Heavy Duty 5" Stroke Replacement Office Chair Gas Lift Cylinder Pneumatic Shock - S6111-HD Black

Update 4/14/2021:3+ years later and this product is still strong. I recommend these heavy duty gas lift cylinders.Update:Had this cylinder for over 5 months and it is solid and working very well without any issues at all.-----------------------------------------------I saw other reviews and videos on this part arriving in a PVC like container. Mine arrived from amazon in a thick plastic bag placed free in the box. The padding used was those plastic air bags but there was not enough to prevent any movement at all. Though it did not seem to be damaged at all or marked up. Not sure why as there was other items in the box that were also metal.The only thing I can say about this cylinder is that it works. The travel is much higher than the original that came with my chair. The lowest compressed state is right about where I like it. So if this were to blow out I don't really have to do anything because it is set already at the compressed end to where I would set it anyway.This is for taller people so do not get this if you are short say 5.8" or less because you will be up off the ground with your feet dangling and then you go up from there. I am 6'2" and at the highest setting my feet are almost off the ground. So if you are tall in the 6'5" to 6'7" range you will enjoy this cylinder a lot!I have a desk that has the keyboard under it on a pull out. These hang fairly far under the desk that prevent the typical office chair with arm rests from fitting underneath it. This cylinder at the lowest compressed state my legs fit under this comfortable with room to move up some.At 6' 2" at the lowest level my legs are 90 degree perpendicular to the floor so be aware that this is the starting point and lowest this will go.If you also have higher wheels than the default ones that come with your chair you will be up too high at the lowest setting. Though it depends on your desk and where you place your keyboard. For a normal below level slide out keyboard tray, with default standard sized wheels the lowest setting is great at my height. If you are taller you will be reaching more and your arms will be more extended because of it.There are other shorter versions of this "type" of cylinder available on amazon with heavy duty construction and able to handle 450 lbs. I would go with one of those if you are raising up higher by roller blade wheels and/or a new metal base. This cylinder will start you up too high and no way to go lower.I added 2" to 3" of travel to my chair compared to the original cylinder and raised my seat by 2" at the low end.This fits normal standard sized bases where the wheels fit into, 2" wide hole. The top end that fits into the tilt mechanism is also the standard size fit. If you have an office chair from any box store this should fit though measure the outer dimension of the top casing to make sure it is 2". It will taper down towards the bottom so that it wedges itself into the hole at the wheel base.Removing the old cylinder from the wheel base requires a hammer and either a block of wood or just lots of power hitting at the center of the cylinder tube to break it loose.I replaced the top tilt mechanism at the same time as replacing the cylinder so I did not remove the top of the cylinder from the tilt mechanism. I just threw both away and installed the new mechanism and cylinder. Took probably 10 minutes and then another 3 or 4 to adjust the tilt to how I like the spring tension. Removing the old parts was the longest part of the process.

While the fact is that you could buy a new chair for the price of a few replacement parts (I bought this gas lift cylinder and some inline-skate style casters from another retailer), you will not be able to find an inexpensive chair (within the $100 range) with a cylinder rated to hold heavier weight.Eventually those light weight cylinders WILL start to leak and you will end up sinking to their lowest point within seconds of sitting down.My current chair has a good metal base and the seat itself is still in decent condition. So, I would rather put out some money to up grade than spend the same money on a chair that will just end up with the same problem.This particular cylinder was around a half an inch shorter at its fully compressed height than the chairs original cylinder was at it's full height. So, needless to say I do not need to have the chair at full height anymore to be sitting at a good level (once I receive my new wheels I will have to lower it even more since the new wheels are 3-inches and the original ones are 2 inches).I JUST received this item yesterday so I cannot speak on long term durability. But, I can say that it is nice to once again feel that slight "spring action" when I sit down or get up (the old cylinder had stopped doing that long ago.If you like sitting slightly lower I would suggest checking the other heavy duty cylinders this company offers. This one has a 5-inch stroke (5 inches of travel for the shaft for those that don't know what the stroke is) and, as I said it is only a half an inche shorter at its lowest height than my old cylinder was it its highest.If this holds up long term I would definitely say it is worth the price. Especially if your chair is still in good shape.It is just under 12 inches at it's fully compressed height. But, you have to take into consideration how much of that is taken up when you insert it into the base and then place the seat on top. What I am saying is that, while the cylinder is nearly 12 inches when compressed, that does not mean you will have 17 inches of height when it is at full height.The actual height will depend on how high from the floor the hub of your leg assembly sits and how far into the hub the cylinder ends up going when you insert it. Not to mention you "lose" about another inch (just under actually) at the top where the shaft inserts into the bottom of the seat.I am actually considering ordering another of these cylinders in the future for another office chair that has a leak in the cylinder. I will also be buying a metal leg assembly for that one as I have broken SEVERAL of the plastic leg bases (due partially to my weight and a floor that is no where near flat). The other chair has a height closer to what this cylinder gives so there will be less need to get used to the different way it sits.Again, I would recommend this product to anyone that needs a heavy duty gas lift cylinder for a chair that is otherwise in good shape.I do recommend doing a search on "how to replace the gas cylinder on an office chair" especially if you have never taken one off before.I have had experience removing the base/legs but the one on this chail did not come off as easily (perhaps because both the base and cylinder are metal....maybe plastic bases are easier to remove because they don;t grip metal the same way).I have NOT had experience removing the shaft from the bottom of the seat. This was a bit more difficult than I expected especially considering the small amount of the shaft that is inserted into the hole on the seat.I would recommend this item without hesitation.