How to replace an Office Swivel Chair's gas cylinder

[@jackduals]

8 years in the future and this video's still helpful. Thank you very much! I just saved myself money from buying a new chair and just fixing an old comfortable one!

[@TobyBarnett]

For real! Think its the 2nd time I've needed to watch it.

[@lightingbug]

Dv

[@nbbhaskar3294]

8 years later, this video is still useful, thanks for sharing this information with us all. I don't have a huge pipe wrench, have a smaller one, cylinder did not budge, I soaked the joint in oil for a day, still no dice. Then I read a comment saying heat the metal base before striking with hammer, heated it up for a minute and then gave a good whack, cylinder came off finally, it has a lot of rust that was holding that up so strong, it is a 10 year old chair after all. Bottom part was easy, I held couple of legs of the base on the counter and gave it 4 or 5 whacks, it came off easy. Cleaned up the base and put the new cylinder in and sat on the chair, it is all good now. Thanks again for this video, this saved me a lot of money.

[@yootoob4516]

After sitting on my chair for MONTHS and having it slowly let me down, I finally looked up how to replace the cylinder and found this video. THANK YOU! I really like my chair, but was looking at scrapping the whole thing. Instead, for $45 (shipping included) my chair functions good as new.

[@rayoh2011]

Next time, you can check out your local Craigs List and look for someone giving out a free office chair. Most of them work well but people give them away for free because the leather or cover starts to fade or a small business closing. Then you can replace your failed cylinder with the one in the free chair. The chair I am sitting on right now is one of those free chairs.

[@JA-rn5qv]

You don't need to take the plate off of the seat bottom, you can remove the cylinder with a pipe wrench, just turn with the wrench and the cylinder will ease out. But you do need to apply some WD40 or any penetrating lubricant to area where the cylinder passes through the mounting plate then wait for a while so that the lubricant can work it's way in. Much easier than trying to pound it out.

[@hoary212]

I don't have a pipe wrench. Thanks for this vid!

[@supremedictator.]

Thanks. I'll use this method. Seems like it'll be less thumb-crushing.

[@1islam1]

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[@loism7268]

I found that using the wrench to attempt to turn a little and a small tap on the button, popped out the cylinder easily

[@smokescreen2146]

Anyone had one of these explode?

[@loism7268]

i had more trouble getting the first cylinder part from bottom/rollers of chair. then a piece of cake. THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO. 8 yrs later I finally fixed my sewing chair!

[@SuperModerngranny]

Ooooh! Ouch! Sorry you hurt yourself doing this video..... Thanks for the instructions. I know this was more than a year ago, but I really appreciate it given the sacrifice you made on that thumb.

[@mihaelachiscovici]

This chair was fairly easy to put together, the instructions were clear and I was about to follow along with no issues at all. It took me about 20 minutes to assemble. kzbin.infoUgkx5hPALGI87E991DRmXev8PUFJGrrRcONS I did stuff the back of the chair with a pillow so it wouldn’t be so hollow after taking all the pieces out but that’s just a personal preference. I also added a pillow for lumbar support because although this is a great chair and is comfortable, it’s not necessarily the best if you’re sitting 10+ hrs a day wfh but in all honesty for the price, I didn’t mind at all. It looks great in my space and easily adjusts the height when needed.

[@danseibold7806]

Do NOT follow his instructions for pounding it out of the seat mechanism. Not only will most NOT allow you to pound on the cylinder because of the lever but you can avoid the tedious removal of the screws by using a pipe wrench and twisting it out. You will need to use a larger pipe wrench to get leverage. Its also helpful to oil up the fit a LITTLE to lubricate.

[@indexMemories]

I too used pipe wrench, like those beefy ones for thicker pipes.

[@slicedpage]

I must have watched this video soon after it was uploaded,its only now I am actually buying a replacement cylinder for my chair. Glad its still up. Thank you

[@johnswartzkoff8170]

