Tilite scissor brake repair

[dewie27]

Hey guys. For all you who have had a spring break on your plastic composite scissor brakes how the hell do you loosen those button head bolts to swap the springs out? I did buy the special tool to install the new spring but I have no idea how to even get to that part. Here is a parts diagram and it's #9 and #10. Button head screws. Everything else is metric Allan keys on the chair but not this. I'm stumped and I'm pretty mechanical.
Link https://www.southwestmedical.com/rep...e-scissor-lock

[skippopotamus]

Hi Dewie, they're allen head too aren't they?
Like these
http://www.chromebolt.com/images/sto...Head-trans.jpg

[cfx]

mine are rivets and if you want them out they will need to be drilled. If drilling keep the metal cool or could melt the plastic

[dewie27]

I just took a flashlight to take a closer look and it's Rivits for sure. So after drilling them out what do you use to put it back together? Order the replacement bolts from tilite?? Wish they would give you a heads up before ordering the springs and tool.

[rlmtrhmiles]

They are rivets. They do loosen. They do break. The initially had some kind of design issue where springs were breaking all the time. If talking with them, they would replace for free. The free no longer exists. I have not had springs break, but the rivets still wear and then the scissor erodes in how it works. My suggestion is not let the brake continue to loosen. My guess is you can even "rock" the char with the brake(s) locked. That does more damage to the brake fast and I think you can also do damage to other parts of your chair with the brake locked. The things cost a fortune. I do like them. I do replace them. I am pissed at the cost of them and the short life they have.

[dewie27]

Yeah they snap all the time. It's the only failure I have with the chair. I like them and would get them again cause they are easy to lock on and off and not hard to reach but why make it sooo damn hard to change a spring. Looks like I'll order the button head bolts for both left and right sides and drill out the Rivits. At least then I can change em out each time they snap. Seems Tilite makes things harder than it should be. But I love the chair.