Thank you for a clear and useful video explaining how to "trouble shoot" a recliner. This will give me the needed information to lubricate my beloved - but increasingly noisy - recliner.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155, The title of this video should probably reflect that this is a 20 year old recliner at time of video posting. I don't know how many 20 year old recliners are still usable nowadays but probably not very many ( Certainly not in my house between my heavy rocking wife and the dog that occasionally shares the chairs). The mechanisms found in more recent lazy boy recliners are somewhat different than what is shown here (and overall build is not as robust in my experience, having worn out several of them). My wife rocks constantly and she can make any chair start squeaking in 1 or 2 years, if not sooner. By the way I would not recommend ordinary 3 in 1 oil because it contains a polymerizing agent that is designed to congeal the oil into a protective film. great for bruise venting rust on tools and firearms but not so good for long-term lubrication. 3 in 1 does make a motor bearing oil that doesn't polymerize and that might be a better choice ( or just use synthetic auto engine oil). Although, I oiled the glider-bearings of my wife's chair yesterday and still didn't get all the noise out.
@@goodun2974 - The method for determining if mechanism lubrication is necessary is the same regardless of the recliner's age. And you can use any lubricant you like.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Hi, My Lane Recliner is making a grinding noise when I use the lever to open it (long lever, not the small recessed one). The other day when I turned it over to inspect it I found a piece of a hard plastic washer, with a raised edge on it, on the floor underneath. Do you know where this would have come from? I live way out in the boonies and no one near by to fix it. I can do it myself if I know where to look and where to find the part. Thanks.
Thanks for quick video, if my recliner footrest not opening easy when left the side lock and need to pull footrest by hand to open , when i check the foot rest like stuck on sides material not mechanism but mostly because of foam or something, how to fix this
Hi Recliner Repair Guy, Thank you for all of the great content. I have a question unrelated to this video. How can I adjust the pitch of my La-Z-Boy Crandell Rocker Recliner? When I sit down in it, it rocks back to its limit and my feet can’t touch the floor. I have to rock back and forth, use my arms to pull myself up, and throw my body weight to get out of the chair; it’s a real struggle. It has been like this since day 1. I have found a video online showing how to adjust the pitch on another brand, but am unable to locate any instructions for La-Z-Boy.
@Daniel Downey - The adjustment is minimal and most people will not notice any difference. But if you want to try it, see --> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-syEFBysw8Ic.html Be sure to see the first comment on the video page as well as it is an important correction to the procedure as described in the video! You may have a problem that's not related to the pitch or how the chair functions. See this video for more ---> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-afdeV9S4zwc.html And finally, if you bought the chair new with full warranty, you should always report such problems right away so they can be resolved for you! ;)
Great series on recliner repAIR...THANKS. My Lazy boy creaks with the slightest movement when reclined with the footrest up but doesn't creak when the footrest is down and rocking. A check shows "sawdust" where the frame and the rocker block butt against each other. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I subscribed. However I don’t see a video on how to repair the back of a recliner that breaks at the mechanism. So the back of couch where it meets the frame is broken. Any help would be great. Love your videos thanks for the knowledge!
Hi! Mine is not wanting to do the gliding back into full recline. 😕 What now? I am looking for anything bent, broken or off ot needs grease. 🤔 When I sit on it and lean back and try to use a foot rest and force it back it will not go into full recline. But when I haven't just mantled in on my floor I my floor I can shove it back with both my hands if I do it evenly on both sides command them pull it back in the same manner they manner but it's pretty stiff.
@Cheryl Hamilton - If you happen to own a La-z-boy, there's a tension adjustment for that. For other brands: If the chair used to fully recline smoothly, but does not now, there may be a bend in the mechanism or loose hardware that's causing the problem. Have a repair tech check it out.
