My sincere thanx & new Ti ZRA photos

[picasso]

First I want to send each of you a sincere thank you for all your input on a post that I sent out about six months ago asking for your advice on chairs. Your unselfishness was over whelming and I will not forget it. And a special thank you to SCI_OTR for all his input. It’s because of all your on-going input and comments to someone like me who was faced with fear, uncertainty and doubt that made buying my first chair become something I looked forward too. Please know how much you must make things so much easier for many who visit CCC with questions.
So I got delivery of a Ti ZRa a week ago and was able to do something with my 9 year old little girl that we have not been able to do in a long while... my favorite place for the best pizza in the Metro NY area! Any one can go for a fancy dinner.

Here is the information and only mistake was instead of a rear release bar for the Matrix back, it has a string instead of a release bar? (This will be corrected). We also had it configured with a flip up foot rest being I am still able to occasionally ambulate and it makes it easier to get out of the chair.
ZRa with 75 degree
Front seat height 19", rear seat 16"
COG 1"
seat 17"w 17" d
Adjustable push handles
5"x1" soft caster
25"Spinergy with Red Kenda with Natural Fit grip
Matrix PB Elite 12" height
Seat back angle 92 degree
Jay 2 Cushion
Swing away arm rest

[SCI_OTR]

Congratulations!

I did think flip ups would be possible on a cantilevered frame because of the need for an additional cross tube. I never figured TiLite would weld one between the downtubes like that. Certainly very trick...



The problems I tend to see with users who have one piece flip up footplates is that they are awkward to flip up while they are sitting in the chair, and they don't always stay up if the fasteners loosen a little. Since you have a stout piece of titanium tubing to maintain the structural integrity of the frame, have you thought about going with individual flip ups footplates instead? TiLite offers them as a "typical" Designs Unlimited option on the TR.



Since the possibility of getting flip up footplates on a ZR is not advertised in the Designs Unlimited catalog, your pics may prove to be very valuable to someone who may want flip up footplates on a cantilevered rigid frame. It may also widen the spectrum of possibilities for those looking for a way to secure a cantilevered frame in a vehicle for driving (although I would never recommend the latter to anyone I work with).

Again, congratulations. I hope your ZRa improves your quality of life as much as my ZR has for me.

Now get to work improving your skills with it so you can get those camber tube clamps in front of the back rest hinge!

[picasso]

SCI_OTR:
I am not certain what you mean??? "Now get to work improving your skills with it so you can get those camber tube clamps in front of the back rest hinge!"

Do you mean the release bar on there? If so I am working on it. The strings have to go....
Thanx

Originally Posted by SCI_OTR

Congratulations!

I did think flip ups would be possible on a cantilevered frame because of the need for an additional cross tube. I never figured TiLite would weld one between the downtubes like that. Certainly very trick...



The problems I tend to see with users who have one piece flip up footplates is that they are awkward to flip up while they are sitting in the chair, and they don't always stay up if the fasteners loosen a little. Since you have a stout piece of titanium tubing to maintain the structural integrity of the frame, have you thought about going with individual flip ups footplates instead? TiLite offers them as a "typical" Designs Unlimited option on the TR.



Since the possibility of getting flip up footplates on a ZR is not advertised in the Designs Unlimited catalog, your pics may prove to be very valuable to someone who may want flip up footplates on a cantilevered rigid frame. It may also widen the spectrum of possibilities for those looking for a way to secure a cantilevered frame in a vehicle for driving (although I would never recommend the latter to anyone I work with).

Again, congratulations. I hope your ZRa improves your quality of life as much as my ZR has for me.

Now get to work improving your skills with it so you can get those camber tube clamps in front of the back rest hinge!

[Eileen]

Sweet looking chair! Good luck with it, and your future pizza ventures.

[SCI_OTR]

Actually I was remarking about the center of gravity being set at 1". That makes the chair extremely stable. However, it also puts a considerable proportion of the chair's weight on the front casters and puts the handrims in a less-than optimal location for efficient self-propulsion

Most CC members who have posted pics of their ZR's/ZRa's have COG's ranging between 2.5 to 4 inches. It could be that a 1" COG is appropriate for your circumstances, but is a very conservative location. If you do move your axle forward, always do so cautiously. A small adjustment can have a significant effect on the chair's dyamics.

BTW, I've never heard of a rigid release bar for the MaTRx back. Could it be you were thinking of the TiShaft release bar? That is the bar that runs between your backrest hinge hardware which is used to fold the backrest.

[Eileen]

OK, I admit it. I get "chair envy" everytime one of these snazzy models are shown. There's just not much you can do to make a power chair look as cool. Sure, sure, I have some stickers, and I have a small green frog that has magnets in its feet so that it grips the bar that runs behind my backrest, but it just is never going to look this great.......sigh......

[picasso]

Ahhh sorry I get it. I am going to get back to the wheel chair clinic at Kessler in a few weeks. I think I am progressing very well in the chair for a first timer and I want to look into tweaking the config a little and I will check on how it feels to change the COG. The one flip up is OK for now and I feel its easier to flip up one side versus two (Ti did a good job on the front tweaking bar to give me the flip up option.) The back needs to be pushed back a little besides looking into the release bar. I will say the chair feels really good and I am glad I went with the Ti. By the way the D's locks are great....

Originally Posted by SCI_OTR

Actually I was remarking about the center of gravity being set at 1". That makes the chair extremely stable. However, it also puts a considerable proportion of the chair's weight on the front casters and puts the handrims in a less-than optimal location for efficient self-propulsion

Most CC members who have posted pics of their ZR's/ZRa's have COG's ranging between 2.5 to 4 inches. It could be that a 1" COG is appropriate for your circumstances, but is a very conservative location. If you do move your axle forward, always do so cautiously. A small adjustment can have a significant effect on the chair's dyamics.


BTW, I've never heard of a rigid release bar for the MaTRx back. Could it be you were thinking of the TiShaft release bar? That is the bar that runs between your backrest hinge hardware which is used to fold the backrest.

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[picasso]

Thanks Eileen. Like I said, the CCC communities input was great......

Originally Posted by Eileen

Sweet looking chair! Good luck with it, and your future pizza ventures.

[smokey]

picasso, How much extra did TiLite charge you for the additional cross tube on your frame? Thanks.

[picasso]

Smokey:

To be honest I am unaware for any of the extra cost other than the seat/ wheels etc. I know the flip up foot rest was extra and I assume the extra tube was included. They did a nice job on the weld......