18x16+1 85 Degree TiLite TRc with Flip Up Footplate

[SCI_OTR]

This chair was spec'd out for a veteran who participates in the functional electrical stimulation walking program at the Cleveland FES Center. A rigid frame chair with a traditional footrest would have interfered with his ability to come from sit to stand using a walker.

His 18x15 Invacare A4 needed to be replaced, and we decided to go with this 18x16 TRc with an 85 degree front frame angle and a frame 1" longer than seat depth...



We requested TiLite's Designs Unlimited Special DU100035 to build the chair with an additional crosstube and a flip up adjustable angle one piece footplate. We also spec'd out a reinforced frame because he relies heavily on his armrests (so much, in fact, that the holes in the frame of his A4 had started to ovalize around the brackets)...



I'm pleased to announce that TiLite stopped using 3 narrow spacers on each side of the front casters. As a result, I will no longer have to order FrogLegs "wide axle kit" on future chairs. I did replace the 5x1.5 "Poly" casters with a set of 5x1.5 Frog Legs aluminum hub soft rolls. These are the next generation I saw at ISS. More aluminum has been milled out of the hub, and they are noticeably lighter as a result...


I issued the chair this morning and the veteran was very pleased with it. There is some irony to that since we configured this chair so he could walk away from it.

[totoL1]

I'm pleased to announce that TiLite stopped using 3 narrow spacers on each side of the front casters. As a result, I will no longer have to order FrogLegs "wide axle kit" on future chairs. I did replace the 5x1.5 "Poly" casters with a set of 5x1.5 Frog Legs aluminum hub soft rolls. These are the next generation I saw at ISS. More aluminum has been milled out of the hub, and they are noticeably lighter as a result...

I noticed when i saw the pic before start reading, and another thing that i noticed is that they are polished, Is that an option or you have to get them polished yes or yes?
I just order a pair of 4"x1.5" last week, but i don`think that they are going to be the new generation, they will be from the stock of my spanish dealer.

Remember have a look to your private messagers.

[SCI_OTR]

When I issue a new chair, I recommend that the user should clean the hair out of their casters monthly. I try to make the tasks I recommend as easy as possible, and it was hard enough to deal with 2 narrow spacers on each side, let alone 3 (I am still amazed how far those things roll when they are dropped on a hardwood floor). Since I ordered the wide axle kit for this chair, I went ahead and installed it.

TiLite's new caster axle hardware still uses a 10-32 thread Phillips head truss screw. I'd prefer a button head cap screw that takes a 5/32 Allen wrench, but I can live with their standard hardware on future chairs.

I didn't do any polishing of the hub. As I mentioned the weight difference is noticeable, and I will probably upgrade mine as soon as I know Sportaid is out of the previous generation 4x1.5's.

[Brianm]

Excellent stuff SCI.; I was particularly interested in this chair as it darn near mirrors the TR I plan to order, I am planning another 1/2 inch in the front stf; I even plan on getting the 5" poly wheels and replacing them with the excact castors you did.

What COG did you guys go with?

I was supposed take delivery of a demo ZRa last Thursday but the rep. was sick, so the plan is this Tuesday.

As always, thanks for posting!

[Katja]

When I issue a new chair, I recommend that the user should clean the hair out of their casters monthly. I try to make the tasks I recommend as easy as possible, and it was hard enough to deal with 2 narrow spacers on each side, let alone 3 (I am still amazed how far those things roll when they are dropped on a hardwood floor).

No kidding! I almost lost one down the heater vent this morning. It astonishes me that no one's come up with more idiot proof design that can be easily disassembled, cleaned and reassembled.

[SCI_OTR]

Excellent stuff SCI.; I was particularly interested in this chair as it darn near mirrors the TR I plan to order, I am planning another 1/2 inch in the front stf; I even plan on getting the 5" poly wheels and replacing them with the excact castors you did.

What COG did you guys go with?

