length etc to measure for the perfect fit ?
Have you tried any of the new gel-filled inner tubes?
Good you repaired your flat tire because rolling around on a flat tire can alter performance of your wheelchair
What make/model wheelchair do you have, bro?? Luv that clear coat brushed aluminum/titanium look!
What if your tires don't have tubes yet they still sound flat against the ground. Also, is a loose wheel the cause of when you roll the left back tire and the same left front tire turns left instead of right? If not, how do you fix that?
where should we get new seat cushions , could you add a link to your wheel locks
I was wondering if they make tubeless tyres? Are tubeless ones recommended for wheelchairs?
Lol, please use tire levers. You’re using a schrader valves. Presta valves have lock nuts at the base and then at the top for air. I used to mtn bike a lot & am finding there’s a lot of similarities in tools/parts. Lotsa differences too.
Saw you had knobby tires sitting there... when you put those on do you have a more aggressive caster too?
How can I get my front wheels to stop wobbling when I speed up? I just got new casters and wheels yesterday and I still have this problem. Not as bad as before but it still happens. Would using these bearings help me?
I’m a paraplegic and I upload informative content also... I love your channel✨
Dam now I have to buy a hair dryer, never considered that part before. I wheel around a dog park area and often, when cleaning my casters, it's almost like I have enough hair to build my own "Barbie" wigs. In my early wheelchair sport days (with the old E&J's) we could take a player out of the play with a few "unseen" twisted of an Allen key but the Americans were harder because the rest of us had metric except you guys. Good video, is that a RoHo Hybrid cushion?
In all the years my tires have never been that easy to come off needing at least three tyre bars 😂
Wait you didn’t do any spoon bending popping the tyre off the rim 😆 Loctite 242 (blue) on the screw threads helps preventing any screws or bolts rattling loose 🤗🦽🤗
It's actually a Schrader value stem with threads.
How do you know you need to replace bearings?
Do you use rodebike innertubes and tire.
I hate bicycle type tires i tired for one my old wheel chairs and it sucks bc i ended up crashing all the time and the spokes would come out all the time
That’s a bummer! What kind were they? Sounds like they weren’t too durable 😭
@@Wheels2Walking kinda of like the tires you have on wheel chair in the video
@@Wheels2Walking they weren't but thankful i have a chair and didn't get the bicycle type when getting fitted for the chair i have now
“no scrapes then you’re probably not using it to its full potential” that’s right!. Just had to send my chair to the manufacturer to fix the frame I could have done it im sure but I don’t know how to weld yet... before the virus thing happened. I beat the heck outta my chairs
For real! Biggest reason I have a raw titanium chair is to hide all the blemishes it gets from hard use. Too many people baby their chair and I find that silly.
Wheels2Walking Your new custom chair is sick bro! I might look into it. My current one is an APEX and it SUCKS never get one of them. I like how yours is solid pieces my seat is literally held up my velcro straps man once they rip you fall through which I had happen the design doesn’t make sense now though it did at the time because I wanted a lighter chair but man id rather have your chair. Skateboarders put their boards to better use than some of us use chairs, we outta show them up!
I'm on a new Apex chair, about a week and a half old. There's hardly enough gunk in the casters to clean out of them, and I've tried loosening the bolts. Still, every time I try the spin test on my casters, they make like half a rotation and then stop. To prove my point, I even started typing this in the middle of a bunny hill with no brakes on, and my chair literally just sat there. My last wheelchair would glide down this hill so fast I'd normally have to ditch into the grass if I wanted to stop before the bottom. Is there anything else I could do to get the casters spinning like you show in the video?
Hello Eric. They may be tightened too tight. Could try to loosen them up.
How often do you go through axel quick release pins?
I must have had 3 go on me in the space of 3 years, the little ball bearing that pokes through the hole to lock it in place seem to wear away at the metal and fall through.
I need to take better care of my wheelchair. It looks like it was ridden hard and put up wet.
I never really learned to properly get in a car and break it down. It is skinned up.
I guess if it is an extension of our bodies being skinned up it matches the body.
When you put bearings in your casters they must be all the way in, dont use the retaining bolt to pull them in as youll damage the bearings race ans significantly reduce their life span
Probably why your bearings didn’t last very long is because of your installation. You should try find a socket that will match the outer diameter and the tap with hammer
A screwdriver to remove a tire ? Come on Richard just use your hands ! 💪
Oh man, I may he strong but not that strong!
Just buy some tire levers. They cost like 5$
Brother, get us a PO Box or your local equivalent or even an Amazon wishlist and I will order you tire levers for ease of changing. Flat heads can damage both your tubing and your valve.
Edit: write the date of bearing replacements on the new box with your old bearings inside for emergency use, length of use reference and specific brand/size
Oh god, I'm at the bearing swap. Please let me order you a bearing punch set or bearing puller set, there's no need to destroy bearings when you take them out.
Edit again: DON'T EVER DIRECTLY HAMMER BEARINGS. OH GOD. AT LEAST PUT A BOARD BETWEEN THE HAMMER AND BEARING... that's how you break bearings before use, brother. And why you need a bearing punch or puller.
This has to be my favorite series of comments ever. The development of “BRO WHAT ARE YOU DOING” is all the appropriate response.
I do need to learn the “best practices” with the right tools but I’ve been doing it this way for 10+ years with no issues. However, next time around I’ll buy the right tools. I tend to use whatever is around and that’s usually hammers and screw drivers 😂
@@Wheels2Walking I completely identify with the repetition and getting it done with what's at hand, it is what I grew up with on work sites but when I went on to engineering school, they drove home "use the right tool for the job"; as an older adult, I have then learned indulging in the right tool for simple jobs is a wonderfully cheap luxury. Bearings in particular can be useful to keep on hand after they've been retired. A bearing punch ranges from $10USD to $40USD and is heaven. One hammer tap on the end and it pops right out. Puller expands into the center "locking" in place and giving you the ability to pull them out with better ease.
Total side note, those bearings can repurposed into some really nice rolling camera dollys.
Working on my power wheelchair is almost like working on a car
I was born with a disability, spina bifida, I'll be 46 in less than a week and I've never done my own wheelchair maintenance, I think it's time I did!!. The only difference is my tyres are solids so I can skip that.
Yay
Don't use a flat head screwdriver use a tire leaver to avoid damaging the rim
My insurance pays for my repairs and when I get a new wheelchair. I pay nothing out of pocket. Solid tires are the best way to go so you don't get flats.
Issue is is the waiting for the repairs. Easier and quicker if able to do it yourself.
@@ecologist_to_be not really. I can make an appointment and have it done within a day or two a majority of the time.
This chair I’m using isn’t covered by insurance so all my repair costs are out of pocket. I’d rather not wait and save some money to do it myself 😁
why aren't you using a solid tyre?
👍
I put over 1000 kilometres on my power chair in the first year. Use your chair, that’s what it’s there for. To be used.
it took 6 months to get your chair and lose the clunky hospital chair. Good grief I still have 4 months to go. I hate this piece of crap they sent me home in. But it may be time to do some maintenance. Than you for showing me how.
Like, even though your spine is hosed, you're an awesome mechanic. Way to go, babe!
From the point of calling to let the repair company know my bearings on my right frontwheel were shot. It "only" took 5 weeks?!?! to get the wrong parts. Only by luck the damaged bearings were replacable. Idiots.
And you have don’t have a presta value. You have a car tyre value which is a schader value.
Make everything metric... believe me people here in the usa are trying 😂
Don’t use a flat head, use a bike tyre lever, metal on metal is not good.