Thanks so much for posting this video. I had to replace the paw and pawl rack on my 2005 La-Z-Boy Recliners. It is truly amazing that they even lasted this long. The La-Z-Boy Factory sent me three replacement assemblies for only $15 total. All I had to do was provide chair serial numbers (ACK numbers) off of the original chair tags. Thank goodness I recorded those numbers on one of the La-Z-Boy owner's books because all of the original ID tags were removed when we had the chairs reupholstered. The 1.5" x 0.25 blocks definitely did the trick on reattaching the base. There was no need to tap the new pawl racks. The self-tapping original screws worked just fine. It took me about one hour per chair to do the repair. The only challenging part of the repair was restapling the leather near the interior of the recliner. PS: I called my original Lazy Boy store and they gave me a La-Z-Boy number in Michigan to call and get the parts. There is no need to buy parts off of ebay for an exorbitant price when you can get them, brand new, from La-Z-Boy for next to nothing. And, they came within two weeks of ordering them. As a footnote: I purchased two clips (pawl caps) off of Amazon for the pawl (a short term fix) . . . they didn't work at all and I returned them. Bottom line . . . get replacement parts from La-Z-Boy! I always wondered what those metal slivers were on my carpet over the last few years. It was those clips gradually falling apart. LOL
Thanks for this video. Last night I repaired our old lazy boy, not only saving a thousand dollars but also having the satisfaction of repairing something myself in what has become a throw away world. It is people like you making the world a better place by sharing your knowledge.
We recently purchased some la-z-boy recliners from 1997 online that were in great shape still. And had this exact same issue, so thank you! I had no idea where to start, and after seeing this video, I was able to order the part off Amazon and can now enjoy my la-z-boy recliners!
You made that repair so simple, thank you! The pawl and ratchet are guaranteed for life (my chairs are currently 10 years old), the company only charged a few bucks for shipping the parts. Curiously, my bride had found that hardened pawl tip in the carpet years ago (or the vacuum did) but nobody knew what it was. She had an 'ah-ha' moment when you showed it in the video. She'd saved it all this time just in case. 😄
This video was everything I needed! Thank you SO much! After watching this, I figured I needed to order a new assembly. However, I noticed the spring which attaches the pawl to the arm, was missing. I happened to have a small spring from a pack of drum brake hardware which fit. It probably has a bit more tension than the proper spring, but it has completely fixed the collapsing issue. The pawl and rack are in good condition. On a side note, the bang you mentioned at the end, I thought was a sign of wear. I'm glad to know it's normal. However, since replacing that spring, the bang is gone, and releasing the lever is basically silent. Thanks again!
Thank you for saving my chair. Husband used your video to fix it several years ago and I’m still enjoying it. Simple and clear instructions, I got to keep my favorite recliner. And my Border Collie loves it too.
I replaced the ratchet and pawl on my lazboy following this video. Your instructions and video are so specific and clear I managed without any trouble. Thanks so much - it saved me over $100 to get a repairer to do it.
Great video. I'm elderly and I'm going to show this to my son and see if he can fix mine for me. I looked at new chairs and most are electric or have the button on the side, meaning you have to be strong to push the foot rest down, which I can not do. I need the handle. Your video seems so well done and explains everything in detail. Hopefully my son can find the time to repair mine. He is great with repairs so I think he can. Thank you so much for the video.
Great instructions - clear and easy to follow. I was able to replace the rack and pawl on our recliner based on this walk-through. Contacted La-z-boy and ordered the parts late on Tuesday, 6 October - just a $14.83 handling charge since the parts are covered by a lifetime warranty. Received the parts on Saturday, 10 October via UPS. Installed on Sunday. Installation went smoothly for the most part. A couple of the screws for the rack were very tight, but they were eventually removed. Installing those screws was again a little challenging as they were quite tight going back in. The end result was better than expected and the recliner is very quiet again. Very much appreciate the guidance - thank you!
Thank you! I bought a used la-z boy recliner to replace my other used la-z boy recliner, my "new" one would slide down randomly. thanks to your video I was able to take the parts out of my old one and put it in my "new" one! also thanks to another one of your videos about having difficulties getting parts, I decided to cannibalise that entire recliner for spare parts.
I just replaced the ratchet, with a new one, on one of my chairs. The holes in the ratchet were not tapped "No threads" so I had to tap them, 1/4-20 and the bit to remove the bolts is a T-30. Thanks to Recliner Repair Guy for the great videos!!
Thanks for this great video. After getting the pawl and pawl rack shipped from La-Z-Boy I was able to replace the parts this morning and the chair now fully reclines like brand new. The only problem I ran into was that the 3 holes in the pawl rack were not pre-threaded. I had to put the pawl rack in a vice and slowly turn the screws into each hole manually, by hand, to cut threads into them. Then it was much easier to tighten it in place on the chair.
Thank you for an excellent video on replacing the ratchet/paw parts. One of the easiest to follow video's I have seen in years. The step by step is very clear, clean, and easy to follow. The spacers for the rocker springs is an excellent tip. Wish I have thought of that the first time... I did not know that the paw had a hardend cap on it. So I removed it and built it up with some 8013 welding rod and the ground it back to angle...Of course here I am a few years down the road with the same problem...Going to track down the parts and do it right this time. Thanks again for the excellent video. Keep up the great work!
Wow! Thanks so much for this video & your knowledge. My 77 year old mom just received those exact two pieces from Lazyboy… you made it look easy, I’m gonna give it a try this weekend… very grateful sir
Thanks for making this video. It gave me the confidence to fix my chair. The wear on my pawl was exactly the same as in the video. I couldn’t find parts online so contacted La-Z-Boy and those parts are covered by a lifetime warranty. The parts cost $13 for shipping and it took me less than an hour to fix it. Thanks again!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Fixed mine for free. The furniture store owner gave me the piece no charge. The only thing I did was slide the wood shims in from the side instead of the ends. I used door shims,worked perfectly
Thank you Recliner Repair Guy. Your video was a great help when I replaced the pawl and gear rack. Did it just as you said and it worked perfectly. You obviously know exactly what you are doing. The tips on those shims for the springs shows you have done this a time or two. Thanks again for your help.
Thank you so much for this video! My poor wife has a five-gallon bucket holding up the foot of the recliner, and has to crawl out of the chair with great effort when she gets up. With your help I should be able to fix this for her.
Thank you for all these instruction so clearly demonstrated! With your help we ordered our replacement parts and did the repair ourselves. I am grateful that my husband’s favorite 14-year old chair operates like new! He has no more sad face....so we are both pleased as punch!
YOU ROCK! I had no idea why my wife's La-z-boy kept slipping. It turns out that the "pawl cap" came off. One of the tiny tabs on one side broke off. I would never have been able to figure that out without your video. How did anyone ever figure this stuff out before TH-cam?!?
Thank you so much for this video. I was able to identify the mystery part I found under my chair ages ago (tip off the pawl), then correctly diagnose the problem and identify problem parts. I was able to get the parts under warranty from lazy boy. Just paid shipping. Finally got it all fixed today flawlessly because I watched your video. Thanks again!
Great instructional video! I ordered the pawl and pawl rack from ebay b/c I couldn't find them on the la-z-boy website. Got the parts today and it's fixed. Thank you!
*REALLY* well done 'how to' - TY for the time & effort to share this. I'm on a tight fixed income & must sleep in my recliner for health reasons, so being able to have my chair fixed for the parts cost is truly fortunate. Again, THANKS !!!
Thanks. We bought a nice used recliner and got it home and found this problem with it. Turned out just to be the blade part was worn. I took the old part off our old recliner and put it on the one we bought. Luckily they were a match. Thanks for your videos, they are great.
@womanofsamaria - You're welcome! Unfortunately a $190/hr labor rate means "we really don't want to work on your chair unless you throw a lot of money at us!"
I found a La-Z Boy recliner at a garage sale in what looked like brand new condition. It was vintage enough that it was made with a hardwood base instead of the particle board they use now. It looked like it had never been sat upon. The only problem it had was that the ratcheting recline wasn’t working. They wanted ten whole dollars for it. While sitting in my car at the garage sale I did some googling and found this video. Then I went back in and looked at the pawl. The steel tip had fallen off. I checked eBay and found a new part for $45. I told the seller at the garage sale I’d give them five dollars. I brought it home and waited for the pawl. I now have a beautiful and comfortable La-Z Boy in perfect working order for a grand total of $50. Thank you!!!
@reclinerrepairguy4155 - The two screws that hold the pawl mechanism in keep getting loose causing the ratchet to slip. Do you have any suggestions to prevent that? I’ve thought about drilling through the wood and using bolts, but there’s VERY little space where the nuts would be and the wooden floor.
@@marshallgatten6465 - The easiest thing to try is to plug (or partially plug) the hole with wood. Then run the screws in by hand until they have a good "bite" or hold. If the first attempt or two only pushes the pieces of wood to the side of the hole, add more as needed. I use slivers or chunks cut off of a hardwood dowel for the plug.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Interesting. I’ve done that to fix stripped holes (for door hinges in particular), but it wouldn’t have occurred to me for a hole where the screws are turning themselves loose in a hardwood. I’ll give it a shot!
What a nightmare dealing with the company! I had a wild idea to look for parts on Amazon and found them for a fraction of the cost. The two bolts that fasten the power rod were so tight I couldn't get them out but after an hour I did. Thank you so much for your videos, I saved $1500 doing it myself. Ex/aircraft mechanic.
You have very good info on all this stuff. You are very good with this. I forgot to put a wood rocker between the springs and upset because I couldn't match the hose with the wood. I then saw your video about how to put a new bottom on The Lazy Boy recliner chair. I saw you left one side of the spring up and then the other side and put a wood there. Thank you so much you are great
Thank you! I moved to a new house and somehow this piece was no longer connected to the seat. Luckily it just needed to be put back in place. Couldn't find it without you.
I am a 78 year old woman who uses her Lazy Boy every night to sleep in. Your video is wonderful! I know I'm not up to fixing my recliner, but that's one of the things that needs to be done to it. The other thing is that, as I rock, the chair sort of twists a little bit and starts bumping. It sounds like wood on wood. So I have to stop rocking and put my feet down on the floor while I twist/jerk the chair counterclockwise. It stays for a while, and soon I have to do it again. Repeat as needed!. Do you have a video on fixing that? I'll say what everybody else probably would like to say...I WISH YOU LIVED NEXT DOOR!!! Thank you so much for your video. At least I know what needs to be done to it. God bless you!
