by ex-Gooserider » 25 Nov 2012, 09:59
Hate to say it, but I don't think that simply changing the wheel size will make a difference in the "group" that the chair goes in....
I'm not up on all the details, but the group has more to do with the speed and power capabilities of the base, and how many options it has for extra functions like tilt / recline / etc... The descriptions I've seen don't make any mention of wheel size.
I would also be very wary of the "mix & match" approach to making the chair. Unless you have special rehab seating needs that can ONLY be met by combining hardware, then IMHO you are better off sticking with the OEM seating. I'd want to know exactly WHY they aren't wanting to sell you an OEM seating equipped chair (i.e. is this something they have in stock and are trying to get rid of by selling it to you???)
As soon as you start combining, you have the potential of buck-passing and finger pointing games if there are any problems as each maker blames the other for "causing" the issue, and can use that as an excuse for getting nasty about any warranty claims, and so on... (IIRC there was also an issue in an earlier thread where a user was having axle problems with a Frontier chair, and the claim was made that his weight plus the aftermarket seating was overloading the chair - but his weight alone was well within the ratings for the OEM chair - no comment on how replacing the OEM seat with a similar weight aftermarket seat caused an overload...)
If nothing else, I'd insist on a WRITTEN letter from each manufacturer of the parts going into the combined chair that it was an approved combination / application, and how any warranty issues would be handled...
ex-Gooserider