Props for this, blood and all. Especially that, really. All the professional videos on this topic are obviously staged, in that they've previously freed everything up in order to get the shot or were using a chair so new that the cylinder would have been unlikely to have failed in the first place. Seeing you pound on it from the top and eventually succeed gave me the courage to soldier on and get it done on the bottom. Which all sounds a bit obscene, but whatcha gonna do? After many failed attempts based on the concept of a few strong taps (whatever that means), I sprayed it with penetrating oil and let that sink in for a while. Then I came back and pounded on it, carefully, with the side of a hammer, as recommended by the manufacturer. Just when I was starting to worry that I was going to damage the cylinder, it came free. Then I did the same on the top portion and went at it with a pipe wrench. Eventually that gave too. I leave this comment mostly to affirm that it can be done, because I was doubtful at points. I do almost all home and automotive repairs myself, but I know little about office chairs. Theoretically, anything built can be dismantled, but manufacturers have been known to complicate matters enormously to encourage replacement over repair. This, however, can totally be done, it's just harder than one would think. You might have to use levels of force which you would think might destroy the thing. It most reminded me of a corroded bolt in an old car, only this isn't necessarily about corrosion. It wasn't in my case. I'd guess it's more about distortions in colliding surface materials mating together under the force of one to two hundred pounds sitting on it for years at a time.

[@ICEcoldAryan]

1:38 Man is literally bleeding but still continuing the tutorial. Hats Off man!

[@rayoh2011]

Over 1 million views for replacing an Office Chair Gas Cylinder, Good Job!

[@HoustonsInDallas]

This is AWESOME!! been struggling with my chair for the better part of a year.. Pulled up your video, and resolved my issue within 5min with a hand saw, and an old vacuum cleaner extension pipe.. Thanks man.

[@paulm.7422]

If your chair does not need to be continuously adjusted for different heights (as in my case), a much cheaper and permanent solution is to just take a small length of correct-diameter PVC pipe, cut to the correct length and slipped over the upper column. This will prevent the chair from ever sinking down. I had a spare piece of 1.25" white PVC irrigation pipe in my garage. After cutting and sanding, I sprayed it with Rustoleum Black gloss paint. It's a perfect match and the chair does not budge!

[@williamhou8892]

Thanks! I didn't know cylinders could be replaced! Not only does it save money, you can also keep the chair you like! But unfortunately I found out this video after I got a new chair. Damn it. But I think at least I can replace the old chair's cylinder to make it work again, not throw it out. I'm sorry to see your hand bleeding. Take care.

[@knightrcer]

Thank you for making this video. This will come in handy tomorrow when my replacement arrives tomorrow. Made sure to check for the right size since they have 2 options for sizes.

[@lawrencehendricks8708]

Hello hightideblue, Thank you so very much for your video. I was having trouble with removing the old cylinder. Your video showed me exactly how to resolve my issue. Your video all showed me an easy way to get the cylinder out of the base at the wheels. All the Best!

[@imushavem7504]

For those with similar question, I had to use a hammer and a cold chisel to get mine out. If you have more patience, take it out side and use a penetrating oil like WD-40. Let it sit for an hour or so, then try hammering it out. Another option is to go to a thrift story and find an office chair for a new base or put the cylinder in it. You can get a chair for around $10 bucks. Buying a new base is $40 to $50. Oasis' brand cylinder comes with a tool to help get the top off the chair. Two clamps with 2 bots as a spreader. Works great. Best of luck.

[@MultiLatinjazz]

ur hand is bleeding man!! thanks for the video

[@Kmangod]

+MultiLatinjazz Real men bleed. Whoever heard of doing a project that involves hand tools and not bleeding....

[@perdaniel99]

+Kmangod No, clumsy people bleed.

[@XxsteamerxX]

perdaniel99 ahhh... battle scars

[@12centuries]

+kmangod, well, craftsmen for one. Measure twice, cut once isn't just about measuring and cutting. It's a philosophy of being deliberate and careful so mistakes are minimized. Carelessness about this concept is what causes thumbs to fly off the table saw

[@JohnLeaf]

if he bleed he didnt used safety standstands and its not easy lol

[@PrincessSakuno]

good lord i was wincing so hard when you were trying to hammer out the other end of the cylinder.... it just looked really scary from our angle becos you totally couldve hammered hard on your finger and it wouldve hurt so bad, also the bleeding on your finger omg this aside, it is a very helpful video. thank you, sincerely

[@cyrusaryan4271]

I really appreciate that, it really help me.I am sorry to see your finger hurts and bleeding ,God bless you

[@insulee5295]

Back pain relief chair

[@kntylox]

try using a pipe wrench around the gas lift just below the mechanism, a bit of leverage may be needed but you will get it out alot easier than hammering away at it

[@cody.meadows]

Nice clickers on the snowboard. My dad used to rock those back in the day.

