Tilite ZRA Series 2 Backrest Mount Replacement Parts

The Tilite ZRA Series 2 ultralight weight rigid titanium wheelchair has performed better than I had anticipated except for the backrest mount that began to creak a few days I started using it. Wuan tightened all the screws that could be tightened but it continued to creak every time I shifted my weight or leaned back.

Tilite ZR and ZRA Series 2 backrest mount replacement parts
Tilite ZR and ZRA Series 2 backrest mount replacement parts.

The locking stud on the left kept coming loose and had to be tightened several times. The threadless pin for the folding mechanism also slid out a few times and had to be hammered back into place. There is significant play to the entire backrest. The back locking mechanism is difficult to engage and disengage.

Many, if not all, of Tilite ZRA Series 2 users are facing this issue. The hardware that came with the wheelchair is an updated version but the problem persisted. Tilite has since redesigned the entire mechanism and been sending them out to users requesting for a replacement.

I requested for a replacement on end-February through Scott Pellett, the owner of Bike-On, the retailer in the USA where I got the Tilite ZRA from. It was a simple no-question-asked process. All I needed to provide was the serial number of the wheelchair. It was delivered via UPS this afternoon.

Now, I need to wait for Wuan, my personal wheelchair mechanic, to swap the parts. One quirk about the wrenches for the bolts and nuts that Tilite uses. They are all in inches while the commonly available wrenches in Malaysia are in metric. A 7/16″ open end wrench is needed for this task.

There is a hardware shop near the Pudu wet market that carries wrenches in inches. This was where Wuan got the 3/8″ open end wrench needed to reposition the levers of the Uni-Lock wheel locks. I hope they have the 7/16″ as well.

First Impression Of My Tilite ZRA Series 2

Peter Tan - wheelchair user - Tilite ZRA Series 2 rigid titanium wheelchair
Peter Tan – wheelchair user – Tilite ZRA Series 2.

After a few days of looking forlornly at the partially assembled Tilite ZRA Series 2 wheelchair, I got Wuan to spend some time to perform minor adjustments and finally got to use it for a full day yesterday. Most apparent with this new wheelchair is that I am seated higher and my bare feet are very comfortable on the footrest with one piece ABS cover.

I am seated higher due to the very taut seat upholstery and the new two-inch Supracor Stimulite Sport cushion that I got to go with the wheelchair. Although the Stimulite Sport is firm, it is also surprisingly very comfortable. My buttocks have never felt so pampered in a long while.

This wheelchair will take some getting used to. The dynamics are different from the folding ultra lightweight aluminium that I have been using for the past three years. It is very responsive due to it being rigid. Over the next few weeks or even months, there will be minor tweakings to dial it in to give an even better fit.

The Tilite ZRA Series 2 wheelchair with accessories costs US$3100 (RM9920 at time of purchase) plus US$420 (RM1344) for shipping. The Supracor Stimulite Sport is another US$290 (RM928) excluding shipping. For the amount I paid, I earnestly hope this wheelchair will last a long time or at least until I have saved enough to be able to replace it.

In the meantime, I will have the broken cross brace from the aluminium wheelchair disassembled and sent for welding locally. I was quoted JPY24,000 (RM900) for replacing it. That cost excludes shipping from Matsunaga’s factory in Japan and workmanship. I figured the replacement is not worth it as this wheelchair is now relegated to being the spare wheelchair that I will hardly use.

TiLite ZRA Series 2 Finally Arrived

Cheeky and TiLite ZRA Series 2
Cheeky checking out the box with my TiLite ZRA Series 2 wheelchair.

I was informed two Fridays ago that the wheelchair that I ordered with Bike-On had arrived at the shop from TiLite and that it would be sent to the shipper in the morning. Someone from FedEx called me last wednesday to ask what was inside the box for customs declaration at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I told that him it is a wheelchair. He said he would declare it as such and there should not be any tax.

FedEx Shipment Travel History
FedEx Shipment Travel History – Where the wheelchair went before it arrived in Malaysia.

After five nail-biting days wondering about the status of the shipment, it was finally delivered this morning. (I did not have the tracking number to follow the process.) I have installed the brakes and wheels and am now waiting for Wuan to help me with the rest. The backrest angle needs to be adjusted. I specified 95 degrees but this looks like 90 degrees. Other than that, the wheelchair looks good. I cannot wait to get on it and do a few spins around the neighbourhood.