@Cookie - It's not unusual for rocker/recliners to have some side-to-side movement. But when parts start rubbing or bumping (& you're not over-rocking), you likely have some loose or damaged parts causing the problem. Have an experienced La-z-boy repair tech check it out. They can also check out your ratcheting recline parts while they're at it.
Thank you for the detailed video. I was able to fix a recliner that didn't lock with the footrest up - discovered that the two screws holding the pawl in place had pulled out of the wood. Good as new now!
Thanks for a very informative video. I was able get pawl and pawl rack from the area Lazy Boy outlet. My Lazy Boy was five years old but thankfully these parts have a lifetime warranty. The local furniture store where it was purchased had not advised of the warranty and was going to charge for the parts and labor. With your video I was able to do the repairs and that done the trick. I did observe the hardened metal piece was missing on the original pawl and it had two worn groves in it. Thanks again.
Great Video! Simple process once you know it. I ordered the 2 pieces from La-Z-Boy directly. No Charge! Under their warranty, just paid shipping. The only issue was the 3 holes in the new Pawl Rack were NOT tapped as required. It's a 1/4-20 screw. Tapped these and everything went smoothly.
Thank you for making these videos im in europe and where i live its hard/impossible to find local knowledge on how these work :) im on my third lazy boy in 20 years due to not knowing how to repair them, even had to order my current recliner from abroad since there is no local retailer anymore. Your videos helped when i installed the swivel since the instructions werent that great for someone that didnt know the names of the parts that it reffered to especially the spring removal and replacment was helpfull.
You have taught me a lot. My Chair still has the potential of remaining my favorite chair. I’m a stubborn 71-yr-old grandma and Determined DIY’er. I’ve had my chair upside down many times to replace screws, connecting rod, etc. The foot rest wouldnt stay up, and replacing the connecting rod fixed it. (It’s a swivel rocker recliner.) The problem ever since is that after I have it in a comfortable reclining position, it still rocks while I’m reclining in it. And when I stand up from it, the ratchet thing clicks a few times tilting it back some. Please tell me what I did wrong or left out or did backwards if you know exactly what’s wrong from my description. The chair cost a small fortune mostly because of the very nice leather covering it, and I’m not going to give up on it.
@fairydogmom - It sounds like you may have the parts that attach the Pawl (ratcheting recline lever) to the Drive Rod installed incorrectly. The Trip Lever & Swivel Lever are 2 parts that have to be in proper position for the ratcheting recline to work properly. Ok, there's a thin metal bar that attaches to the back of the Pawl. At the other end of that bar is where it attaches with a pin & clip to a small part on the Drive Rod. This small part also has a "collar" around it. It's this small part & "collar" that may be installed wrong. The best thing to do is to find another manual La-z-boy recliner with ratcheting recline & take a photo of how these parts are installed. The chair can belong to a family member, friend, neighbor or even the store where you bought your chair. Any La-z-boy will do. Be sure to note whether the position of the parts in your photo are with the footrest open or closed! Then replicate that on your chair. Hopefully this will get things working properly again.
My first two recliners I kept for 50 plus years before replacing the Pawl sub assembly and the Paul indentured metal mechanism they came in a set and I got them from the local lazy boy dealer where I purchased the two new chairs after fixing the 50-year-old chairs which I gave to habitat for humanity as the two chairs were inspected by them and had many years to go as I kept them in well maintained order including shampooing the cloth every 6 months and I did have the original papers as the original owner to get the free parts with the lifetime warranty on the metal parts. Couple of weeks ago I went back to the lazy boy showroom and the original closed its doors two and a half years ago because the owner retired. Here it is 2021 2 1/2 years for the new chairs and I had to replace the PAWL sub assembly and the indentured metal unit. My experience with the lazy boy's for 53 years has caused me to look at how that assembly is made and the hardened steel portion needs to be electrically welded and not clipped on. When that p a w l assembly is made and it appears that it's been used for at least 50 years a slight re-engineering would cause it to last the life of the chair. However, lazy boy in my opinion based on what I know having fixed several parts on that specific chair the part lasts longer than most people keep the chair. My first two lazy boys are in a new home and those folks tell me the quality of The originals 50 years ago were better and I would agree. Thank you for producing these videos on how to repair a lazy boy and the chair is very easy to repair and replace a part it only took me 20 to 30 minutes as I wanted to be very careful I did not cause any damage to my brand new chairs. Thank you for having a professional video showing customers how to do it yourself and not having to pay someone to do something that anyone with a 8th grade education can do with the proper tools. Your safety comment about hand starting the screws before using the power tool is spot on and anyone doing this kind of work and send themselves to the hospital and have lots of stitches not to exclude the pain and suffering.
This video was really informative and helpful! We were able to diagnose the problem and fix it very quickly thanks to this video! Thank you, Recliner Repair Guy!
My ratchet &pawl are still in good shape on this 25 yr old lazy boy ive got, My problem is the major "CLUNK" I get when releasing the pawl as mentioned in your video. Im on a 2nd floor hardfloor & ive had complaints from 1st flr and so what i did was 1: place a rug to help absorb sound. 2: lift up leg pressure as you push the release handle forward ( which is very counterintuitive). Saying this is normal operation to have a clunk sound is not kosher. I would think that the R/D dept @ LB would have an answer for this by now? They must have better designs? thanks for the vids Recliner repair Guy!!!
Great video, I am only a third of the way into it but I’ve already fixed mine. The ratcheting mechanism wasn’t engaging with the piece that is held by my failing wooden frame. Also, the background music is fire.
Thanks again for the video. The boys at Lazyboy comped me both parts and I just changed them. Didn’t need to take off the rocker bottom. 70 yr ol lady😃
So glad I found your channel! My old La z Boy rocks back fine and stays engaged but it suddenly won’t go back down when you close the foot rest. It stays engaged. How can I fix that?
@J W - Issues with the 3-Position Footrest can also cause that problem. Remove the back & turn the bottom of the chair over onto the floor. Now you can operate the mechanism & see what's going on.
Wow, I think this is the problem with my chair. Thank you for the video and now all I need to do is order the parts and find a nice man to fix it for me.
THANK YOU! for posting this video. My recliner was built in 2006 and has the ratcheting feature -- that is currently not holding its place. The ratchet appears to be worn, the pawl appears to be ok - not worn like the one you showed. Anyway, thanks for helping me troubleshoot!
I was relaxing in my recliner the other day when my 85 pound German Short Hair decided it was time for cuddles. She jumped up on the foot rest and the chair made a loud pop and the ratchet let loose and the chair dove down. Now I know how to fix it.
Bruce Thompson One thing I didn't see mentioned is that the holes in the rack are not threaded. The bolts that go into the rack thread into the rack itself. That means that the bolts actually have to cut the threads I wound up having to put the rack in my vise to hold it steady, then used my drill on the bolt to cut the threads. Much easier than leaving the assembly on the chair. Also, I found it easier to remove a couple more staples to get the fabric loose rather than cutting the fabric. But the overall instructions were very helpful and some of the little tricks (the wood blocks on the springs) made the job much easier.
Thanks a lot for this video!! 😊 Although my recliner's mechanism was not used like the one from your video, I did experience the lock not locking to the furthest point. It would reach it and lock at first, but then, even without moving at all, it would skip down one level suddenly. And it started to do this a couple of days ago, and hasn't stop since. I removed the back, flipped the seat, and examined the mechanism as you have shown, only to find the little hardened metal plate on the floor. the little sort of hooks on the sides that keeps it on are broken, so the plate fell. I wonder if that means that I need to buy a whole new pawl, or if the little plate can be purchased by itself. But anyway, it seems the plate is also important to keep the locks up to the max. On lower levels it seems to stay locked. Thanks again!
@Vincent Allain - The small metal plate is the Pawl Cap. It's made of harder steel & protects the Pawl (black lever) tip -- that rides on the stairs -- from wear. When those come off you should replace the Pawl, as the Pawl Caps are not available separately. You should also replace the Pawl Rack (metal stairs). It's likely that a couple of the stairs have become worn, causing the lever to slip when it comes to rest on the worn spot.
Thank you so much! Fixed my issue of it slipping, the ratchet was all worn down. I really wish LaZBoy would secure that flap with Velcro rather than 50 staples…
I called LaZBoy and they sent me the pawl and rack assembly for free, plus $14 shipping. There is a lifetime warranty for the mechanism @@springtheobald7876
I really enjoyed watching your video and was ready to order the parts and do the job myself. I even turned the base of the chair over and looked at the parts. But the more I thought about it the problem with my chair isn't ratcheting. The problem with my chair is when the lever is engaged to raise the footrest sometimes it gets "hung up". By dropping my leg on the footrest a few times it will "release" and the footrest can be raised. It sometimes does the same thing when lowering the footrest. I have noticed, however, that since having turned the base over it seems to be operating very smoothly. (Tempting the Fates!) What I discovered when looking at the pawl and ratchet is the pawl was not in the middle of the rachet but was over to one side of the rachet. Apparently, the pawl was actually falling off one side of the pawl and that was what was causing it to get "hung up." I moved the pawl more to the center of the rachet and at the other end of the pawl where it is attached to the drive rod I moved it over a bit too. From that description can you tell me if you think my actions may have remedied the problem I described? And do you think the adjustment is permanent or if it is going to reoccur? And...am I pushing my luck? LOL! Is there another repair that needs to be done to correct this situation? And an observation. Commenter Matt Ferguson said he couldn't find this part new anywhere online other than from au. I also found it at the au store. eBay had 4 or 5 used assemblies. By enlarging the pictures it was easy to see that the teeth on some of the rachets were worn but one, in particular, seemed very new looking. I started out with the dealer here in town but they were very discouraging because my chair is so old. The tag said the expected shipping date was in 1987! They told me that parts prior to 1992 were no longer stocked. But since then I've found on a website that the pawl and rachet will fit any LaZBoy chair regardless of age. But the dealer told me I'd have to contact the manufacturer. I almost gave up. That's when I started searching online. Thank you for reading this long comment and for any answers you may provide! PS: I have pictures of the underside of my chair.
@klesmiley - It's not uncommon for the Pawl to not be aligned perfectly with the Pawl Rack. However, if the Pawl is not making contact with both rows of the metal teeth on the rack, that suggests another problem. Have an experienced tech diagnose it for you. By the way, the 3-Position Footrest mechanism could be contributing to this opening / closing problem as well. And yes, the Pawl & Pawl Rack parts are still available for your chair. It's important to understand that some dealers will focus primarily on sales, and will not want to help people with parts or repairs. There's not enough profit in it for them. That's why they discouraged you... and misled you. This is not uncommon. To learn more about the ups & downs with trying to get replacement parts & repair service, see this video ---> th-cam.com/video/w8e6LZMxOvQ/w-d-xo.html Also, if you don't purchase mechanism parts directly through La-z-boy or one of their dealers, the parts are not likely to be new, and you may be grossly overpaying for those parts as well.
