THIS IS NOT ANY KIND OF JOKE QUESTION
I AM LOOKING FOR ANYONE THAT CAN TELL ME HOW TO GIVE A (MANUEL OPERATING) WHEELCHAIR THE CORRECT MAINTENANCE
INCLUDING WHAT TYPE OF OIL IS BEST TO USE
AND WHERE IS THE MOST NEEDED AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION
I AM TRYING TO HELP A FRIEND WITH HIS MOTHERS WHEELCHAIR
SHE HAS HAD IT FOR A LONG TIME AND CURRENTLY IS HAVING A PROBLEM OPENING THE CHAIR
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANY AND ALL HELP

Please don't use all CAPS it is considered shouting on forums and is hard to read.

I don't know a thing about maintaining one, other than common sense. Barring that there is always Google to the rescue. Try here: Wheelchair maintenance

first take a good look at all moving points on the chair.all the chairs i worked on (30 years) usualy have some kind of residue in these places first try to clean this with some hot water mixed with vinegar and a few drops of dawn dish washing liquid. spray it on.let sit for a while to soften the stuff.my specialty tools are clean rags , toothbrush,toothpicks very fine sandpaper if needed or any item that gets into the tight spaces.after clean up i dry the places with a hair dryer and lubricate the points with a DRY SILICON SPRAY LUBRICANT. w40 is not a lubricant.every bicycle store sells them.DO NOT USE GREASE it atracks grime dust and dirt.the only place to use grease is on the nuts & bolts.
post a picture of the wheels and i will advise you how to service them.

by the way when you go to the bicycle store ask if they have a few used spokes. you may be surprised of how many small nooks you can get into with them.if you have a grinder use it to angle the ends of a spoke and you get a mini screw driver

Is she having trouble turning the wheels, or are there issues with removing the pedals, the leg extensions and/or the side extension, or all of these?

Can you be more specific as to what problems she is having? Sometimes there are physical issues which may have developed over the years which are independent of the wheelchair (such as arm muscle weakness and difficulty turning the wheels).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GardenSprite,

Thank You Everyone for your responses
I have a habit of typing in caps
i can see the letters better (my eye site is not that great even with my glasses)
I learned that coming to this web site
It is possible to locate people that are willing to
assist others in sharing their knowledge
I thank you All
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to All

DPR personal message me, I might have a new chair for you frodo

Frodo's last post reminded me that communities in our area often have "loan closets" for assistive devices (wheelchairs, walkers, commodes). When users are through with the devices (or pass on), they or their family may donate to the community loan closet so that their equipment can be used by others.

If your friend's mother still has problems with her wheelchair after maintenance, perhaps your friend can check with his/her local community to see about getting a newer wheelchair.

If she's covered by Medicare, sometimes a doctor will script for a scooter (a cross between a motorized wheelchair and the type of scooters seen in stores for people who need some help getting around the store).

Good luck.