Hi recliner Guy, I have 2 barcolounger fabric recliner chairs.The mechanism has no side arm or release button.Theu are very stiff to operate.There are no twists,bends or obvious mechanical failures.We've tried WD-40.. very slight improvement but still difficult
@Jimusmc0311 - If the chairs worked smoothly & easily at one time, obviously something has changed. If it's a lubrication issue, the mechs can take some time to loosen up. Make sure you lubed all pivot points. You can work the mech back & forth by hand a number of times to speed up the process. However, if lubrication does not solve the problem, there's a problem with the mechanisms. The 2 most common causes are that parts are loose -- where they fasten together or where they mount to the chair frame -- or some of the parts are bent. Bends can be slight and hard to spot. The remedy for this problem is to install new mechanisms, if they are still available.
I have and old recliner, much alike the one on this video. All the mechanisms work fine, the lever is soft and footrest firm. But when I rock, it squeaks like crazy. It sounds like a wood squeak, tho. Is there a fix to it?
@Ezzequiel2517 - Some noises are easy to fix, while others can be extremely difficult to eliminate. To learn more, see the video 'Squeaks & Creaks - What You Should Know' on the ReclinerRepairGuy.com website.
I have a recliner from Conns. It is about 1 year old. I have never been able to put the footrest down into the locking position. It is a manual recliner. Is there anything that can be done to make the closing mechanism easier for me to put down the footrest?
@Vicki Cowan - Sorry, I'm not familiar with that store or brand. It sounds like you have a cable-activated model that requires you to close the footrest with your legs. Normally there is no adjustment for the footrest tension. But you can check with the seller to make sure. Call & ask them to send a repair tech out to take a look.
Is mineral oil the only lubricant that should be used? I also saw Silicone spray on another site. Does it depend on which part of your rocker/recliner is squeaking? Mine is only 14 months old. Same brand as mentioned here. I’d rather fix it myself if possible than pay to ship it back.
@Rob Polaris - You can use any lubricant you like. I don't use sprays because there is always overspray. And I don't use anything that will drip, because drips can stain your flooring. That's also why you should put down a protective layer -- plastic, etc. -- in case you apply too much or the lube is thinner than you expected.
I have a 2012 lazy boy recliner that has a lot more resistance when leaning back then I remember. The footrest mechanism looks similar to yours, and he even has a sort of ratchet in the elbows of the scissor arms to hold in two partially opened positions, surprisingly the foot rest is working perfectly still. However, there's a separate mechanism that allows the base of the chair to slide forward on rails while the backrest reclines. It even lifts the seat of the chair a little bit as you recline all the way. This is not activated with the lever that does the foot rest, you just lean back and let it do its thing. Recently it's been giving a lot of resistance when leaning back and then suddenly gives way in the last few inches of travel. I looked underneath, and the best seem to be a lot of noticeable wiggle in most of the linkages in this mechanism, and it really feels like something's ground down every time I lean back. Is there any hope for this mechanism? Aside from your general troubleshooting tips, is there any common point of failure if you are familiar with this model? I would really appreciate it, I'm a student and I can't really afford to replace this.
@burkejohnson4539 - You can try adjusting the tilt-back tension ---> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eGYS17hvOzY.html Or replace the Seat Swings if you observe damage to those parts ---> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jzN1x5jZ-gA.html Also, when Seat Swings come loose from the Arm Frame they're attached to, that also can also cause back-tilt problems or failures.
Great videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have recently purchased a leather rocking recliner from Lazy Boy. The chair is making a crackling noise in the side and bottom of the chair. It almost sounds like wood is cracking as I rock or recline. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
@John Stanley - If your recliner is less than 1-year old, it should be covered by warranty (unless you bought it "as-is"). Contact the seller to report the problem. Some noises can be easy to resolve, while others can be much more difficult. To learn more, see the video, 'Squeaks & Creaks -- What You Should Know' over at ReclinerRepairGuy.com
Great vid. How about one on squeak banishing? I have a rocker, recliner, glider that is the sweatiness thing ever. Just hate it. Any tips on lubing this lazyboy would be greatly appreciated as I'm ready to burn it. Thanks.
@John Walker - Repair parts for a chair that old are not likely to be available today, especially for the reclining mechanism. However, there are a couple of standard parts that have been produced for decades that that may still work in your chair, should you need those. Some Rocker Springs, Seat & Back Springs are pretty universal and may still work.