I enjoyed this video. It looked so easy I decided to try it myself. I worked for hours and finally installed a new pawl and rack. Sad to say it didn’t fix the problem. If you rock back and raise the foot rest it slips back. What now?
@TomCole-w5c - Something to check: make sure the Pawl is properly engaging with the Pawl Rack when the Ratcheting Recline is activated. To see what's happening, remove the chair back & turn the bottom of the chair upside down on the floor. Now you can operate the footrest & ratcheting recline by hand & see what's going on. If you're unable diagnose the issue, contact an experienced repair tech to help you.
OMG! Thank you SO much for this video! I was able to take the pawl from my broken la-z-boy (which was in perfect condition) & replace the grooved pawl on the la-z-boy that I use everyday. It works perfectly now & I couldn't have done it without this video! ☺
Do you have a video of how to fix a lob-sided foot rest on a recliner that ratchets out. The right side is lower than the left side and looks goofy. Otherwise everything else works great. if you have a video could I please get the link to it? Thanks for making these videos
@garysmith9767 - Sounds like one of your Leg Extension scissors is bent, loose or broken. If one is damaged, I recommend installing a new set & replacing both.
Awesome! Just what I needed to know! Had the chair upside down earlier today! Didn’t notice the condition of the bracket bit to the pawl bit (ratcheted?) that it can slip from. Forgotten the right words already! 😽
Thank you for this. I love my leather lazy boy and was afraid I was going to have to get rid of it. I found the pawl tip on the floor and didn't know what it was. I'm going to try to reattach it. Is that possible?
@Tracylynn - You can try reattaching the Pawl Cap, but it's not likely to stay on. It's easier to just the replace the Pawl. Also, if your chair is more than a few years old, the Pawl Rack (the metal stairs the Pawl rides on) is likely to have some wear. You can replace that now as well, or wait for it to start slipping when the wear becomes excessive.
This knowledge would have helped me so much in repairing a broken lazy boy i once had. And also in the slow destruction of said recliner to fit it in the garbage over time. Now I'm shopping for a new one. Looks like it will cost at least $1000 to get my butt a new rocker swivel. I could have fixed the old one :(
Side note, the first break was the handle. Went to local dealer and they pulled one out of a box and sent me on my way. One of the extra long ones too. Never asked questions. My chair was like 30 years old. That is service.
Great informative video. I bought ours new about 4 months ago and in the last week the rocker stopped locking when the foot rest was raised. Found that the bolt holding the pawl to the base had slipped out. The lock washer just isn't holding it. Is there a better method for this like using a threaded bolt with washers and a lock nut? Wondering what an appropriate size would be. Also noticed mine does not have the retention spring. Could that be the issue?
@Kenneth Hurne - Keep in mind that your chair should still be covered by warranty -- unless you bought it "as-is" -- and that the seller (dealer) is obligated to honor that warranty. There shouldn't be any lock washer, unless they've changed the design on some of their new chairs. Someone may have attempted a repair and failed to do it properly. Not all Pawls come with the extra spring. If your Pawl is engaging and releasing properly everything's fine.
Excellent video. I was able to fix my chair. The two screws holding the pall (not sure of spelling) to the bass were lying on the floor. I think it will need a third screw since the holes may be partially stripped. But the chair is now working and I understand how to fix it. Thank you!
Have a question about lazy boy chair mine when I recline it my feet are so high in air I can not get out of it. My weight is around 300 bought chair new from lazy boy dealer in Toledo . I cant figure out whats wrong with it. Do you have any Ideas.? Thank you.
I replaced the rack and pawl on both our recliners thanks to you4 TH-cam videos. You are a great teacher. Thank you so much. I hop3 you can now help me with another problem. I am having them recovered by an upholsterer, one has been returned but the back no longer tilts back. It is locked in the upright position. What did the upholsterer do wrong? She doesn’t think she did anything to cause this problem. I hope you can help with an answer to this one.
@Jackie Grimsey - The Seat Swings control the back tilt. She likely reinstalled them incorrectly, or tightened the tension adjustment thumbsrew all the way, which you do not want to do. For Seat Swings install, see -----> th-cam.com/video/jzN1x5jZ-gA/w-d-xo.html For back-tilt tension adjustment, see ----> th-cam.com/video/eGYS17hvOzY/w-d-xo.html
Dear Recliner Repair Guy, we have a La-Z-Boy rocker- recliner and it's fairly new. The feet lift ratcheting is really LOUD & when you let it your feet down from the most elevated position, it wants to catapult you out of the chair!! Any ideas on what is causing that? Thank you! Great videos.
@Juanita Waite - If your chair is less than 1-year old it is still has full warranty coverage. Contact the dealer (seller) where you purchased the chair to report the problem. If it's more than 1-year old you'll have to pay for a service call to have it checked out, or take the chair to them. Contact them for more information regarding service.
I spend about an hour a week dealing with this exact service call. Sounds like the sales rep should have explained our pawl system better to you. From what youre describing everything you're experiencing is normal. People normally don't notice just how Loud the mechanism is until they get it into their homes and (usually) onto hard wood floors. Being an a carpeted, concrete floor in a large open showroom tends to really mute the noise. Putting a door mat or rubber/foam pad under the base of the chair can help, but the noise will always be present unfortunately. As for the drop back down there's a couple factors. The farther you ratchet back the father the chairs got to travel and the travel is immediate once you push the handle forward and the pawl disengages. This is a complaint we typically see whith elderly clients or those who carry some extra weight on their lower half. We usually encourage these types of clients to gravitate towards our powered recliners as this too is a normal function of the chair and cannot be adjusted. If you happen to have a swivel base on the chair and even when trying to sit normally the chair wants to slump forward; contact the dealer you purchased the chair from. That's something we can fix
Thank you for your informative videos. My chair started malfunctioning a couple days ago. I found the pawl cap laying on the floor with one of its tabs broken off. My question is, do they sell replacement caps, or do you have to buy the whole assembly? The rest of the parts are undamaged at this time. if I can't buys a new wear cap, I may just silver solder it on to the pawl.
Darrel Wilson - I don't believe the caps are available separately. Those caps are under pressure when the Pawl is engaged in the Pawl Rack and someone is seated in the chair. It's easier to just replace the Pawl. You might also need a new Rack. La-z-boy parts can be obtained from the manufacturer or one of their dealers.
La-Z-Boy recliners love them truly the best same with their reclining sofas! High quality that lasts!!! Only issue have a La-Z-Boy reclining sofa on the footrest it doesn't stay in the up position to recline back far enough what is up with it?
Thanks for your video very informative. Our problem is that the foot rest only stays all the way up or all the way down and not in between. From your video I see that there was a spring that connects the ratcheting mechanism. Ours does not have a spring would that be the cause of it not staying up?
@Believe_the_Bible - The footrest positions that you're referring to have to do with the 3- Position Footrest feature, not the Ratcheting Recline (the video where you placed your comment). To learn more about the 3-Position Footrest, see this video ------> th-cam.com/video/-uMYiqBp0y4/w-d-xo.html Keep in mind that although many La-z-boy recliners have this footrest feature, not all of them do.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Thank you so much for getting back to me it was helpful. If I may just impose a bit more. I did find the part that you showed in your three position foot rest video. There was only one on one side. Should there be one on the other side? There is a hole for it. And the last question do I need that spring? I ordered one from Home Depot which I probably will have to improvise to make it work. Thanks again very much.
@@Believe_the_Bible - Yes, you need both clips, one on each side. And they need to be in good condition, as described in the video. No, you don't need the spring.
Great Video, thanks, I am getting my pawl rack tomorrow, my son was sitting in the chair and the metal clip piece broke off the first part you replaced, so that is in good condition but when I looked I noticed the pawl rack part the groves were all worn and looked bad. So I am replacing that and I have 2 new clips for the part that catches. Is there a correct way the clips go onto that piece? Should I see the 2 U hooks that hold it in place or should they face away from me? Thanks
@Cco375Ranger - If the piece you're referring to -- "the metal clip piece" -- is the Pawl cap, I don't recommend reattaching or replacing those. Those are more likely to come loose & fall off again. Replacing the Pawl (lever) with a new one with a factory installed cap is usually a more permanent fix.
Thanks so much! I've been looking for help on this particular problem for a long time. Now if my pawl rack is worn out but my pawl is ok except that I don't have that extra spring that connects to the pawl would I want to find the spring first or just try to replace the pawl rack?
Brandon Passey - Some La-z-boys come with the Pawl spring and some don't. If the spring did not come with your chair, you don't need it. Replace the rack and you'll be back in business.
Brandon Passey - You can get La-z-boy parts from the manufacturer, or one of their dealers... basically any retailer that's authorized to sell & service their products.
Thanks for making this video. The ratcheting mechanism on my chair started failing and I found that the pawl cap had fallen off. However, even when I replaced the pawl cap, the mechanism continued to fail. I don't see excessive wear on the pawl or ratchet assembly, and it feels a bit like the spring holding the pawl in place might not have enough tension anymore. Is this possible, and do you know whether there is a fix short of replacing the entire pawl assembly?
@Jonathan Schoeller - Most likely you'll need to replace both the Pawl & Pawl Rack with new parts. By replacing both parts you are eliminating all the typical reasons for the ratcheting recline to slip: weak Pawl spring (not common), worn Pawl Rack steps (most common), Pawl Cap coming off again (common), etc. And by the way, replacing the Pawl Subassembly is not difficult. There are only 2 screws attaching it to the base. If you don't want to remove the base, you can try removing the Pawl while the base is still attached. It's awkward, but if you're patient, it can be done.
Is there any chance to show in one of your videos how that ratcheting recline feature works when recliner is up side down, so I could try to ad that feature to reclining mechanism that I produce. I m curious what part actually make rocking stop, and how it happens. I m from Europe, Serbia so I don t really have access to real Lazy boy recliners? There are only cheap copies of lazy boy over here. Thanks anyway, you are doing great job and you make good and useful videos!
With my parents' old La-Z-Boys, you could simply flip the pawl down so you could have the footrest up without locking into a position (i.e., the chair could rock with the footrest up). The new ones we have don't seem to be able to do that. Am I missing something? I want to disable it on my wife's chair like in the good old days without having to actually disassemble it.
