6 replies to this topic

[BoyFallDown]

I have to tighten the friction locks on my wheelchair every couple days because they suck terribly. I'm thinking about getting D's locks (http://www.dslocks.net/ video), but like EVERYTHING for wheelchairs, they are pricey, $500ish. Has anyone tried these and are they worth the investment?

Thanks!

[Astack23]

i have d's locks on my chair. They're good because they lock the wheel. Its a simple lever that makes them lock. They work well for me. But they are pricey.

[qbounce]

I originally wanted D's locks too, but at the time the owner/designer said they wouldn't work with XCore wheels, so I went with scissor locks instead. Wouldn't you know it, the guy who referred me to D's now has scissor locks too. (his cable broke).
Another issue with them is sometimes the pin doesn't properly lock in it's respective notch, causing the metal plate to break. This only happens when the lock is set while in motion though, like an emergency break.
For the money, I couldn't justify getting them now, and I've never had an issue with the scissor locks the entire six years I've had them. In fact I just had a tech look at them yesterday, and although he said the spring has worn over time, they still function perfectly. I'm.actually having them replaced anyway as a preemptive measure just in case, as they have outlived their life span.
Anyway, you do what feels right for you.

[BoyFallDown]

That's an option I hadn't thought about. How do scissor locks work? I cant find much info about them on google.

[Ches]

Ive been looking into replacing my old worn pair as well..and haven't found much useful info online. Pictures all look fuzzy n like the same brake. I saw the D's and wondered..thanks for the review.
Any info would be appreciated!

[araitn]

I've had D's Locks on my chair for close to three years now. They are so easy to operate and lock both wheels with the push of one lever. The lever can be mounted in various areas. Mine happens to be mounted under the front right side of my seat. They keep your chair secure and in place although there is a little bit of play even when locked. I absolutely loved them until about three months ago. Here's the story:

One day I pulled into my driveway at my house and did my regular transfer out of my vehicle into my chair. I went to unlock my D's and the handle just moved with no reistance. I'm thinking wtf, the pistons were stuck in the locked position and would not unlock. So, I'm stuck sitting in my chair and unable to move. Luckily there were a couple of guys installing hardwood in my house and I was able to yell at them and they came out with their allen wrenches and loosened the brackets that hold the pistons in place which effectively unlocked my brakes.

I called Steve, the owner of D's locks, the next day and he promptly answered the phone and said it sounds like you have a broken cable inside your junction box. He said, no problem, I'll send you a replacement set of cables today for no charge. I asked about installation and he said it is straight forward and should be an easy fix. I received the new cables in less than a week and I'm thinking, man this is some pretty good service.

Now the bad news. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to mount the cables. It's a long story and almost impossible for me to describe the install problem, but it has to do with getting the cable end locked into the piston. I tried calling Steve for over a month with no answer and no return phone calls. How could he answer on my first call and then no response after that?

I screwed around with the cables for hours on end with no luck. I have two brothers, one is a mechanical engineer and the other is a certified bicycle technician. Both tried to install the cables and they said it just isn't happening and I need to either get Steve to send me a whole new system or send him all my parts and let him assemble them and ship them back to me. I've found out that he is going to be at the Abilities Expo in Atlanta in February, so I'm just waiting until then so I can get this resolved face to face.

Yeah, I've been rolling brakeless for about three months now. I never dreamed I would be able to get by without brakes, but it's not really been that bad overall. I've not had my chair roll away from me yet, but there has been a couple of close calls. The most aggravating thing is trying to stay still on uneven surfaces, especially while trying to eat at a table or doing some task that I would normally put my brakes on for leverage.

To end this ramble, D's locks are wonderful...... unless they tear up and then you could be stranded!

Not sure what my long term solution for brakes will be? Ain't nothing easy about this rolling around life.

[BoyFallDown]

Thanks! That's the kind of info I was looking for. I don't think I like the idea of a little play even when they're locked, and it sounds like if they malfunction you could end up being majorly screwed. That would have been bad if you were in the middle of a parking lot or something when that happened.

Edited by BoyFallDown, 29 January 2012 - 06:19 PM.