[@Skyrat12]

Great video, sorry you got hurt but we appreciate your sacrifice to show us how it's done.

[@drummin2dabeat]

I actually enjoyed this DIY video. Screw the workbench, use a garbage can! Hits his finger, bloodies it up, doesn't even flinch. Cool cucumber. Lol. Totally made me chuckle. Now let me go bloody up my OWN finger!

[@martinslater381]

On chairs with a reclining action, the end of the cylinder may not be visible, you would need to use a pipe wrench to twist the chrome cylinder tube, the wrench will need to be "at least" a foot long to gain enough leverage. WD-40™ left to soak in should help.

[@guruprivatbahasainggris4496]

I watch it this 2024,, it is very useful tips. So sorry to see your thumb bleeding sir. Hope it alright. Thanks for the tips

[@AndyRossbach]

Very helpful. And sweet old school step ins!

[@santacruz01pca]

Thank you. That was extremely helpful and interesting! You did that whole thing with perfect skill -- teaching and technical. Most impressive. You're doing a very kind thing, HighTideBlue!

[@majinpvegeta]

Getting the cylinder off is much easier using a pipe wrench and WD40 (let it sit for a few mins).. then twist off.

[@dfsw]

I've had my chair for five years and a $20 pipe wrench from Walmart took less than a minute to remove the cylinder.

[@KR4iD751]

That's a fuckin' Deep Cut man, holy shit. Thank you for your service.

[@IncognitosRandom]

Thanks, I broke the metal piece lifting thingy so had to replace it. This video was very helpful.

[@bryanruddy5246]

A word to the wise, use WD40 to loosen it up. I worked on trying to dislodge it for about an hour, sprayed it with the WD and it came right out...

[@uj80s]

+Bryan Ruddy I did the same, now waiting for my replacement cylinder from ebay.

[@JohnLeaf]

good way to avoid bleeding

[@nobiku]

Thanks - this will really help me. I appreciate you taking the time to make and post this helpful video.

[@winimott4462]

Thanks for this. My dad died 3 weeks ago, and the gas lift in my chair died a week later. This will be my first furniture repair without him to ask how it's done (or him do it for me).

[@philipsanders8986]

Thanks for video. instead of buying a cylinder I used PVC pipe and slid it on since I sit all the way up

[@rpringle16]

FYI, I just did this myself and yeah the top chair part was really stuck on to the cylinder. Then I took a lighter to the metal around the outside, tapped it a couple of times and it feel right off. Physics for the win!

[@namolokaman2393]

Clever. You mean you heated the plate with the hole in it, which caused it to dilate a bit, is that right? Didn't that damage the black paint though?

[@cyclingviking]

You are a life, or chair saver :)

[@NickDDDD]

Thank you - you have the same design of chair as me! Totally gobsmacked when I found out about how to do this!

[@atkin207]

1. I used a dead blow hammer too. 2. I tried hitting the base plate but the gas lift broke in half with one half still attached to the base. (It was damaged at the time, hence why the need to replace it.) So I had to unscrew the base anyway but I couldn't hit it with anything as that side was covered with a back plate. So I used a bench clamp on the rest of what was left of the gas lift and did a wood block and hammer job on the base plate and after a few hits it finally came away.

[@SITVIDEO]

i just saw your video...then i fixed my chair ...thanks man

[@TecnoLuis007]

Good technique, congratulations. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@MrDrew864]

Be safe and watch this nice young lady! No Blood and gashes!

[@dabb4689]

thanks for this tutorial vid, its very informative and useful for everyone... have a good one!

[@S-Sacker]

10 years ago This vid is still very useful and hope ur doing well man

[@schafholt]

thanks for the vid! After 10min, i was able to reassemble a piston on an IKEA Malkom chair. Its Importaint to disassemble the upper part and punch the piston out of it, no matter what :-D

[@pouyapouya8948]

Ouch. I was very concern about your right thumb with the first hammering. Hope you are fine and thanks for the very useful video but please be careful of your self and safety first.Thanks,

[@HHH80]

Well I'll be John Brown🙃😗😯 I threw away a great seating chair last year because, I thought that gas cylinder was welded in place😕😨😰 Been had the new cylinder for about 5 years now. Will try this on this Good Will in the morning. Thanks for the vid💯😋

[@DarknessessB11]

Good tutorial going to try it. Got a nice relatively new ergo chair but the pneumatic cylinder is crap as it it settles down on its own.