I was supposed take delivery of a demo ZRa last Thursday but the rep. was sick, so the plan is this Tuesday.

As always, thanks for posting!

It was around 3" at the time of the pic and I thought it seemed front heavy. He got in it and went back on the anti-tippers with just a light push off the handrims! We moved the axle back about 1/2". It was still very tippy. We moved it back yet another 1/2" before we found a good balance for him. Note the COG measurement is roughly the distance from the middle of the triangular camber tube clamp to the center large button head cap screw that the backrest hinge latches on to. It would be easy to underestimate the COG by looking at the distance from the camber tube clamp to the vertical segment of tubing at the back of the frame (yellow line). It can be deceiving on this frame.

[Brianm]

I am curious how you came to know that is where they measure COG from? As you suggest, I would have assumed it would have something to do with the vertical frame bar.

Do you know the height of that ridged back and the angle it is set at? I am curious if the "tippyness" for him at the 3" setting was due to how tall he sits in the chair. Your thoughts? I know you are tall, but some are longer in the trunk, as you know.

[SCI_OTR]

I am curious how you came to know that is where they measure COG from? As you suggest, I would have assumed it would have something to do with the vertical frame bar.

Do you know the height of that ridged back and the angle it is set at? I am curious if the "tippyness" for him at the 3" setting was due to how tall he sits in the chair. Your thoughts? I know you are tall, but some are longer in the trunk, as you know.

Since I know the specs of chairs I have ordered, I've gotten out the ruler and measured between various points to find out what would be a good reference point on the chair instead of the hypothetical line at the front of the backrest tube which is shown on the order forms.

All I can say about the 10"H fixed hardware JetStream is that the top of the titanium tubing is 12"H and the clamp is about an inch below that.

[Brianm]

Ok, it looks like the back is about 5-6" above the post, so 17 to 18" would be a good guess. Thanks.

[SCI_OTR]

Ok, it looks like the back is about 5-6" above the post, so 17 to 18" would be a good guess. Thanks.

BTW, I ended up remounting the caster in the bottom hole of the fork and maxing out the back angle for him to feel stable with the fixed hardware JetStream. Anything more and I would have had to come up with a plan B. Just something to think about when choosing a limited adjustability model.

[Brianm]

BTW, I ended up remounting the caster in the bottom hole of the fork and maxing out the back angle for him to feel stable with the fixed hardware JetStream. Anything more and I would have had to come up with a plan B.

So you set the back angle to 101 degrees and added 1/2" of more dump? Am I following right? So the chair is now 19.5 stf in the front?

Just something to think about when choosing a limited adjustability model.

I assume you mean if you had a ZRa you could lower the rear stf?

[SCI_OTR]

The STF is indeed 19.5 in the front. I'm guessing the backing was 101, but it seemed to be less.

[Brianm]

I could easily slide into that chair. My back is currently set at about 100 degres. In experimenting with getting me lower into the wheels I have lowered the back of my chair, which tilts the whole chair. The back isn't adjustable so I can't bring it back forward. Unfortunately it tilts the feet more to and I was already a 60 degree front.

I recently broght my chair back up a bit, concerned I may get too used to the 100 degrees, but it hurt my lower back when I did so, so I dropped it back down.

[Brianm]

Looking back at this chair SCI_OTR, it seems to have the same amount of bar out front of the upholstery as mine.

This led me to look closer at my chair and I am thinking it is indeed 16 +1. If I look at the bottom side of the frame bar, I can see where the indention of the bar is for the start of the bend and it is exactly 1" past my upholstery. (If they used mandrel bending this would be much harder to determine.)

Also, from revisiting this, I read where you say to measure for COG on the TR, I have wondered where I settled on, it appears to be about 2.5".

Old posts like these are so helpful.

If doing it over, I would either go with an 85 degree front, being I have the +1, or I would stay with 80 degree and not add the +1.