@jim mccauley - I'm not an expert on wood products. But in my opinion, if the OSB frame is the same thickness and constructed in the same manner as the plywood frame, AND the plywood is of good quality, I think plywood is better. However, if the plywood frame is thinner and a lower grade (poorer quality), I'll take the OSB for better frame strength.
I have been watching your repair videos..I just got a new La z Boy Neal rocker recliner. I have noticed that when I rock it is squeaking .Is there anything that I can do myself to get rid of the squeak or does it have to go to repair shop.I have had it 2 days?
@Al Marks - Squeaking, creaking and other noises on motion furniture can be tough to solve. While your chair is new, I recommend you take full advantage of your warranty and allow the dealer to check it out.
@Roy Math Club - A lot of products will do the job. You just want to avoid those that will make a mess (overspray) and drip onto the floor. Lubricants that are thin & runny may drip. But they also do a good job of getting into those hard-to-reach areas. That's why it's always best to place something under the chair for a while, just in case.
My chair's footrest and the mechanism are ok but with the footrest up and the chair reclined it squeaks it that position and when I rock in that position. I have put oil on the mechanism joints and the visible springs but it still squeaks. I would appreciate any suggestions.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 My La-Z-Boy recliner problem is just like David Hudson's. I went to your site -- very impressed. I even joined and paid to see your Squeaks & Creaks video. You had some good comments there. Alas, it didn't really seem to help me know what my problem was and whether my problem was repairable. I had already done lots of oiling and tightness checks. I was at the 90% point you talk about in your video and dove into the rabbit hole. Guess what, I found the rabbit. That is, for those that don't know what I'm talking about, I found EXACTLY what was causing the metal scraping against metal and loud squeaking. I fixed it (maybe temporarily, don't know yet) with just a few pieces of masking tape. If someone reads this and wants to know more, I'll take a couple pictures, show what I found and where I put the tape.
@@Ezzequiel2517 I replied a few times a couple hours ago, but my replies weren't appearing or were getting deleted. Hmmm, maybe it's because it didn't like me including a link. So, try this ... delete the spaces in the following link (included in quotation marks), and replace the "dot" with a period. "imgur dot com / gallery / UlHXLUL ". There, I posted 4 pictures showing what I did. I hope that helps.
@jim mccauley - If the OSB is thick enough and fastened together properly, it does the job. It's really more about how much material is used & how it's constructed, rather than the type of wood. Virtually all mass-produced furniture companies use some type of composite wood product. As far as I know, La-z-boy still uses solid wood to build their seat frames, however.
@dino0228 - A lot of different lubes will work. The trick is trying not to make a mess & drip any lube onto the floor. When in doubt, put something underneath the chair to catch any potential drips.
I use Motor Cycle Chain Spray. It has great penetration and contains a tackifier to keep it in joints. A rag behind the piviot point and a light quick press is all you need.
I have a recliner with a pull handle in the chair seat that releases the footrest to recline. Recently my foot rest stopped going into the 'lock' position. Underneath there is a coil spring that is hanging loose and the 'hook' has been pulled open to almost straight. I can't seem to find the part of the mechanism this spring attaches to. I looked at all your available videos and did not find one that addresses this problem. From your experience can you give me a hint of what to look for in reattaching this spring? Thank you.
@Gary Hawkins - If you have a matching spring on the opposite mechanism scissor, you can check to see how it's attached. If not, the first option is to look for potential attachment points. Look closely for small "posts," cutouts or other areas along the metal mech & scissor where it may have been attached. Close inspection of these areas should reveal some wear where the spring hook has been attached. Usually a very tiny spot where the black paint on the mech has worn off. Another option is to contact the manufacturer or dealer for a sketch that shows where the part is attached. Or, if the recliner is still being sold, check out several at a local furniture store.
Creaking noise is coming from my manual recliner whenever I sit or use rocking function. Very disturbing. Please tell where exactly should I apply oil?
@lostsoul4317 - Creaking noises often come from wood bases & rocking parts. See this video to learn more ------> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6sARbJU_HQY.html