[@mborowski2010]

I'm going to try using my gear pullers for the second part. The desk chair I want is $1800 for a Steelcase, so I'm just going to fix the one I have and buy the other one in a year from now.

[@nottyash100]

i watched another guy show a repair, that i used and was a lot simpler, just take the spring ring off the bottom of the cylinder, and use plastic pipe spacers from home DEPOT, APPROX INSIDE DIAMETER 1-1/8, I needed three about 1" long, works fine, no bashing and crashing. Your choice.

[@bluzfan09]

I appreciate this. I had my chair fixed in about 10 minutes

[@brucelansing6890]

Slide the base off . Measure the small shiny shaft up to the edge of the thickest part of the piston . Cut a piece of pvc pipe the same length. Slip it on ,put the chair back together. Practically free fix.

[@pagemaster36]

Thanks that trick worked like a charm I was trying to get the wheel base off because I forgot to put a piece in the middle on my new chair for looks I wasn't going to put it in but didn't want it sitting around for the next 5 years good chair hack.

[@rawmark]

thank you for this. your video makes the process much easier then i thought it would be. cheers.

[@jojorox7493]

That is really the only way to do it. All of the tutorials with pipe wrenches are bunk when they demonstrate on chairs that have never been sat on. Unfortunately my chair had three axis controls and the cylinder head was not exposed. I ended up having to buy a new control mechanism as well as the replacement cylinder. Also note that all warranty on chairs are limited and don't cover the most expensive pieces to replace.

[@JonathanHurleyDesignSolutions]

Hammered and hammered and hammered - just wouldn't budge.

[@adeolu7113]

It's crazy how there's a video for absolutely anything on youtube. My gas has gone on my chair and hey presto some1 can tell me how to deal with it ;-)

[@DarkCloudKState]

I know...awesome right

[@jojomarujo8704]

What a time to be alive if you're a DIY enthusiast eh?

[@jprocha816]

for the life of me I cannot get the star base off :( I'm starting to think it has adhesive

[@gman7644]

spray some wd 40 on it, let it sit for a while , worth a try

[@scary1273]

@@gman7644 you think he has been trying for 5 years?

[@dmhlam]

Is there a way to tell after taking it apart whether I need a new gas cylinder? I took the chair apart to replace the broken seat plate but now I'm wondering if I should also change out the gas cylinder.

[@staiboy1]

i used your idea it worked great much faster than the vid thankyou

[@ImperfectionistGaming]

After you beat the old cylinder out, can i reuse it on another chair? The cylinder i have is new, it just doesn't go up as high as i want the chair to go

[@KaramSahu]

you should consider twisting the rod using some pipe wrench for that second part to avoid injuries. Thanks Bravo. !

[@DavidBlaineFullerton]

Great video. Thanks. Will help me with a problem chair that I have.

[@lyndastarwriter]

Thank you for demonstration and easy breezy instructions...

[@gman7644]

great video, I was wondering how to do this, thnks Rambo

[@jnk1296]

My solution to this problem; WD-40 left sit for about 15 minutes, pipe-wrench taped to the cylinder shaft (to keep it from falling off) and whacking the POS with a 4-lb sledge hammer, full force (because who-ever came in before me, maybe the factory, put LOCTITE on it.)

[@kathyshapley6409]

Thank you! This worked like a charm!

[@AndreGalan]

Thanks for the video. Very useful!

[@whoisthisdaniel]

I'm watching this video 2am and do not even have a chair with gas

[@Mentorcase]

I have a chair and iv'e got gas !

[@spacesae8286]

Brilliant ! never thought about that.. you think it will hold for long ? i think ill buy something really reliable... many thanks.

[@amygavito3643]

Thanks for the video , just fixed my dental work chair,

[@BPWTUBE]

Hope your thumb is ok!! Ouch!! Thx for the video.

[@kenlancaster2690]

Every video misses the most important item to make the removal very easy. Purchase PB Blaster. This spray will allow almost any tightly set items to literally fall off. Spray around both of the insertion locations of the pneumatic tube. Allow the PB Blaster to be absorbed for 10 minutes. Tap on the base of the chair and subsequently the top of the chair base with either a steel hammer or rubber malet. No need to utilize pipe wrenches.

[@spacesae8286]

you think maybe i could remove the lower part, then insert some sort of a thick iron coil in the cylinder so that it wont collapse on my weight ? i dont want to replace the cylinder i just want my chair to remain expanded on its highest height. mine is broken, when i sit on it the gas cylinder wont hold and slowly go down.

