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670 Lounge Chair Base Bushing/swivel Question  

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Kyle James
(@schefflerkylegmail-com)
Trusted Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 44
03/06/2015 2:52 am  

So my old black crunchy needs a little less wobble in its life. With a bunch of research and a seller that has 100% feedback I made a purchase for this replacement bushing, or swivel piece that is made out of metal. Its an exact fit for every Herman Miller Eames Lounge base. My only issue is that I cant for the life of me get the current metal bushing or mechanism out. Ive tried many methods carefully and didn't want to damage anything as the metal is bronze on the current chair and the replacement is also bronze (dents and bends easy).
so far I have tried these methods from the bottom of the base.
1. Removed pin with the hefty little tool kit it came with (very easy)
2. created a felt tip metal pole in exact diameter of the swivel mechanism from the bottom.
3. used wd40 and let it sit for 2 hours
3. used the metal felt piece I made and a rubber mallet and tried to bang it out carefully but hard enough where it should have at least budged.
Even with this method I couldn't get it to move (bronze piece)

Can anyone give me any advise on how to do this? I have searched through threads to see if anyone came up with anything and I couldn't find much so I started this new one. My apologies in advanced if this was already a topic among the forums. Id like to add that there were about 5 reviews on this specific product but most people had the newer version of the 670 which I have come to learn uses a plastic bushing that is much easier to replace. I have found only two sellers online that have this product and both tend to be more fond of the Bronze. There was only one "vintage 670" reviewer and all his response was; "worked well, shipped very fast...the tool kit helped tremendously".

Thanks Guys!
<img class="wpforo-default-imag


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fastfwd
(@fastfwd)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 1721
04/06/2015 9:28 am  

I've never had to do this sort of thing with furniture, but with car parts there are two ways it's done:
1) You take it to your local machine shop and pay them a few dollars to remove the old bushing and press in a new one.
2) If the part is small enough, you wait for your wife to go out of the house and then put the part in her oven and heat it to like 400 degrees F. Cast aluminum expands slightly more than bronze, and the heat will also weaken any Loctite that might have been used when the parts were originally assembled, so once it's been soaking in there for an hour or so you can pull it out and maybe have better luck punching the bushing out. And it'll be easier to press the new bushing in if you can do it while the aluminum base is still hot.
However... I don't know whether there's anything in the chair base that might be damaged by the heat. If it's possible that there's something other than metal in that swivel assembly, or if the base is painted rather than anodized, it might not be a great idea to heat it. It'd be best in that case (and maybe best anyway) to just take it to a shop.


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tktoo
(@tktoo)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 2226
04/06/2015 4:03 pm  

I'd call Alfie at Hume Modern in L.A.


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tktoo
(@tktoo)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 2226
04/06/2015 7:11 pm  

Wait, is that second, shorter piece of bronze pipe meant to be part of the "tool kit"? Perhaps the supplier of the new bushing could offer some instruction.
My 670 could use a new bushing, too, so I'm curious about how this goes for you. Post an update?


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Kyle James
(@schefflerkylegmail-com)
Trusted Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 44
05/06/2015 4:20 am  

Thanks guys for your responses, Ironically the seller of the Bronze Bushing found this thread and contacted me. He suggested that I do the same as you said fastfwd. Bring it to a body shop that has a bearing press and try and see if I can remove it that way. He also said to sand out the inside and apply a lubricant and press the new one into place. Didn't say anything about gluing it so im assuming that the current one in there isnt jb welded or anything.
Ill be sure to take pictures and post the results if anyone else hear ends up wanting to fix that wobble, I can direct you in the right direction (thats if all goes well)
Thanks guys


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Kyle James
(@schefflerkylegmail-com)
Trusted Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 44
05/06/2015 4:25 am  

tktoo the second piece goes in first (smaller of the two) and the piece with the lip around the edge sits in the top. If you look inside the base they are actually done the exact same way. Same dimensions and looks to be the same bronze material. Id love to give a shout out to the seller if he reads this, cause he has been very interested in seeing the finished product. He went out of his way to contact me without me asking a question as well. Its great to see people stand by there work after they have sold you the product.


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