@Brent Rossow - Obviously the chairs are not designed to rock with the footrest extended. Sure, you can tie back the Pawl or remove it. But when I've used chairs where people have done that, when I extend the footrest the recliner pitches forward and I can't sit comfortably in the chair.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 You say "obviously the chairs are not designed..." but as I said before, my parents had generations of La-Z-Boys that explicitly WERE designed that way, and you could reach under and flip the pawl back and forth at will. Maybe the current ones aren't designed that way; that's why I was asking. Stepping outside of just what you know and think, I'll tell you that what's comfortable to you can be uncomfortable or even downright painful for others. My wife has some significant health challenges, and not only is it uncomfortable for her to sit in the chair in a locked reclined position, but it's also difficult trying to get the footrest down from the locked position, whereas without the pawl locked she could just gently lean forward to get up. Since my decades-long experience with La-Z-Boys was that this feature was simply a given, we didn't even think about it when special-ordering the chairs. Only found out after they were finally delivered. Sure, I can modify the chair, but I didn't really want to make semi-permanent modifications to a brand-new, expensive chair if there was a way around that. That's why I asked. Kinda wish I hadn't, but I guess it was a good opportunity to help you understand that there's a reason some people do that, and it's got nothing to do with your personal preference. Have a nice day.
@@BrentRossow - Those older chairs had a thin wire attached to the Pawl, rather than the heavier metal linkage used today. As a result, those older configurations could more easily be manipulated. But that doesn't mean the designers intended it to work that way. It was just an inferior design that happened to work for people like yourself who wanted an easy way to disengage / disconnect the Pawl. And figured out how to do that. Likewise, the Pawl setup used today can also be manipulated without much effort, as I've already described. It's your chair, do what you want to it. As for my personal preference, I was just describing the downside of what happens with these chairs when you disconnect or prevent the Pawl from engaging, for others that may read this. It will not work for everyone. Just as it didn't for the customer that called me about that "uncomfortable" chair that I mentioned earlier. ;)
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Considering the salesman in the La-Z-Boy showroom was the one who told my folks about this, whether the design was intended to work that way is debatable, were one interested in debating unproveable minutiae with random people on the internet (which I'm not). 🙂
Have you put on a pawl cap replacement? I got one but it's such tough metal that it is very difficult to make it stay on. Just tried without success a few minutes ago - looked like an easy fix. But there aren't instructions online for just putting the pawl cap on. Any advice (except to do what you did in the video?)... which might be next. I'd probably be done by now! :)
This video was perfect. It showed us just what to look for. What we found was the pawl and the rack both seemed fine (and maybe we're wrong, we'll use your tutorial to fix them if we are) but what for sure is amiss is there's no spring. And, for the life of me I cannot figure out what spring we need for it. And everywhere I look for parts I'm only seeing the pawl and rack with not spring. I'm sure I'm missing something, but it's making me feel like a real dummy.
@Brandi S Olson - As mentioned in the video, some chairs have that spring, others do not. Most of the chairs I work on do not. Remove the chair back & turn the bottom of the chair upside down. Next, open the footrest all the way. Then push down on the rear of the base to engage the Ratcheting Recline feature. You can see the Pawl engaging with the Pawl Rack. If it's slipping -- sliding over a section of the steps -- the Pawl Rack is worn and needs to be replaced.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 🤔😟 I'm at a loss. The grooves of the rack don't look worn down at all. And the pawl still has the plastic cover and no wear. 🤷🏻♀️ Thank you!
Hello! So I was able to replace the pawl and ratchet, but in putting the base back on, the screw holes that attach the spring assembly to the base have become stripped. I am now attempting this repair *without* the aid of my husband who insisted that the screws did not need to be straight nor the plate fit tight in its former position. But when done his way the chair creaked very loudly and would continue to rock long after I got up like it was inhabited with a poltergeist. 😒 Do you have a recommendation as to how I can repair the wood, re-drill the holes, and attach the base again? Epoxy and toothpicks? The other side is okay. I did not have the right size wood to put in the spring to keep it in the right position and I have to cut wood with a hack saw while I hold it with my other hand. Going to the tool library today.
@nemea23 - The easiest way to reattach the Rocker Springs is to use the adjacent mounting holes (next to the stripped out ones) on the spring. However, you first want to make sure the spring is in the correct position. If you only have 1 reamed-out hole, attach the other 2 screws first to establish the correct mounting position. Then use a screw gun (if you have one) on low to slowly start & drive the remaining screw. If you have more than 1 reamed-out hole, you can often use the impression the spring leaves on the surface it mounts to for establishing the correct position.
Glad I searched and found your set of videos. Lazy Boy has a lifetime warranty, technician install is pay for the visit. Do know if LB will they send out replacement parts? or where can I purchase? Thanks in advance.
@Daniel Casciato - La-z-boy parts can be ordered from the manufacturer or one of their dealers. If you have a local dealer, check with them first. They often have common parts in stock.
Need Assistance - Unidentified Part There is a piece near the bar from the Pawl where it attaches to the dive rod, I think it is termed. This is where the small spring clip is removed with pliers and then the bar is removed, and the spring clip is re-inserted so as not to lose. I do not see this part in any of your videos on the Reclining Feature, or the Reclining Mechanism Repair. It sort of looks like a short spring, or a spacer of some sort. I have photos if I could somehow share with you. Thank you!
@hamholfarm - Sorry, I no longer have a public email address. If you need to replace the part, send a photo to the La-z-boy rep so they can identify it for you.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 OK, thank you. Also, I forgot to say how awesome your videos are. Was able to replace pawl rack system, and ready to order parts for seat springs. Thanks!
I’m having a hard time finding the replacement parts , I’ve looked on Amazon but no luck. Where can I find them? Nothing worse than being asleep and the damn chair drops Thanks for any help you can provide.
Great video. Exactly my problem. What I discovered last evening was a small piece of metal on the carpet and could not figure out what it was. It turns out that it is the metal piece which covers the tip of the pawl. I appears to be made to simply slip over the end of the pawn and be held in place by two (don't know what to call them) metal bent tips. One has broken. But it appears that one could simply buy a tip and place it on the end of the pawl. Would that work. If not, I see that the pawl could be removed without removing the base by disconnecting the pawl end and removing the two screws holding the pawl in place. It would be working with hand tools unless you have a 90 degree drill to use to remove the screws. Your thoughts.
@Mitch Glassman - The piece you're referring to is the Pawl cap. Those are pressed onto the Pawl at the factory and are not available separately. But yes, you can replace the Pawl without removing the base. It's a bit awkward, but certainly doable. :)
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Pete. Thanks. Are the Pawls available elsewhere. As I said in an email I just sent you before I saw your reply, my calls seem to have gone into voicemail where they are resting. I did have another issue on another chair which is not germane to this video and was in an email I sent to you so I won't bother others who have looked at your video on this issue.
@Mitch Glassman - I believe I saw a Pawl & Pawl Rack for sale on Ebay once. I believe they were asking $95. If you are the original owner of your La-z-boy, you should have warranty coverage that would allow you to order those parts for $12.99 (part processing fee). They may be in stock at your local dealer.
Recliner Repair Guy Thanks. I saw that as well and it blew me away. I tried the usual routes: seller of the chairs which said they’d contact the Texas parts and repair customer service (nothing heard back), the customer service for La-Z-Boy in Texas (a company called Lebco Industries) who never replied to several voicemails and finally to a call to the corporate office in Dallas where a man just happened to pick up the phone, took down the info and said he’d forward my parts request. JUST MAYBE!!!!!
La-Z-Boy is friendly but they want $150/hr labor. You, my friend, are a treasure! God bless!
Thanks so much for posting this video. I had to replace the paw and pawl rack on my 2005 La-Z-Boy Recliners. It is truly amazing that they even lasted this long. The La-Z-Boy Factory sent me three replacement assemblies for only $15 total. All I had to do was provide chair serial numbers (ACK numbers) off of the original chair tags. Thank goodness I recorded those numbers on one of the La-Z-Boy owner's books because all of the original ID tags were removed when we had the chairs reupholstered. The 1.5" x 0.25 blocks definitely did the trick on reattaching the base. There was no need to tap the new pawl racks. The self-tapping original screws worked just fine. It took me about one hour per chair to do the repair. The only challenging part of the repair was restapling the leather near the interior of the recliner.
PS: I called my original Lazy Boy store and they gave me a La-Z-Boy number in Michigan to call and get the parts. There is no need to buy parts off of ebay for an exorbitant price when you can get them, brand new, from La-Z-Boy for next to nothing. And, they came within two weeks of ordering them.
As a footnote: I purchased two clips (pawl caps) off of Amazon for the pawl (a short term fix) . . . they didn't work at all and I returned them. Bottom line . . . get replacement parts from La-Z-Boy! I always wondered what those metal slivers were on my carpet over the last few years. It was those clips gradually falling apart. LOL
@raydelea5426 - You're welcome -- great post!
Thanks for this video. Last night I repaired our old lazy boy, not only saving a thousand dollars but also having the satisfaction of repairing something myself in what has become a throw away world. It is people like you making the world a better place by sharing your knowledge.
@Mike Potter - Good job, Mike. And thanks for the kind words!
We recently purchased some la-z-boy recliners from 1997 online that were in great shape still. And had this exact same issue, so thank you! I had no idea where to start, and after seeing this video, I was able to order the part off Amazon and can now enjoy my la-z-boy recliners!
@LordBourbon - You're welcome -- good job!
You made that repair so simple, thank you! The pawl and ratchet are guaranteed for life (my chairs are currently 10 years old), the company only charged a few bucks for shipping the parts.
Curiously, my bride had found that hardened pawl tip in the carpet years ago (or the vacuum did) but nobody knew what it was. She had an 'ah-ha' moment when you showed it in the video. She'd saved it all this time just in case. 😄
This video was everything I needed! Thank you SO much! After watching this, I figured I needed to order a new assembly. However, I noticed the spring which attaches the pawl to the arm, was missing. I happened to have a small spring from a pack of drum brake hardware which fit. It probably has a bit more tension than the proper spring, but it has completely fixed the collapsing issue. The pawl and rack are in good condition.
On a side note, the bang you mentioned at the end, I thought was a sign of wear. I'm glad to know it's normal. However, since replacing that spring, the bang is gone, and releasing the lever is basically silent.
Thanks again!