[@Sergioarminibarra]

Thank you for showing us this

[@rlmaly]

Thanks and well done, but I found another method. I may have saved my thumb, as I saw what you did to yours. Tried to twist the top with a cloth and a pipe wrench to save removing the mechanism.

[@BrettStone_stl]

Thanks for the video. When you said you'd cut at 1:36 I didn't know you meant it in the non-editing sense. Go wash that cut -- we'll wait. :-) Wait -- does that mean you had a run-in with a flathead screwdriver?!

[@davidricardodejesussilva4106]

Wow, you got hurt. Does this always happen in this type of procedure with the swivel chair? Anyway, I liked your video.

[@joseoliveras9365]

Pipe wrench works great too. Just FYI

[@lisamalcolm8925]

I didn't realize the chair had to still be put together to remove the cylinder from the base. Do I need to put it back together so I can be removed at that angle? All I can do to try and pull it out is to put it flat on the ground.

[@gbswales]

I have a chair from staples and no matter what I hit it with from whichever side nothing is shifting the tube out of the base - I have taken a club hammer to it and it doesn't shift even by a millimeter. Out of interest took the fixing off the chair altogether and found that the part I need to hit to get the top of cylinder out is completely covered by the metal so that you cannot even see the end. I reckon the company that designed this chair have tried to make it almost impossible to repair

[@MikMichael100]

a pipe wrench..!?!..ha !! too funny dude..hey ya saved me a pain on a Nice chair for my studio..& yup, used any wrench or hammer available..! laughing on that while!! :)

[@HomerInNC]

lol, child yelling 'mama' at the end, youre probably thinking dangit!

[@amandarichard9362]

fucking warning

[@HomerInNC]

Amanda Richard ??

[@ForceGMs]

is all gas cylinder are the same size for all office chair?

[@mangmans]

God be thanked for the man who invented WD-40, I cannot express the frustration I just went through haha, I'm like well better go to youtube and do some research. Thank you for those who mentioned WD-40 comments. Mine was so stuck in there a vice better held it strong enough for me to twist with a pipe wrench. Seesh. . .

[@Niyoko1988]

I also have a gas cylinder change in ahead on my gaming chair. This video give at least some basic thing what should do even my chair model is different.

[@JONTHEDREAMER]

thanks man, i almost threw mine out the window! the hammer really helped ha

[@perigin3]

When you hammer the base to knock the legs/wheels off, does that damage the cylinder? I forgot to add the cover and I want to add it to make it look nice, but I dont need to replace the whole cylinder

[@StarTube2]

Thanks for the video .. it was useful

[@spacesae8286]

btw, when you replace it with a new gas lift... remember you needed to hammer the button part to remove it from the mount, its that well locked in place.. with the new gas lift how does it becomes very much locked in place ?

[@sexybiker928]

Thanks very much it's not as easy as it looks but did the knock from the button first before knock off the wheels but once that was out its was easy peesy.

[@guycollishaw1957]

I'm doing an engineering project that might involve a gas cylinder, but used in a bicycle work stand to lift and lower a bike with minimal effort... Does anyone know if there is a way to have a fixed weight - of nothing or a whole bike - that can be lifted AND lowered using a gas cylinder or something like a 'barber chair' sort of method? Thanks

[@shujathanwar]

thanks for making this video

[@williepierce3933]

I needed to take my chair apart to move it from my office to home. And I assembled it so long ago, I forgot all about how it goes together/comes apart. Thanks for the video! I got it apart just fine. But after several years with my fat azz sitting in it, some serious whacks were needed!

[@alistairpage-mcgill2723]

On my chair it's not possible to move the end of the lift arm off the top of the piston. Is it safe to hammer that, or should I just go with the pipe wrench twist method?

[@Makinja]

Good video. What does the replacement cylinder cost?

[@electrollama2127]

Google it.

[@funny1048youtube]

can you scrap these cylinders to use the pisons

[@extremeXmetal666]

You forgot to remove the blue cap on the top of the cylinder

[@fzz6716]

My chair base broke and the center black thing hits the ground now. Even the clip that holds the centre broke. I guess I have to replace the entire gas lift even though it's working properly. I can't seem to find the clip and washer seperately in India.

[@wwzz3821]

WOW! Really helpful video!! Thank you, sir!