Modify Lift Chair Stop Height

At home and in rehabilitation facilities, lift chairs are extremely helpful in assisting individuals to stand. However, some individuals have a tendency to keep pushing the UP button too much and dump themselves out of the lift chair when it gets too high and they slide off. The process outlined here is a way to modify the end limit of the lift chair's actuator so it stops at a height that is still assisting the individual in standing, but not high enough to cause them to slide out of the chair onto the floor.

The process shown here is a process, not a detailed set of instructions, because lift chair actuators vary in style, mounting position, length, assembly, etc. If you are not mechanically inclined, you have no business attempting this as you are required to think through your own setup, using this as a guide to help your thinking.

The exact tools you will need will depend on your lift chair, but it is likely you will need most of the following basic tools:

-allen wrenches

-star screw driver set

-wire cutters/dyke pliers

-zip ties

-phillips screw driver

-paper towels

Using the remote, adjust the lift chair to the desired height that will help the individual to stand, but not cause them to slide out. Then using a sharpie, mark the actuator shaft to reference that position. Then continue pushing the UP button until the chair is completely up. Mark the actuator shaft with a sharpie again and measure the difference between the the max height position and your desired height position. In the picture, you can see the distance is 5 and 1/8 inches.

Your measurement doesn't need to be similar to the one shown here. Actuators are set up in all sort of different ways in lift chairs. Just as long as you are measuring between the max height and your desired height, you are good.

Remove the pins at each end of the actuator. If there are washers, it is a good idea to snap a picture to help you remember how it goes back together when it is reassembly time. Follow the wires from the actuator and unplug wires until the actuator is free. There may be a zip tie holding the wires in place that you will need to cut.

Remove the cap on the end of the actuator housing. The U shaped end of the black plastic strip is visible in the second picture. It may also be a simple flat plastic strip. Either way, the switches that control the range of the actuator are located on that plastic piece.

Unfortunately, since there are wires connected to the switches, you can't just slide the plastic out from here, but must instead, free the housing enough to slide it out over the switches.

This step is the one where you must look at your own actuator and make your own calls on how to disassemble.

Generally, there are screws or bolts going back and forth holding the base housing together, which in turn locks the aluminum housing in place. Pay note to wire placement as you disassemble, as they can easily get caught between parts during the reassembly phase.

Once you start seeing gears, there will be grease, so have the paper towels handy.

For the one shown, the actuator had to be completely disassembled to remove the aluminum housing and access the limit switches. Hopefully this won't be the case for you.

Instead of unsoldering, removing the upper limit switch, and remounting it lower on the plastic channel or strip, and then resoldering the wires, it is simpler to adjust the switch's position by cutting out a section of the plastic channel or strip and moving that to the end, effectively bringing the upper limit switch closer to the bottom limit switch. This will cause the actuator to stop sooner, which is what you want.

Measure, mark, and cut out a section between the limit switches that corresponds with the measurement taken in Step 1. DON'T CUT THE WIRES. Move the switches closer together and place the cut out piece at the end. Carefully slide the components back into the aluminum housing, starting with the piece you cut out. Fold the wires to use up the slack so they fit in.

The length of the housing and the length of the bar match each other, so although the plastic pieces are separated and feel loose, the housing will hold them tight and together once they are all in. Taping the plastic channel or strip together to 'help' with the assembly more often leads to them not fitting as the space is very tight.

5 and 1/8 inches is the correct measurement in this case. It was accidentally cut at 6 and 1/8 and yes, I had to take it apart again to fix that. Measure twice with the correct measurement, cut once.

Put the actuator back together and remount onto the lift chair. Essentially steps 2-4 in reverse. If components are having a hard time coming together, look for caught wires. After you've put the actuator on the lift chair again, add zip ties as needed to resecure the wires.

When ready to test, hold the DOWN button and run the actuator all the way. After it stops, hold the UP button and run the actuator all the way. Run it back and forth between the two ends of the range a few times until satisfied it is all working properly. If the lift chair isn't stopping in the correct spot, something went wrong at step 5, whether that is in the measuring, the order, or the orientation of the switches.