Thank you for saving my chair. Husband used your video to fix it several years ago and I’m still enjoying it. Simple and clear instructions, I got to keep my favorite recliner. And my Border Collie loves it too.
@zuzuspetals9281 - You're welcome -- and kudos to your husband!
I replaced the ratchet and pawl on my lazboy following this video. Your instructions and video are so specific and clear I managed without any trouble. Thanks so much - it saved me over $100 to get a repairer to do it.
@TrevorColgan - You're welcome -- good job!
Great video. I'm elderly and I'm going to show this to my son and see if he can fix mine for me. I looked at new chairs and most are electric or have the button on the side, meaning you have to be strong to push the foot rest down, which I can not do. I need the handle. Your video seems so well done and explains everything in detail. Hopefully my son can find the time to repair mine. He is great with repairs so I think he can. Thank you so much for the video.
@loopev - You're welcome!
Great instructions - clear and easy to follow. I was able to replace the rack and pawl on our recliner based on this walk-through.
Contacted La-z-boy and ordered the parts late on Tuesday, 6 October - just a $14.83 handling charge since the parts are covered by a lifetime warranty. Received the parts on Saturday, 10 October via UPS. Installed on Sunday. Installation went smoothly for the most part. A couple of the screws for the rack were very tight, but they were eventually removed. Installing those screws was again a little challenging as they were quite tight going back in.
The end result was better than expected and the recliner is very quiet again. Very much appreciate the guidance - thank you!
@David Davis - You're welcome -- & congrats on fixing your chair!
Thank you!
I bought a used la-z boy recliner to replace my other used la-z boy recliner, my "new" one would slide down randomly. thanks to your video I was able to take the parts out of my old one and put it in my "new" one!
also thanks to another one of your videos about having difficulties getting parts, I decided to cannibalise that entire recliner for spare parts.
I just replaced the ratchet, with a new one, on one of my chairs. The holes in the ratchet were not tapped "No threads" so I had to tap them, 1/4-20 and the bit to remove the bolts is a T-30. Thanks to Recliner Repair Guy for the great videos!!
I just replaced my rack and pawl also. Very clear, informative video. Saved me a lot of money.
Thanks for this great video. After getting the pawl and pawl rack shipped from La-Z-Boy I was able to replace the parts this morning and the chair now fully reclines like brand new. The only problem I ran into was that the 3 holes in the pawl rack were not pre-threaded. I had to put the pawl rack in a vice and slowly turn the screws into each hole manually, by hand, to cut threads into them. Then it was much easier to tighten it in place on the chair.
Thank you for an excellent video on replacing the ratchet/paw parts. One of the easiest to follow video's I have seen in years. The step by step is very clear, clean, and easy to follow. The spacers for the rocker springs is an excellent tip. Wish I have thought of that the first time...
I did not know that the paw had a hardend cap on it. So I removed it and built it up with some 8013 welding rod and the ground it back to angle...Of course here I am a few years down the road with the same problem...Going to track down the parts and do it right this time. Thanks again for the excellent video. Keep up the great work!
@Richard Smith - Thanks for the kind words, you're most welcome!
Wow! Thanks so much for this video & your knowledge. My 77 year old mom just received those exact two pieces from Lazyboy… you made it look easy, I’m gonna give it a try this weekend… very grateful sir
@Douglas Sullivan - You're welcome and good luck with the repair!
Thanks for making this video. It gave me the confidence to fix my chair. The wear on my pawl was exactly the same as in the video. I couldn’t find parts online so contacted La-Z-Boy and those parts are covered by a lifetime warranty. The parts cost $13 for shipping and it took me less than an hour to fix it. Thanks again!
Matthew Lantz - You're welcome!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Fixed mine for free. The furniture store owner gave me the piece no charge.
The only thing I did was slide the wood shims in from the side instead of the ends. I used door shims,worked perfectly
@Jeff Vickers - You're welcome - good job!
Extremely helpful! Clear and concise demonstration. Thank you!
@Donna Donna - You're welcome!
Thank you Recliner Repair Guy. Your video was a great help when I replaced the pawl and gear rack. Did it just as you said and it worked perfectly. You obviously know exactly what you are doing. The tips on those shims for the springs shows you have done this a time or two. Thanks again for your help.
@mike bossner - You're welcome -- good job!
Thank you so much for this video! My poor wife has a five-gallon bucket holding up the foot of the recliner, and has to crawl out of the chair with great effort when she gets up. With your help I should be able to fix this for her.
BeneBooks Bookkeeping - You're welcome!
Thank you for all these instruction so clearly demonstrated! With your help we ordered our replacement parts and did the repair ourselves. I am grateful that my husband’s favorite 14-year old chair operates like new! He has no more sad face....so we are both pleased as punch!
Lauren Smith - You're welcome -- well done! :)
YOU ROCK! I had no idea why my wife's La-z-boy kept slipping. It turns out that the "pawl cap" came off. One of the tiny tabs on one side broke off. I would never have been able to figure that out without your video. How did anyone ever figure this stuff out before TH-cam?!?
Thank you so much for this video. I was able to identify the mystery part I found under my chair ages ago (tip off the pawl), then correctly diagnose the problem and identify problem parts. I was able to get the parts under warranty from lazy boy. Just paid shipping. Finally got it all fixed today flawlessly because I watched your video. Thanks again!
Andrea Smith - That's terrific -- you're welcome!
Great instructional video! I ordered the pawl and pawl rack from ebay b/c I couldn't find them on the la-z-boy website. Got the parts today and it's fixed. Thank you!
@chmann7476 - You're welcome -- good job!
*REALLY* well done 'how to' - TY for the time & effort to share this. I'm on a tight fixed income & must sleep in my recliner for health reasons, so being able to have my chair fixed for the parts cost is truly fortunate. Again, THANKS !!!
@Gordon Cavis - You're welcome!
Thanks. We bought a nice used recliner and got it home and found this problem with it. Turned out just to be the blade part was worn. I took the old part off our old recliner and put it on the one we bought. Luckily they were a match. Thanks for your videos, they are great.
@David Graham - You're welcome - good job!
I just finished replacing the pawl and pawl rack on my chair. Works again! Your video was very informative. Thank you!
@Jeffrey Schmidt - You're welcome!
Currently, $190/hr to repair La Z Boy recliners. Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge with us.
@womanofsamaria - You're welcome! Unfortunately a $190/hr labor rate means "we really don't want to work on your chair unless you throw a lot of money at us!"
Thank you for these Lazy Boy Videos. They have helped me get my recliner/rocker back in working order. The videos were very informative and helpful!!!
@charliekirkland9322 - You're welcome -- good job!
I found a La-Z Boy recliner at a garage sale in what looked like brand new condition. It was vintage enough that it was made with a hardwood base instead of the particle board they use now. It looked like it had never been sat upon. The only problem it had was that the ratcheting recline wasn’t working. They wanted ten whole dollars for it. While sitting in my car at the garage sale I did some googling and found this video. Then I went back in and looked at the pawl. The steel tip had fallen off. I checked eBay and found a new part for $45. I told the seller at the garage sale I’d give them five dollars. I brought it home and waited for the pawl. I now have a beautiful and comfortable La-Z Boy in perfect working order for a grand total of $50. Thank you!!!
@marshallgatten6465 - You're welcome -- good job!
@reclinerrepairguy4155 - The two screws that hold the pawl mechanism in keep getting loose causing the ratchet to slip. Do you have any suggestions to prevent that? I’ve thought about drilling through the wood and using bolts, but there’s VERY little space where the nuts would be and the wooden floor.
@@marshallgatten6465 - The easiest thing to try is to plug (or partially plug) the hole with wood. Then run the screws in by hand until they have a good "bite" or hold. If the first attempt or two only pushes the pieces of wood to the side of the hole, add more as needed. I use slivers or chunks cut off of a hardwood dowel for the plug.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Interesting. I’ve done that to fix stripped holes (for door hinges in particular), but it wouldn’t have occurred to me for a hole where the screws are turning themselves loose in a hardwood. I’ll give it a shot!
Made 5 years ago but still relevant today. Thank you so much. Now I can replace it myself.🤩
@pt6108 - You're welcome!
Awesome video. Explanation clear, step by step how to do myself. Just need the parts, drill, screwdriver and spacers.
What a nightmare dealing with the company! I had a wild idea to look for parts on Amazon and found them for a fraction of the cost. The two bolts that fasten the power rod were so tight I couldn't get them out but after an hour I did. Thank you so much for your videos, I saved $1500 doing it myself. Ex/aircraft mechanic.
@Richard Schmohl - You're welcome - good job!
Thanks for your very clear and thorough demonstrations and useful tips. Much appreciated.
Mish Sparks - You're welcome!
You have very good info on all this stuff. You are very good with this. I forgot to put a wood rocker between the springs and upset because I couldn't match the hose with the wood. I then saw your video about how to put a new bottom on The Lazy Boy recliner chair. I saw you left one side of the spring up and then the other side and put a wood there. Thank you so much you are great
@Sean Shay - Thanks -- you're welcome!
Thank you! I moved to a new house and somehow this piece was no longer connected to the seat. Luckily it just needed to be put back in place. Couldn't find it without you.
Alan Stupak - You're welcome!
I am a 78 year old woman who uses her Lazy Boy every night to sleep in. Your video is wonderful! I know I'm not up to fixing my recliner, but that's one of the things that needs to be done to it. The other thing is that, as I rock, the chair sort of twists a little bit and starts bumping. It sounds like wood on wood. So I have to stop rocking and put my feet down on the floor while I twist/jerk the chair counterclockwise. It stays for a while, and soon I have to do it again. Repeat as needed!. Do you have a video on fixing that? I'll say what everybody else probably would like to say...I WISH YOU LIVED NEXT DOOR!!! Thank you so much for your video. At least I know what needs to be done to it. God bless you!
@Cookie - It's not unusual for rocker/recliners to have some side-to-side movement. But when parts start rubbing or bumping (& you're not over-rocking), you likely have some loose or damaged parts causing the problem. Have an experienced La-z-boy repair tech check it out. They can also check out your ratcheting recline parts while they're at it.
Thank you for the detailed video. I was able to fix a recliner that didn't lock with the footrest up - discovered that the two screws holding the pawl in place had pulled out of the wood. Good as new now!
@David Donnelly - You're welcome - good job!
Thanks for a very informative video. I was able get pawl and pawl rack from the area Lazy Boy outlet. My Lazy Boy was five years old but thankfully these parts have a lifetime warranty. The local furniture store where it was purchased had not advised of the warranty and was going to charge for the parts and labor. With your video I was able to do the repairs and that done the trick. I did observe the hardened metal piece was missing on the original pawl and it had two worn groves in it. Thanks again.
