Maintaining Your Wheelchair

Maintaining Your Wheelchair

Did You Know?
Guides

Congratulations on your investment in a highly sophisticated piece of mobility equipment. Your new manual wheelchair is shiny, new, and perfectly put together. It will help you get more done on your own, take you where you want to go, and allow you to live life to the fullest. There are probably a lot of changes happening in your life, and this one is sure to make a huge impact on its quality.

You probably have a lot of questions regarding your new manual wheelchair. How do you protect your purchase over time? How do you make sure your manual wheelchair keeps up with you over time? How can you best prevent injuries due to damaged parts? There is really only one answer to these questions: proper maintenance. Just like any other means of transportation, your manual wheelchair needs regular maintenance.

Staying safe and mobile

Regular maintenance will save your equipment, and help keep you mobile. Proper maintenance includes being hands-on with your new wheelchair in order to recognize when something is not right with it. Most catastrophic break-downs don’t occur in one instant. You will get warning signals if you’re looking for them, and the sooner you can pick up on those gradual changes the more successful you will be in making sure catastrophes don’t happen to you.

Information you will need

Before you start your maintenance schedule, there are some pieces of information regarding your manual wheelchair that should be extremely familiar to you. You will want to know the serial number of your wheelchair, or know where you can find it easily. This is particularly important if you need new parts from your authorized dealer. Also, you should be aware of the model of your wheelchair and the main components. This will make it easier to describe any issues.

Keeping a schedule

You are not alone in keeping a proper maintenance schedule for your wheelchair. Your owner’s manual should include care instructions that should be reviewed. Your authorized dealer will also be knowledgeable in wheelchair maintenance and repairs. In fact, any repairs or parts should be provided by your authorized dealer. Family and friends can also be helpful with maintenance tasks, and can even make them fun!

Below I have included some helpful charts that will make proper maintenance easy and clear. If you’ve found this information helpful, be sure to bookmark it to reference it later.

Weekly3 Months6 MonthsYearly
X Tire Inflation Level
X Wheel Locks
X Wheelchair Frame Cleaning
X Cushion and Backrest
X Axles and Moving Parts
X All Fasteners for Wear and Tightness
X Quick Release Axles
X Wheels, Tires, Spokes
X Caster Wheels
X Anti-Tip Tubes
X Upholstery
X Wheelchair Frame Maintenance
X Armrests
X Axle and Axle Sleeves
X Frame and Cross-brace
X Service by Authorized Provider
Tire Inflation Level
  • Air pressure in pneumatic tires should be minimum once a week
  • Maintain air pressure recommended on tire sidewall
  • If caster wheels are pneumatic they must also be properly maintained
  • Check for flat spots on solid or flat-free tires
Wheel Locks
  • Check that wheel locks are engaging properly
  • Poorly inflated tires will negatively affect the function of wheel locks
  • Badly worn tires will affect the function of wheel locks
Wheelchair Frame Cleaning
  • Clean your chair regularly
  • Use this time to locate any broken or missing parts
  • Use a mild, non-abrasive, cleaning solution and clean rags
Cushion and Backrest
  • Check for bottoming out in areas of high pressure loading
  • Check air or fluid inserts for proper levels and leaks
  • Check foam in cushion and backrest for disintegration of the foam
  • Check backrest mounting hardware for proper positioning
  • Check backrest hardware for ease of removing and mounting the backrest, if applicable
  • Wash covers as needed by hand only and let air dry
Axles and Moving Parts
  • Clean with slightly damp (not wet) cloth
  • Wipe off or blow away any fluff, dust, or dirt
All Fasteners for Wear and Tightness
  • Tighten any loose fasteners
  • Any screws that spin past the point of being tight need to be replaced, as they have been stripped
Quick-Release Axles
  • Clean with a slightly damp (not wet) cloth
  • Check that rear wheels can be easily removed and locked back into place in the axle plate
  • Tighten any loose or moving parts
Wheels, Tires, Spokes
  • Check handrims to ensure they are fastened securely
  • Check tires for any punctures or extreme tread wear
  • Check wheels for damage, broken, loose, or missing parts
  • Check for loose spokes using either the “ping” test, or manually feeling for loose spokes
Caster Wheels
  • Clean any debris accumulated in the front caster wheels and check for proper stability and play
  • Remove caster wheel from fork and clean out any hair or other debris that have built up
  • Check for excess tread wear
  • Check to make sure the caster wheel does not wobble when spun, and be sure they spin freely when free of any resistance (e.g. The floor, debris)
Anti-Tip Tubes
  • Check for any damaged, loose, or missing parts
  • Check for easy adjustability of anti-tip position
  • Check floor clearance is between 1 1/2” to 2”
Upholstery
  • Hand-wash
  • Drip-dry only
  • Check for damage or tears
  • Adjust for proper tension
    Frame of Wheelchair Maintenance
    • Protect frame with a light coating of non-abrasive auto wax
    • Check for damaged, missing, or loose parts
    Armrests
    • Clear of debris and wipe with a damp rag
    • Check for damaged, missing, or loose parts
    • Check functionality of the armrest, and make sure it preforms all intended functions with ease
    Axle and Axle Sleeves
    • Make sure parts are clean and tight
    • Make sure rear wheels can be removed and mounted with ease and securely
    Frame and Cross-brace
    • Check for any damage to the main frame and cross-brace
    Service by Authorized Provider
    • Complete inspection, safety check, and maintenance
    • To protect your investment, have all major maintenance and repair work done by your authorized dealer
    Nicole Regan, ATP Nicole Regan, ATP Accounting Manager Interested in more about this topic? Reach out today.

    Maintaining Your Wheelchair