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.