Ron Durand - You're welcome!
Great job! Thank you for your video's on La-Z-Boy repair of the pawl and pawl ratchet as they really helped me to repair my recliner!
@David Smith - You're welcome -- good job!
Great Video! Simple process once you know it. I ordered the 2 pieces from La-Z-Boy directly. No Charge! Under their warranty, just paid shipping. The only issue was the 3 holes in the new Pawl Rack were NOT tapped as required. It's a 1/4-20 screw. Tapped these and everything went smoothly.
@John Fritz - Those fasteners, as well as some others, are designed to self-tap. That's why I use a ratchet to install them, to apply more pressure.
Thank you for making these videos im in europe and where i live its hard/impossible to find local knowledge on how these work :) im on my third lazy boy in 20 years due to not knowing how to repair them, even had to order my current recliner from abroad since there is no local retailer anymore.
Your videos helped when i installed the swivel since the instructions werent that great for someone that didnt know the names of the parts that it reffered to especially the spring removal and replacment was helpfull.
SNAiL MAN - You're welcome -- I'm glad the videos helped you out!
You have taught me a lot. My Chair still has the potential of remaining my favorite chair. I’m a stubborn 71-yr-old grandma and
Determined DIY’er. I’ve had my chair upside down many times to replace screws, connecting rod, etc. The foot rest wouldnt stay up, and replacing the connecting rod fixed it. (It’s a swivel rocker recliner.) The problem ever since is that after I have it in a comfortable reclining position, it still rocks while I’m reclining in it. And when I stand up from it, the ratchet thing clicks a few times tilting it back some. Please tell me what I did wrong or left out or did backwards if you know exactly what’s wrong from my description. The chair cost a small fortune mostly because of the very nice leather covering it, and I’m not going to give up on it.
@fairydogmom - It sounds like you may have the parts that attach the Pawl (ratcheting recline lever) to the Drive Rod installed incorrectly. The Trip Lever & Swivel Lever are 2 parts that have to be in proper position for the ratcheting recline to work properly.
Ok, there's a thin metal bar that attaches to the back of the Pawl. At the other end of that bar is where it attaches with a pin & clip to a small part on the Drive Rod. This small part also has a "collar" around it. It's this small part & "collar" that may be installed wrong. The best thing to do is to find another manual La-z-boy recliner with ratcheting recline & take a photo of how these parts are installed. The chair can belong to a family member, friend, neighbor or even the store where you bought your chair. Any La-z-boy will do.
Be sure to note whether the position of the parts in your photo are with the footrest open or closed! Then replicate that on your chair. Hopefully this will get things working properly again.
You are a true gentleman, ordered my new pawl and will complete the repair due to your great video . You offer a great service to us DIY ers .
My first two recliners I kept for 50 plus years before replacing the Pawl sub assembly and the Paul indentured metal mechanism they came in a set and I got them from the local lazy boy dealer where I purchased the two new chairs after fixing the 50-year-old chairs which I gave to habitat for humanity as the two chairs were inspected by them and had many years to go as I kept them in well maintained order including shampooing the cloth every 6 months and I did have the original papers as the original owner to get the free parts with the lifetime warranty on the metal parts. Couple of weeks ago I went back to the lazy boy showroom and the original closed its doors two and a half years ago because the owner retired. Here it is 2021 2 1/2 years for the new chairs and I had to replace the PAWL sub assembly and the indentured metal unit. My experience with the lazy boy's for 53 years has caused me to look at how that assembly is made and the hardened steel portion needs to be electrically welded and not clipped on. When that p a w l assembly is made and it appears that it's been used for at least 50 years a slight re-engineering would cause it to last the life of the chair. However, lazy boy in my opinion based on what I know having fixed several parts on that specific chair the part lasts longer than most people keep the chair. My first two lazy boys are in a new home and those folks tell me the quality of The originals 50 years ago were better and I would agree. Thank you for producing these videos on how to repair a lazy boy and the chair is very easy to repair and replace a part it only took me 20 to 30 minutes as I wanted to be very careful I did not cause any damage to my brand new chairs. Thank you for having a professional video showing customers how to do it yourself and not having to pay someone to do something that anyone with a 8th grade education can do with the proper tools. Your safety comment about hand starting the screws before using the power tool is spot on and anyone doing this kind of work and send themselves to the hospital and have lots of stitches not to exclude the pain and suffering.
Thank you RRG...we thought our new chairs were defective with the loud pop sound releasing the recline mechanism. Good information.
@Soozie Sunshine - You're welcome!
This video was really informative and helpful! We were able to diagnose the problem and fix it very quickly thanks to this video! Thank you, Recliner Repair Guy!
@Alan Sutterlin - You're welcome!
Please accept my thanks for you having created & posted this video.
@Gigi Kinney - You're welcome!
My ratchet &pawl are still in good shape on this 25 yr old lazy boy ive got, My problem is the major "CLUNK" I get when releasing the pawl as mentioned in your video. Im on a 2nd floor hardfloor & ive had complaints from 1st flr and so what i did was 1: place a rug to help absorb sound. 2: lift up leg pressure as you push the release handle forward ( which is very counterintuitive). Saying this is normal operation to have a clunk sound is not kosher. I would think that the R/D dept @ LB would have an answer for this by now? They must have better designs? thanks for the vids Recliner repair Guy!!!
Thanks for this great step by step video. I’m going to,order replacement parts now.
@billmar426 - You're welcome!
Great video, I am only a third of the way into it but I’ve already fixed mine. The ratcheting mechanism wasn’t engaging with the piece that is held by my failing wooden frame. Also, the background music is fire.
@Tasty Therrien - Good job!
I just replaced my rack and pawl. Thanks. Great information.
@rich g - You're welcome!
Thanks again for the video. The boys at Lazyboy comped me both parts and I just changed them. Didn’t need to take off the rocker bottom. 70 yr ol lady😃
@mstucker52 - You're welcome - good job!
You got us through it. Couldn't have done it without you. thank you so very much
c w avt - You're welcome!
So glad I found your channel! My old La z Boy rocks back fine and stays engaged but it suddenly won’t go back down when you close the foot rest. It stays engaged. How can I fix that?
@J W - Issues with the 3-Position Footrest can also cause that problem. Remove the back & turn the bottom of the chair over onto the floor. Now you can operate the mechanism & see what's going on.
Wow, I think this is the problem with my chair. Thank you for the video and now all I need to do is order the parts and find a nice man to fix it for me.
THANK YOU! for posting this video. My recliner was built in 2006 and has the ratcheting feature -- that is currently not holding its place. The ratchet appears to be worn, the pawl appears to be ok - not worn like the one you showed. Anyway, thanks for helping me troubleshoot!
@Ernie Hayden - You're welcome!
I was relaxing in my recliner the other day when my 85 pound German Short Hair decided it was time for cuddles. She jumped up on the foot rest and the chair made a loud pop and the ratchet let loose and the chair dove down. Now I know how to fix it.
Bruce Thompson
One thing I didn't see mentioned is that the holes in the rack are not threaded. The bolts that go into the rack thread into the rack itself. That means that the bolts actually have to cut the threads I wound up having to put the rack in my vise to hold it steady, then used my drill on the bolt to cut the threads. Much easier than leaving the assembly on the chair. Also, I found it easier to remove a couple more staples to get the fabric loose rather than cutting the fabric. But the overall instructions were very helpful and some of the little tricks (the wood blocks on the springs) made the job much easier.
Just fixed the ratchet mechanism thanks to this video. Thank you!
@David Parker - You're welcome!
Thanks a lot for this video!! 😊 Although my recliner's mechanism was not used like the one from your video, I did experience the lock not locking to the furthest point. It would reach it and lock at first, but then, even without moving at all, it would skip down one level suddenly. And it started to do this a couple of days ago, and hasn't stop since. I removed the back, flipped the seat, and examined the mechanism as you have shown, only to find the little hardened metal plate on the floor. the little sort of hooks on the sides that keeps it on are broken, so the plate fell. I wonder if that means that I need to buy a whole new pawl, or if the little plate can be purchased by itself. But anyway, it seems the plate is also important to keep the locks up to the max. On lower levels it seems to stay locked. Thanks again!
@Vincent Allain - The small metal plate is the Pawl Cap. It's made of harder steel & protects the Pawl (black lever) tip -- that rides on the stairs -- from wear. When those come off you should replace the Pawl, as the Pawl Caps are not available separately.
You should also replace the Pawl Rack (metal stairs). It's likely that a couple of the stairs have become worn, causing the lever to slip when it comes to rest on the worn spot.
Thank you so much! Fixed my issue of it slipping, the ratchet was all worn down. I really wish LaZBoy would secure that flap with Velcro rather than 50 staples…
@MrTheBigNoze - You're welcome -- good job!
Can you tell me where you got the parts? Thanks!
I called LaZBoy and they sent me the pawl and rack assembly for free, plus $14 shipping. There is a lifetime warranty for the mechanism @@springtheobald7876
@@springtheobald7876 - See this video -----> th-cam.com/video/5M6d40rxH-s/w-d-xo.html
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Your videos guided me through the whole process successfully.
@Robert Chadwick -- You're welcome -- and congrats!
I really enjoyed watching your video and was ready to order the parts and do the job myself. I even turned the base of the chair over and looked at the parts. But the more I thought about it the problem with my chair isn't ratcheting. The problem with my chair is when the lever is engaged to raise the footrest sometimes it gets "hung up". By dropping my leg on the footrest a few times it will "release" and the footrest can be raised. It sometimes does the same thing when lowering the footrest. I have noticed, however, that since having turned the base over it seems to be operating very smoothly. (Tempting the Fates!) What I discovered when looking at the pawl and ratchet is the pawl was not in the middle of the rachet but was over to one side of the rachet. Apparently, the pawl was actually falling off one side of the pawl and that was what was causing it to get "hung up." I moved the pawl more to the center of the rachet and at the other end of the pawl where it is attached to the drive rod I moved it over a bit too. From that description can you tell me if you think my actions may have remedied the problem I described? And do you think the adjustment is permanent or if it is going to reoccur? And...am I pushing my luck? LOL! Is there another repair that needs to be done to correct this situation?
And an observation. Commenter Matt Ferguson said he couldn't find this part new anywhere online other than from au. I also found it at the au store. eBay had 4 or 5 used assemblies. By enlarging the pictures it was easy to see that the teeth on some of the rachets were worn but one, in particular, seemed very new looking.
