My old recliner broke at a really bad time and I had to figure it out fast.

I was at home trying to relax after a long day when the footrest on my favorite chair just dropped with a loud snap. The metal bracket that holds the main spring had cracked clean through. I had to pull the whole thing apart right there in my living room. I found a similar bracket at a shop downtown for about eight bucks and used my socket set to put it all back together. Has anyone fixed one of these before and have a trick for lining up the new parts easier?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliviadixon14d ago

Ever had a bolt strip out halfway through a project? Happened to me with a lawnmower deck. Spent an hour trying to get the last one out. Ended up using a pair of vise grips on the smooth part of the bolt shank. Had to crank it so hard my hand hurt. Felt like a real win when it finally spun free.

jesse_barnes3714d ago

Ever try that with greasy pizza hands?

the_anna5d ago

Oh man, that vise grip trick @oliviadixon mentioned is a lifesaver for rounded-off bolts. Had a caliper bolt on my old truck do the same thing, totally smooth and useless. Ended up heating the thing with a propane torch for a minute first (just to break the rust loose, you know) and then clamping the grips on as tight as humanly possible. That combo of heat and sheer force got it to turn, felt like a total victory after fighting it all afternoon.