What Problems Does the Set Screw Address?
Is your chair slowly (or quickly) sinking, but come right back up?
My chair won’t stay up!
My chair’s height won’t adjust even when I press the lever!
On several chairs (primarily the Steelcase V1 Leap, V2 Leap (prior to 1/19/2009), and Herman Miller Aeron) that use a top activated gas cylinder, it’s common to see a set screw to fine-tune the lever activation of the gas cylinder due to manufacturing tolerances and variations in chairs.
When a new cylinder is installed, or this set screw is not adjusted properly, a few things can occur:
- The set screw is significantly too tight – the cylinder is always activated. This results in the chair raising on it’s own, and also lowering on it’s own when weight is applied.
- The set screw is slightly too tight – the cylinder is always partially activated. Same automatic raising and lowering, but at a reduced rate.
- The set screw is significantly too loose – the cylinder is not being activated. This results in the chair height not being able to be adjusted.
- The set screw is slightly too loose – the cylinder is difficult to activate.
Luckily this is a very easy adjustment and fix.
The diagram to the right gives a breakdown of the set screw and how it interfaces with the gas cylinder.
Each chair is a little bit different, but we’ve created a couple of videos to help walk you through the process of adjusting your chairs gas cylinder set screw:
Steelcase Leap Chair Set Screw Adjustment Video:
Buy Steelcase Leap Top Activated Gas Cylinder
Herman Miller Aeron Chair Set Screw Adjustment Video:
Buy Herman Miller Aeron Top Activated Gas Cylinder
If a quick adjustment of your set screw does not fix your problem, you may have a faulty or broken gas cylinder. Fortunately that’s a quick and easy fix as well!
Click Here to learn about how to fix your office chair that won’t stay up!
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I have this problem with my Steelcase criterion but I’m not sure how to take off the seat to get to the set screw
The Criterion chair does not have a set screw like the Leap or Aeron unfortunately.
My steelcase v2 doesn’t have a screw to twist once I take seat off. Any other way to adjust it?
Your Leap was probably made after 1/19/2009 and uses a side activated style cylinder that does not use a set screw.