I started out with the dealer here in town but they were very discouraging because my chair is so old. The tag said the expected shipping date was in 1987! They told me that parts prior to 1992 were no longer stocked. But since then I've found on a website that the pawl and rachet will fit any LaZBoy chair regardless of age. But the dealer told me I'd have to contact the manufacturer. I almost gave up. That's when I started searching online.
Thank you for reading this long comment and for any answers you may provide!
PS: I have pictures of the underside of my chair.
@klesmiley - It's not uncommon for the Pawl to not be aligned perfectly with the Pawl Rack. However, if the Pawl is not making contact with both rows of the metal teeth on the rack, that suggests another problem. Have an experienced tech diagnose it for you.
By the way, the 3-Position Footrest mechanism could be contributing to this opening / closing problem as well. And yes, the Pawl & Pawl Rack parts are still available for your chair.
It's important to understand that some dealers will focus primarily on sales, and will not want to help people with parts or repairs. There's not enough profit in it for them. That's why they discouraged you... and misled you. This is not uncommon. To learn more about the ups & downs with trying to get replacement parts & repair service, see this video ---> th-cam.com/video/w8e6LZMxOvQ/w-d-xo.html
Also, if you don't purchase mechanism parts directly through La-z-boy or one of their dealers, the parts are not likely to be new, and you may be grossly overpaying for those parts as well.
You do a great job with these videos. Thanks!
imperial56 - You're welcome!
Great information and video. I think I can even do it myself once I get the new parts.
Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to make this great video. I learned a lot! I thought my chair was just a lemon.
@Richard Venneman - You're welcome!
Thanks for the video. It was very helpful. I was able to make my old lazyboy work like new. Thanks for your efforts.
@jimmcfadden1438 - You're welcome -- good job!
You are a great teacher!
@byron shore - Thanks!
I enjoyed this video. It looked so easy I decided to try it myself. I worked for hours and finally installed a new pawl and rack. Sad to say it didn’t fix the problem. If you rock back and raise the foot rest it slips back. What now?
@TomCole-w5c - Something to check: make sure the Pawl is properly engaging with the Pawl Rack when the Ratcheting Recline is activated.
To see what's happening, remove the chair back & turn the bottom of the chair upside down on the floor. Now you can operate the footrest & ratcheting recline by hand & see what's going on. If you're unable diagnose the issue, contact an experienced repair tech to help you.
OMG! Thank you SO much for this video! I was able to take the pawl from my broken la-z-boy (which was in perfect condition) & replace the grooved pawl on the la-z-boy that I use everyday. It works perfectly now & I couldn't have done it without this video! ☺
@MOMSTER 14 - You're welcome!
Do you have a video of how to fix a lob-sided foot rest on a recliner that ratchets out. The right side is lower than the left side and looks goofy. Otherwise everything else works great. if you have a video could I please get the link to it? Thanks for making these videos
@garysmith9767 - Sounds like one of your Leg Extension scissors is bent, loose or broken. If one is damaged, I recommend installing a new set & replacing both.
Thank you for the utube lesson. It made the task easy
Awesome! Just what I needed to know! Had the chair upside down earlier today! Didn’t notice the condition of the bracket bit to the pawl bit (ratcheted?) that it can slip from. Forgotten the right words already! 😽
Thank you for this. I love my leather lazy boy and was afraid I was going to have to get rid of it. I found the pawl tip on the floor and didn't know what it was. I'm going to try to reattach it. Is that possible?
@Tracylynn - You can try reattaching the Pawl Cap, but it's not likely to stay on. It's easier to just the replace the Pawl. Also, if your chair is more than a few years old, the Pawl Rack (the metal stairs the Pawl rides on) is likely to have some wear. You can replace that now as well, or wait for it to start slipping when the wear becomes excessive.
This knowledge would have helped me so much in repairing a broken lazy boy i once had. And also in the slow destruction of said recliner to fit it in the garbage over time. Now I'm shopping for a new one. Looks like it will cost at least $1000 to get my butt a new rocker swivel. I could have fixed the old one :(
Side note, the first break was the handle. Went to local dealer and they pulled one out of a box and sent me on my way. One of the extra long ones too. Never asked questions. My chair was like 30 years old. That is service.
Great informative video. I bought ours new about 4 months ago and in the last week the rocker stopped locking when the foot rest was raised. Found that the bolt holding the pawl to the base had slipped out. The lock washer just isn't holding it. Is there a better method for this like using a threaded bolt with washers and a lock nut? Wondering what an appropriate size would be.
Also noticed mine does not have the retention spring. Could that be the issue?
@Kenneth Hurne - Keep in mind that your chair should still be covered by warranty -- unless you bought it "as-is" -- and that the seller (dealer) is obligated to honor that warranty.
There shouldn't be any lock washer, unless they've changed the design on some of their new chairs. Someone may have attempted a repair and failed to do it properly.
Not all Pawls come with the extra spring. If your Pawl is engaging and releasing properly everything's fine.
Excellent video. I was able to fix my chair. The two screws holding the pall (not sure of spelling) to the bass were lying on the floor. I think it will need a third screw since the holes may be partially stripped. But the chair is now working and I understand how to fix it. Thank you!
@Michael Paul Gibson - You're welcome!
Have a question about lazy boy chair mine when I recline it my feet are so high in air I can not get out of it. My weight is around 300 bought chair new from lazy boy dealer in Toledo . I cant figure out whats wrong with it. Do you have any Ideas.? Thank you.
I replaced the rack and pawl on both our recliners thanks to you4 TH-cam videos. You are a great teacher. Thank you so much. I hop3 you can now help me with another problem. I am having them recovered by an upholsterer, one has been returned but the back no longer tilts back. It is locked in the upright position. What did the upholsterer do wrong? She doesn’t think she did anything to cause this problem. I hope you can help with an answer to this one.
@Jackie Grimsey - The Seat Swings control the back tilt. She likely reinstalled them incorrectly, or tightened the tension adjustment thumbsrew all the way, which you do not want to do.
For Seat Swings install, see -----> th-cam.com/video/jzN1x5jZ-gA/w-d-xo.html
For back-tilt tension adjustment, see ----> th-cam.com/video/eGYS17hvOzY/w-d-xo.html
Dear Recliner Repair Guy, we have a La-Z-Boy rocker- recliner and it's fairly new. The feet lift ratcheting is really LOUD & when you let it your feet down from the most elevated position, it wants to catapult you out of the chair!! Any ideas on what is causing that? Thank you! Great videos.
@Juanita Waite - If your chair is less than 1-year old it is still has full warranty coverage. Contact the dealer (seller) where you purchased the chair to report the problem.
If it's more than 1-year old you'll have to pay for a service call to have it checked out, or take the chair to them. Contact them for more information regarding service.
Thank you & thanks for your great channel!
I spend about an hour a week dealing with this exact service call. Sounds like the sales rep should have explained our pawl system better to you.
From what youre describing everything you're experiencing is normal.
People normally don't notice just how Loud the mechanism is until they get it into their homes and (usually) onto hard wood floors. Being an a carpeted, concrete floor in a large open showroom tends to really mute the noise. Putting a door mat or rubber/foam pad under the base of the chair can help, but the noise will always be present unfortunately.
As for the drop back down there's a couple factors. The farther you ratchet back the father the chairs got to travel and the travel is immediate once you push the handle forward and the pawl disengages. This is a complaint we typically see whith elderly clients or those who carry some extra weight on their lower half. We usually encourage these types of clients to gravitate towards our powered recliners as this too is a normal function of the chair and cannot be adjusted.
If you happen to have a swivel base on the chair and even when trying to sit normally the chair wants to slump forward; contact the dealer you purchased the chair from. That's something we can fix
@@flyingryan3 Thank you very much!!!
Thank you for your informative videos. My chair started malfunctioning a couple days ago. I found the pawl cap laying on the floor with one of its tabs broken off. My question is, do they sell replacement caps, or do you have to buy the whole assembly? The rest of the parts are undamaged at this time. if I can't buys a new wear cap, I may just silver solder it on to the pawl.
Darrel Wilson - I don't believe the caps are available separately. Those caps are under pressure when the Pawl is engaged in the Pawl Rack and someone is seated in the chair. It's easier to just replace the Pawl. You might also need a new Rack.
La-z-boy parts can be obtained from the manufacturer or one of their dealers.
La-Z-Boy recliners love them truly the best same with their reclining sofas! High quality that lasts!!! Only issue have a La-Z-Boy reclining sofa on the footrest it doesn't stay in the up position to recline back far enough what is up with it?
Thanks for your video very informative. Our problem is that the foot rest only stays all the way up or all the way down and not in between. From your video I see that there was a spring that connects the ratcheting mechanism. Ours does not have a spring would that be the cause of it not staying up?
@Believe_the_Bible - The footrest positions that you're referring to have to do with the 3- Position Footrest feature, not the Ratcheting Recline (the video where you placed your comment). To learn more about the 3-Position Footrest, see this video ------> th-cam.com/video/-uMYiqBp0y4/w-d-xo.html
Keep in mind that although many La-z-boy recliners have this footrest feature, not all of them do.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Thank you so much for getting back to me it was helpful. If I may just impose a bit more. I did find the part that you showed in your three position foot rest video. There was only one on one side. Should there be one on the other side? There is a hole for it.
And the last question do I need that spring? I ordered one from Home Depot which I probably will have to improvise to make it work. Thanks again very much.
@@Believe_the_Bible - Yes, you need both clips, one on each side. And they need to be in good condition, as described in the video.
No, you don't need the spring.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Thank you, again.
Welded hard service rod on the pawl. Works great. Had no idea they had a warranty.
Great Video, thanks, I am getting my pawl rack tomorrow, my son was sitting in the chair and the metal clip piece broke off the first part you replaced, so that is in good condition but when I looked I noticed the pawl rack part the groves were all worn and looked bad. So I am replacing that and I have 2 new clips for the part that catches. Is there a correct way the clips go onto that piece? Should I see the 2 U hooks that hold it in place or should they face away from me? Thanks
@Cco375Ranger - If the piece you're referring to -- "the metal clip piece" -- is the Pawl cap, I don't recommend reattaching or replacing those. Those are more likely to come loose & fall off again. Replacing the Pawl (lever) with a new one with a factory installed cap is usually a more permanent fix.
Thanks so much! I've been looking for help on this particular problem for a long time. Now if my pawl rack is worn out but my pawl is ok except that I don't have that extra spring that connects to the pawl would I want to find the spring first or just try to replace the pawl rack?
