How to Replace a Rocker Spring Plate

You might find that your swivel rocker chair will experience wear and tear with regular use. This is completely normal, and minor repairs can be done to get it back to brand new condition. One of the most common things to break or become damaged is the rocker spring plate. You’ll often be able to see visible cracks on the plate, which is a sure sign they need replacing.

 The first thing you need to do, is you need to remove the old plates. Use a socket wrench or a drill to remove the nuts and bolts holding everything together. Keep all of your hardware safe, because all of that can be reused when you put in the new spring plate.

Now that everything is unscrewed, separate the base from the chair. This might require a little force or the use of a drill, but you should get there without too much struggling.

DON’T THROW THE OLD PLATES AWAY! You are going to need them as templates to drill the correct holes in your new plates, to ensure the holes are in the correct spots.

Place one of your old plates over the new ones. It does not matter if the plates are slightly different sizes, what matters is where you drill the holes. Plates come without holes, and different brands will be slightly different sizes, but they can still be interchangeable as long as the holes are drilled correctly. So, holding all of the plates together and steady, drill holes into your plates, right where the old ones are on your old plate.

Now, you can start attaching your new plates to the base of the swivel chair. Please remember to place the blank in between the spring plate and the bolt head. This is going to distribute the pressure evenly, reducing the risk of your new spring plate breaking again. Screw the nuts on as well, but don’t worry about using a drill just yet - you only need them tight enough so that they stay, but there is still some wiggle room if you need it when you attach the actual chair.

Now place the chair onto the spring plate. The bolts should slide right into the new holes, but if you are having some difficulties, line up the holes in the chair metalwork with the spring plate, and just drill a little more until the bolts fit right in. Place the blank plate in between the spring plate and the nuts, again to distribute the pressure and reduce the risk of cracking or fractures.

 Finally, when everything is in place, tighten all your hardware with an electric drill, to make sure that nothing moves. Don’t over-tighten the bolts, because this increased tension can also lead to fractures in the spring plate.

 If you need some visual aid with these instructions, check out our step-by-step video guide to help you. This allows you to follow along with our professionals so that you know you are doing everything correctly.