How to change the actuator of a gaming chair in 4 steps?

The advantage of a gaming chair is to benefit from an office chair designed to last. Designed with quality materials, our gaming chairs are equipped with metal parts that are much stronger than the plastic ones you will find on office chairs sold in supermarkets.

Over time, the gas spring, subjected to the regular pressure of the seat , can see its functioning altered, thus making the office chair less comfortable by no longer being able to adjust the height of the seat ideally. This is why it is possible to change the cylinder yourself at low cost .

In order to find a perfect seat like on a new gaming chair , here is our 4-step guide to easily replace the gas spring of a gaming chair.

Operation of an office chair actuator

The pneumatic cylinder is a part of your gaming chair which is fixed in force between the seat and the star base, at the level of the wheels. Composed of a piston and a gas chamber , the jack is a pneumatic cylinder allowing to change the height adjustment of an office chair.

The compressed air inside the cylinder, after using a lever present under the seat, expands to push the piston upwards. Without weight on the gaming chair, the piston therefore allows the chair to rise naturally. Conversely, to be able to lower the seat, it suffices to operate this same lever. But with the weight of the body on the gaming chair, the latter causes a compression of the air contained in the cylinder. With a noise similar to that of a bicycle pump, the gamer seat descends gently to the stop of the piston, or before if the lever present under the seat is released by the user.

Thanks to this ingenious gas spring system , the fluidity of movement is particularly smooth on a gaming desk chair . This function is essential in order to guarantee the best possible seating for the user and minimize fatigue with an ergonomic position.

How do I know if the pneumatic cylinder is worn?

The life of a jack is usually several years . But gradually, the joints become porous and the gas can end up escaping little by little. Maintaining the pressure is thus no longer ensured. Other factors may interfere with the normal operation of the gaming chair lift. If the maximum load supported by the wheelchair has been exceeded, the seat may lower by itself.

This is why it is important to check that the gaming chair is suitable for your body type in the event of a problem. The pneumatic cylinder of a child's office chair will not be able to support the weight of an adult for very long, damaging the gas chamber, for example. But the problem can be much more serious and the parts, not being designed to withstand beyond a certain weight, can end up twisting or even breaking.

Guide to changing the actuator of a gaming chair

Repairing a cylinder is not a solution , due to its complexity, but also due to its dangerousness because a repair can only last for a short period of time. But if the repair is ineffective, should you buy a new office chair ? Not necessarily. It is quite possible to change only the cylinder in a few simple steps.

By ordering a new actuator for an office chair on the internet, while taking care to respect the same dimensions , you can thus find the original operation of the height adjustment of an office chair.

PRELIMINARY STEP: THE NECESSARY TOOLS

• An English pliers
• A cloth rag
• A rubber mallet (or in the case of using a hammer, provide a thick cloth to absorb the shocks and not damage your gaming chair)
• A wooden wedge

STEP 1: DETACH THE JACK FROM THE SEAT

To do this, you must first place the office chair horizontally in order to have easy access to the jack. In order not to damage and keep the pneumatic cylinder in place, it is important to surround it with a cloth on the upper part (the closest to the seat towards the cylinder's attachment point).

Then it suffices to tighten the cylinder using pliers and exert pressure to make it turn on its axis. Here, the seat is now detached from the lower part including the wheels.

STEP 2: DETACH THE JACK FROM THE ROLLER LEG

Once the upper part (the seat) has been set aside, the foot must be placed on a wooden block at the level of the axis of the cylinder so that the castors are no longer in contact with the ground. While holding the cylinder in one hand, you must take the mallet in the other and tap lightly on different legs of the office chair in order to get the cylinder out of its axis.

In just a few strokes, the actuator should then slide out of the foot.

STEP 3: REPLACE THE NEW CYLINDER ON THE FOOT OF THE GAMING SEAT

Having taken good care to order a pneumatic cylinder with the same dimensions , which you can easily find on the internet, you just have to fix the new cylinder on the foot of the chair with a simple pressure at the level of the hands.

STEP 4: CONNECT THE SEAT TO THE LOWER PART

All that remains is to take the seat part and install it directly on the cylinder, as installed previously. Check carefully before sitting on the gaming chair that the different parts are firmly fixed.

There you go, your gaming chair no longer has any problem and you can find the desired height for more comfort. The simple replacement of the jack allows you to save many euros and keep your office chair longer.