Also, where can I find the parts? I've looked on their website and googled it all but I can't seem to find it.
Brandon Passey - Some La-z-boys come with the Pawl spring and some don't. If the spring did not come with your chair, you don't need it. Replace the rack and you'll be back in business.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 thanks! Now where can I find the parts? I've tried their website. Do I have to go into a store for it?
Brandon Passey - You can get La-z-boy parts from the manufacturer, or one of their dealers... basically any retailer that's authorized to sell & service their products.
Excellent tutorial. I think I can fix mine now. Thank you!
@John Duffy - You're welcome!
Thanks for making this video. The ratcheting mechanism on my chair started failing and I found that the pawl cap had fallen off. However, even when I replaced the pawl cap, the mechanism continued to fail. I don't see excessive wear on the pawl or ratchet assembly, and it feels a bit like the spring holding the pawl in place might not have enough tension anymore. Is this possible, and do you know whether there is a fix short of replacing the entire pawl assembly?
@Jonathan Schoeller - Most likely you'll need to replace both the Pawl & Pawl Rack with new parts. By replacing both parts you are eliminating all the typical reasons for the ratcheting recline to slip: weak Pawl spring (not common), worn Pawl Rack steps (most common), Pawl Cap coming off again (common), etc.
And by the way, replacing the Pawl Subassembly is not difficult. There are only 2 screws attaching it to the base. If you don't want to remove the base, you can try removing the Pawl while the base is still attached. It's awkward, but if you're patient, it can be done.
Is there any chance to show in one of your videos how that ratcheting recline feature works when recliner is up side down, so I could try to ad that feature to reclining mechanism that I produce. I m curious what part actually make rocking stop, and how it happens. I m from Europe, Serbia so I don t really have access to real Lazy boy recliners? There are only cheap copies of lazy boy over here. Thanks anyway, you are doing great job and you make good and useful videos!
With my parents' old La-Z-Boys, you could simply flip the pawl down so you could have the footrest up without locking into a position (i.e., the chair could rock with the footrest up). The new ones we have don't seem to be able to do that. Am I missing something? I want to disable it on my wife's chair like in the good old days without having to actually disassemble it.
@Brent Rossow - Obviously the chairs are not designed to rock with the footrest extended. Sure, you can tie back the Pawl or remove it. But when I've used chairs where people have done that, when I extend the footrest the recliner pitches forward and I can't sit comfortably in the chair.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 You say "obviously the chairs are not designed..." but as I said before, my parents had generations of La-Z-Boys that explicitly WERE designed that way, and you could reach under and flip the pawl back and forth at will. Maybe the current ones aren't designed that way; that's why I was asking.
Stepping outside of just what you know and think, I'll tell you that what's comfortable to you can be uncomfortable or even downright painful for others. My wife has some significant health challenges, and not only is it uncomfortable for her to sit in the chair in a locked reclined position, but it's also difficult trying to get the footrest down from the locked position, whereas without the pawl locked she could just gently lean forward to get up. Since my decades-long experience with La-Z-Boys was that this feature was simply a given, we didn't even think about it when special-ordering the chairs. Only found out after they were finally delivered. Sure, I can modify the chair, but I didn't really want to make semi-permanent modifications to a brand-new, expensive chair if there was a way around that. That's why I asked. Kinda wish I hadn't, but I guess it was a good opportunity to help you understand that there's a reason some people do that, and it's got nothing to do with your personal preference. Have a nice day.
@@BrentRossow - Those older chairs had a thin wire attached to the Pawl, rather than the heavier metal linkage used today. As a result, those older configurations could more easily be manipulated. But that doesn't mean the designers intended it to work that way. It was just an inferior design that happened to work for people like yourself who wanted an easy way to disengage / disconnect the Pawl. And figured out how to do that.
Likewise, the Pawl setup used today can also be manipulated without much effort, as I've already described. It's your chair, do what you want to it.
As for my personal preference, I was just describing the downside of what happens with these chairs when you disconnect or prevent the Pawl from engaging, for others that may read this. It will not work for everyone. Just as it didn't for the customer that called me about that "uncomfortable" chair that I mentioned earlier. ;)
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Considering the salesman in the La-Z-Boy showroom was the one who told my folks about this, whether the design was intended to work that way is debatable, were one interested in debating unproveable minutiae with random people on the internet (which I'm not). 🙂
Have you put on a pawl cap replacement? I got one but it's such tough metal that it is very difficult to make it stay on. Just tried without success a few minutes ago - looked like an easy fix. But there aren't instructions online for just putting the pawl cap on. Any advice (except to do what you did in the video?)... which might be next. I'd probably be done by now! :)
@Jo Gosson - Trying to replace the Pawl Cap if/when it comes off, is not recommended. Just replace the Pawl (Subassembly) & be done with it.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Thanks ~ good advice. Short cuts don't usually work out. Much appreciated.
This video was perfect. It showed us just what to look for. What we found was the pawl and the rack both seemed fine (and maybe we're wrong, we'll use your tutorial to fix them if we are) but what for sure is amiss is there's no spring. And, for the life of me I cannot figure out what spring we need for it. And everywhere I look for parts I'm only seeing the pawl and rack with not spring. I'm sure I'm missing something, but it's making me feel like a real dummy.
@Brandi S Olson - As mentioned in the video, some chairs have that spring, others do not. Most of the chairs I work on do not.
Remove the chair back & turn the bottom of the chair upside down. Next, open the footrest all the way. Then push down on the rear of the base to engage the Ratcheting Recline feature. You can see the Pawl engaging with the Pawl Rack. If it's slipping -- sliding over a section of the steps -- the Pawl Rack is worn and needs to be replaced.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 🤔😟 I'm at a loss. The grooves of the rack don't look worn down at all. And the pawl still has the plastic cover and no wear. 🤷🏻♀️ Thank you!
Hello! So I was able to replace the pawl and ratchet, but in putting the base back on, the screw holes that attach the spring assembly to the base have become stripped. I am now attempting this repair *without* the aid of my husband who insisted that the screws did not need to be straight nor the plate fit tight in its former position. But when done his way the chair creaked very loudly and would continue to rock long after I got up like it was inhabited with a poltergeist. 😒
Do you have a recommendation as to how I can repair the wood, re-drill the holes, and attach the base again? Epoxy and toothpicks?
The other side is okay. I did not have the right size wood to put in the spring to keep it in the right position and I have to cut wood with a hack saw while I hold it with my other hand.
Going to the tool library today.
@nemea23 - The easiest way to reattach the Rocker Springs is to use the adjacent mounting holes (next to the stripped out ones) on the spring. However, you first want to make sure the spring is in the correct position.
If you only have 1 reamed-out hole, attach the other 2 screws first to establish the correct mounting position. Then use a screw gun (if you have one) on low to slowly start & drive the remaining screw.
If you have more than 1 reamed-out hole, you can often use the impression the spring leaves on the surface it mounts to for establishing the correct position.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Thank you! I'll let you know how I do...
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 I'm afraid all the holes are stripped. Any tips on getting the spring back in the correct position?
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 So mission accomplished! Thank you so much! You are a treasure! Now I can live my chair again! 💜
Thanks for the excellent instructions! Can it be done without removing the base?
@0828 0828 - Yes, but it's more difficult to do the repair that way.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Thank you for the quick response!
Glad I searched and found your set of videos. Lazy Boy has a lifetime warranty, technician install is pay for the visit. Do know if LB will they send out replacement parts? or where can I purchase? Thanks in advance.
@Daniel Casciato - La-z-boy parts can be ordered from the manufacturer or one of their dealers. If you have a local dealer, check with them first. They often have common parts in stock.
Need Assistance - Unidentified Part
There is a piece near the bar from the Pawl where it attaches to the dive rod, I think it is termed. This is where the small spring clip is removed with pliers and then the bar is removed, and the spring clip is re-inserted so as not to lose. I do not see this part in any of your videos on the Reclining Feature, or the Reclining Mechanism Repair. It sort of looks like a short spring, or a spacer of some sort. I have photos if I could somehow share with you. Thank you!
@hamholfarm - Sorry, I no longer have a public email address. If you need to replace the part, send a photo to the La-z-boy rep so they can identify it for you.
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 OK, thank you. Also, I forgot to say how awesome your videos are. Was able to replace pawl rack system, and ready to order parts for seat springs. Thanks!
I’m having a hard time finding the replacement parts , I’ve looked on Amazon but no luck.
Where can I find them?
Nothing worse than being asleep and the damn chair drops
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Followed info received earlier in the thread, thanks for t he help
Great video. Exactly my problem. What I discovered last evening was a small piece of metal on the carpet and could not figure out what it was. It turns out that it is the metal piece which covers the tip of the pawl. I appears to be made to simply slip over the end of the pawn and be held in place by two (don't know what to call them) metal bent tips. One has broken. But it appears that one could simply buy a tip and place it on the end of the pawl. Would that work. If not, I see that the pawl could be removed without removing the base by disconnecting the pawl end and removing the two screws holding the pawl in place. It would be working with hand tools unless you have a 90 degree drill to use to remove the screws. Your thoughts.
@Mitch Glassman - The piece you're referring to is the Pawl cap. Those are pressed onto the Pawl at the factory and are not available separately.
But yes, you can replace the Pawl without removing the base. It's a bit awkward, but certainly doable. :)
@@reclinerrepairguy4155 Pete. Thanks. Are the Pawls available elsewhere. As I said in an email I just sent you before I saw your reply, my calls seem to have gone into voicemail where they are resting. I did have another issue on another chair which is not germane to this video and was in an email I sent to you so I won't bother others who have looked at your video on this issue.
@Mitch Glassman - I believe I saw a Pawl & Pawl Rack for sale on Ebay once. I believe they were asking $95. If you are the original owner of your La-z-boy, you should have warranty coverage that would allow you to order those parts for $12.99 (part processing fee). They may be in stock at your local dealer.
Recliner Repair Guy Thanks. I saw that as well and it blew me away. I tried the usual routes: seller of the chairs which said they’d contact the Texas parts and repair customer service (nothing heard back), the customer service for La-Z-Boy in Texas (a company called Lebco Industries) who never replied to several voicemails and finally to a call to the corporate office in Dallas where a man just happened to pick up the phone, took down the info and said he’d forward my parts request. JUST MAYBE!!!!!
Recliner Repair Guy PS They need to do better in handling customers regardless of the virus situation.
thank u got one ? tho if my foot rest wood broad is broken is that why it might not be lockingh and catching to the ting ?