Which of these chairs would you rather drive around?

The purpose of this webpage is twofold. First off, I'd like to encourage anyone who has modified their wheelchairs to post the end results on the internet. When it became apparent that I was going to have to personally modify my chair (due to the reluctance and ineptitude of the chair supplier), I looked on the net for help and advice from more "experienced" wheelchair folk. There was so little available that it doesn't bare mentioning the couple I did find.

Ok, that out of the way, let's talk chairs.

The left one is the box stock, run-of-the-mill Quickie S-626. The other is Mine! Actually the left picture was taken off the net because when my chair looked like that I had no idea I'd need to write these pages. The only differences between it and the one I started with are the armrests and front caster yokes. My original had the adjustable armrests and "frog leg" casters.

I no longer have this chair. This will be explained shortly.

A little history for you to get to know me and the extent of the project.

I first wrote this S-626 page way back in July of 2002. It is now October of 2005. Guess it is high time it gets updated.

When I received the new Quickie S-626, I was greatly disappointed. Not only did it not have the agreed upon seat configuration (not Quickie's fault) but the peripheral components were badly designed (definitely Quickie's fault). I say peripheral components because the core of the chair seems competent, yet the leg hangers were flimsy and bothered ones knees. The foot plates were thin, knife-edged furniture/wall gougers. Seat height was way too high and had zero seat dump. Too much weight on front casters and the anti-tippers were in constant ground contact so one couldn't back over anything over an inch high, and they rattled terribly on anything but carpet, etc, etc.

Click here for a quick history of my Quickie S-series reliability issues

The old Quickie P-200 lasted for six "Hell bent for leather" years. Presently both drive axles are bent, brakes are shot and the electronics getting weak. Seat worn, holes in both arm rests and about a million scrapes and scratches and about 10 sets of tires have been under it. But…and it's a big but… it never left me walking, so to speak. It was faithful and infinitely reliable. It took me through thirty plus states, coast to coast (several times) and Canada to Mexico. It has rolled through nearly every National Park in the western US and likewise nearly every major city, ocean to ocean. The S-626 has a lot to live up to.

It wasn't going to live up to anything in the sad shape in which it arrived. The first thing that had to go was the ugly and uncomfortable rehab seat. After so many years of torture in a similar seat on the P-200, I was not about to continue the torture in a $10,800 new chair.

To break the S-626 modifications into easily chewable bites, here is a list of what was done:

1) Removed the rehab style seat and replaced it with a captain's chair style seat from Quickie's G-424 model. (Click here)
2) Added a headrest. (Click here)
3) Lowered the seat to allow legs to fit under desks and tables. At the same time the seat was moved rearward for better balance and maneuverability. (Click here)
4) Added spacers to set anti-tippers off the floor. (Click here)
5) Replaced leg hangers with a slidable footrest. (Click here)