How to maintain your wheelchair in 4 videos

Looking after your wheelchair could help prevent troublesome breakdowns and keep repair costs down. So put on your tool belt and pop the kettle on as one YouTube user has put together a short series of videos demonstrating how to look after your wheelchair and do basic repairs to save you money.

Brian was paralysed after a motorbike accident in 2009. Following recovery Brian has created a YouTube channel on which he share his experiences and advice for living with a spinal cord injury. I recommend a thorough visit to his YouTube channel to see the range of videos he posts, but right now we’re going to look at the ‘Wheelchair Maintenance’ videos which by the way deals only with maintaining manual wheelchairs. In order of appearance they are…

1. How To Apply Paint Protection To Your Wheelchair

Knocks, bumps and scratches to the paint work all contribute to a beaten up looking frame and increase the risks of corrosion to the metal. In this first video Brian talks the viewer through a clever method to protect the frame.

It looks a little bit fiddly but I expect that it’s just a question of getting used to it.

2. How to repair a flat wheelchair tyre

The title of this video is self-explanatory, but the process of actually changing a tyre may be less so. In this video Brian talks you through it in simple and succinct steps.

3. How to replace wheelchair bearings

Wheelchair bearings will get worn and used up sooner or later. You can often hear it as the make a lot of noise when you’re moving or they can cause the whole wheel to seize up. Video three sees Brian teaching us how to change used bearing on your wheelchair.

(NOTE: this apparently requires a heat gun which not everyone has and everyone should handle with extreme care with. Never let the nozzle make contact with any part of your body).

4. Adjusting your wheelchair centre of gravity

The centre of gravity determines how far back or forwards the wheels will be set. This affects the chances of the chair tipping and the confidence of the user. Brian starts out by pointing out that the way to change the centre of gravity will depend on the type of chair you use and the manufacturer’s manual should be consulted. Nevertheless, here are Brian’s steps to doing it yourself.