How to Fix an Office Chair That Leans Back One Side & Forward?

Office chairs are supposed to be a source of comfort because you have to continuously sit on them for hours, but if they fail to serve their purpose, isn’t it a misfortune? So, do not worry. This article will guide you all about how to fix an office chair that leans.

Office chairs that lean back allow you to recline and keep you comfortable, but it will trouble you a lot if the leaning limit crosses. That is why you may know the essential details to fix an office chair that leans back or an office chair that leans forward.

It is also important to acknowledge that you cannot always buy a new chair; that is why you may fix the old one on your own. You have to sit for around eight hours or more, in some cases on the office chair. So you need the utmost comfort as it also affects your health.

The office chair leaning to one side can cause severe damage to your back which you cannot even imagine. Such damages will lead you to body aches like neck, shoulders, lower and upper back pain, hips, and other joint pains. So rather than suffering from distress, it is better to fix the disturbing or broken chair.

4 Best Ways to Fix Office Chair Tilt To One Side & Forward

testing the chair

1) How to Repair Office Chair Casters?

  1. Pull out the wheels with the help of your hands. If it is difficult to do so, you can use the screwdriver for popping out the caster. Insert the head of the screwdriver into the joining point of the wheels and the chair. Move it back and forth to separate the wheel from the chair.
  2. If the casters are secured with the screws, you can loosen them with the help of the screwdriver. 
  3. Pulling out the casters is comparatively easier than fixing them back. So you can use a lubricating spray on each socket of the wheel. Lubricating will make it easier for you to insert the new casters back into the sockets. If you do not have the spray lubricant, you can rub a small amount of petroleum jelly such as Vaseline on the stem of the wheels.
  4. Firmly push the casters into their sockets, but if they are not secured, take the help of a rubber mallet. Strike the rubber mallet very lightly on the casters till their stems are fully attached to the socket.
  5. Sit on your office chair, roll here and there, and if this happens smoothly, without the chair leaning, you have done an excellent job! However, if it is still a leaning office chair, you know the next thing to check: the black seat plate!
Repair Office Chair

Sit on the Chair:

The first step towards fixing your wobbly desk chair is to sit on it. When you sit on the chair, you will examine the fault and whether the chair is tilting or leaning to one side. With this examination, you can then proceed forward towards repairing the chair.

Testing the Casters:

Flip the chair over so that the wheels are facing the ceiling. Usually, the chair becomes faulty if one of the wheels is broken or damaged. Turning the chair upside down, you can spot that one chair tilting the chair and ruining your comfort.

Look for a new and matching set of the casters to replace them with the damaged ones. It would be best to ensure that each caster is in complete contact with the floor to avoid excessive leaning. Overturn the chair again, so the castors rest on the floor and test the replacement by sitting and moving slightly. Apart from damaged wheels, the seat plate can also be one reason for the office chair leans back.

2) How To Fix the Black Seat Plate?

  1. There is always a black seat plate underneath every office chair, consisting of several screws, the hydraulic lever, and the adjustment lever. First, tilt the chair on its side on the floor and see any loose screws on the seat plate. If there are, tighten the screws with a screwdriver or even a wrench. Some screws might also be missing in some cases, so you can add new screws in the missing holes.
  2. Make sure that you tighten the screws properly and fix them in the correct positions where needed. Flip the chair back to the original position, sit on it, and test if the office chair leans to one side or not.
  3. If the screws are fine, usually, the black seat plate itself is damaged. At times, the office chair leans back too far because of the deformed black plate. Note if the metal of the seat plate is bent or has dentations in it. At times the screw holes are also not symmetrical, which disturbs the balance of the chair.
Fix the Black Seat Plate

Try to fix the impaired black plate, and if it is of no use, then the simple solution is to replace the damaged seat plate with a new one.

3) How To Fix Office Chair Leans Forward with New Black Plate?

  1. Again by using the rubber mallet, tap the seat plate with one hand and hold the cylindrical rod that connects the seat plate with the casters with the other hand. After tapping the seat plate, the plate will be ready to pop out for replacement then, as the cylinder and the feet also come out. Remove all the screws and take out the old seat plate.
  2. Now is the time to fix the new seat plate. All you have to do is place it correctly and fix it with the screws. Keep rotating the screws clockwise until they are tight and secure.
  3. The next step is to attach the cylinder and the feet. Place the lower half of the chair on the floor. Bring the upper half of the chair over it and press it with full force.
  4. If the forceful pressing is not sufficient, again, use the spray lubricant in the socket or the petroleum jelly in a fingertip-sized amount and rub it on the stem.

Now, you can test the office chair again and see that it is finally free from leaning or tilting!

4) How to Fix a Wobbly Desk Chair in a Few Steps?

  1. Disassemble the entire chair fully that is to open all the parts of it.
  2. Fix the armrests and the back according to the alignment of your arms and the spine.
  3. Replace the old set of caster with a new one and adequately fix them.
  4. Assemble the chair back wholly and carefully. 
  5. If there are any missing screws, fill the hole by inserting the respective screws. 
  6. Tighten any loose screws by rotating the screwdriver in a clockwise direction.
  7. Replace the old damaged black seat plate with a new one accurately.
  8. Test the fixed chair and if you are successful, enjoy the new comfortable experience on your office chair.
tightening the screws

Our Notable Suggestion

Unfortunately, if all these processes of fix office chair leaning back still do not help you get rid of the leaning chair, you may have to prefer buying a new office chair then. Going for a new chair after struggling to fix the chair will help you to save your time and money if there is no positive outcome of all the steps towards improving the leaning office chair. 

We hope this article came to be of your benefit. Hopefully, you are not confused anymore regarding how to fix an office chair that leans back and forward.

As said earlier, an office chair must be of your comfort to accommodate you sitting on it and working for more extended periods. Thus, you may try the above steps to repair an office chair that leans forward.

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