Machines like elliptical trainers make it easy to get in a great workout, but they are also bulky and difficult to move. Have you ever wondered how to disassemble an elliptical machine? Hundreds of people search for this every day. If so, you’re not alone in wanting to know how to take apart an elliptical.
This guide helps to understand the process of disassembling an elliptical if you ever need to relocate your machine at some point or want to sell it off. In addition, specific muscles are contacted during each step of the disassembly process, which is worth pointing out. Use the tips below to ensure you don’t get hurt or break your elliptical machine.
WHAT TOOLS WILL YOU NEED TO TAKE APART AN ELLIPTICAL MACHINE?
Your disassembly project is about to begin—and this is the part where you need to gather all the tools you need. As a result, you don’t have to stop in the middle to run for missing tools (wrench or screwdriver).
Here’s a list of some of the things you might need, though your specific situation will certainly vary:
- Screwdrivers: Have at least one Philips-head and one flathead screwdriver on hand—you may find that you have screws in both kinds, though most elliptical machines use Philips-head screws.
- Allen wrenches (also called hex wrenches): You may find these on your machine, though many of them have been replaced by Phillips screws. If your machine has Allen wrenches, they will be hex keys (hexagonal), and they usually come in sets of sizes. Keep looking; you may need more than one size.
- Pliers: You should have a pair of channel locks or regular pliers on hand, just in case you need to help hold something stable while working it loose from its spot or tighten something back up.
- Electrical tape: This handy tool can help temporarily hold wires and cables together until you get them exactly where you want them.
Pro Tips
If your elliptical is still in warranty, it’s best to use the tools that came with it. If you stored them after assembly, you could locate them now. If you don’t have the tools or they are worn out and damaged, you’ll need to purchase new ones.
You may want to go with a set of professional-quality tools if you plan to do more than one disassembly—the cost of the tools is much less than the potential for damaging your machine during disassembly.
On the other hand, if this isn’t your first disassembly and you don’t need a premium set of tools for reassembly, then a cheap set will do just fine.
CLEAN OFF EXCESS OIL FROM THE MACHINE BEFORE STARTING DISASSEMBLY
Before disassembling your elliptical, ensure that you have cleaned off any excess oil from the machine. You can do this by wiping it down with a rag. Do not use water or solvents to clean the machine; they will only make matters worse and could damage some of its parts.
If this is your first time taking apart an elliptical machine (or any other exercise equipment), do not attempt to remove any screws or bolts until you’ve learned how they hold each part together.
You could lose pieces of your special fitness equipment or cause damage that would make it difficult or impossible to repair later on.
RECORD A VIDEO OF YOURSELF TAKING APART THE MACHINE
Sometimes it is essential to keep a video recording to isolate the machine. This part will help you ensure that you don’t miss any parts when disassembling the elliptical and assembling it later.
It also helps to have a video of yourself taking apart and putting back together with your machine so that if you decide to sell it, someone can see how it works from beginning to end and understand what they’re looking at.
HOW TO DISASSEMBLE AN ELLIPTICAL MACHINE?
UNPLUG THE ELECTRICAL WIRE, OR CUT IT IF YOU CAN’T UNPLUG IT
Once you have removed the head, it’s time to disconnect the electrical wire. You will find it either behind the console or between the console and the central part of the machine. If you can’t unplug it, cut it with a pair of wire cutters.
Before cutting, make sure that you’re far enough from any sensitive parts (like an elliptical trainer). Also, don’t cut too much—just enough so that there won’t be any dangling wires or frayed ends sticking out when you’re done. When cutting electrical wires, always remember safety first!
DISCONNECT THE WIRES TO THE HEAD
First, use a screwdriver to remove any screws connecting the wires to the head. Then carefully disconnect each wire from its respective location. Finally, attach the wires to the machine in a good way with tape.
To check whether your circuit is still complete and working correctly, touch one of your multimeters leads to each end of a disconnected wire while touching another lead against an active part of your circuit (such as one that is still connected). If the multimeter beeps or lights up, then you know that this part of your circuit is still good and functioning correctly.
REMOVE THE HANDLEBARS NEXT TO THE UNIT’S HEAD
The next step is to unbolt one of the handlebars. This is usually held in place by a bolt that can be removed with an Allen wrench (or hex key). Once you have removed the bolts holding it in place, pull on both ends, and it should come off quickly.
Now that you have taken out the handlebars, you are ready to move on to removing some other parts from the unit itself.
UNHOOK THE RESISTANCE ASSEMBLY FROM THE FRAME
You’ll need to unhook the resistance assembly from the frame.
Lift on the handlebars and remove them from their holders.
Unscrew any screws that hold the resistance assembly in place, then pull it out of its straps or brackets and set it aside for later use (you can find instructions on how to operate and adjust this part of your machine at another time).
REMOVE THE PEDALS
Once you’ve removed the screws that hold the pedals in place, you can remove them from the frame. This will give you access to the pedal arms held in place by nuts on either end of a threaded rod. The nut closest to where your feet rest is easy to reach, but remove as many other parts as possible before going for tools if it’s difficult for you to get at.
Once all of these parts are removed, clean off any dust or debris accumulated inside them over time and set them aside so they won’t get lost during later steps. Now it’s time to move on!
Must Read: How To Stop An Elliptical From Squeaking
LAY OUT ALL PIECES IN ORDER AS YOU REMOVE THEM
As you remove screws and bolts, lay them out in a box or on the floor in order. This is so that when you reassemble the elliptical, you can put them back in their proper spots. Keep track of all these parts as well!
HOW TO DISASSEMBLE A PROFORM ELLIPTICAL?
There are a few different steps you’ll need to follow to disassemble a ProForm elliptical successfully. First, unplug the machine and make sure the power is off. Then, you’ll need to remove the screws from all of the feet to detach them from the machine’s frame.
Next, remove the screws from each arm and set aside any parts attached to those screws. Next, remove any remaining screws from each leg, then separate them from each other.
Finally, if you have difficulty loosening the front plate holding in all of the parts, take out that final screw and detach that plate to pull out all of your parts.
The process for disassembling a ProForm elliptical may be slightly different depending on your specific machine, but it should follow more or less these same steps.
This Video will help you to disassemble a ProForm elliptical
HOW TO DISASSEMBLE A NORDICTRACK ELLIPTICAL?
A NordicTrack elliptical will have four main parts: The base, the pedals, the flywheel, and the console section. To separate these components, you will need to remove screws around their outer edges.
Unfortunately, the screws are not marked with any pattern or identifying mark, so there is a risk of accidentally mixing up parts if you put them back incorrectly.
An excellent way to safeguard against this is to label each part as you remove it with a marker pen or tape so that when you reassemble everything, you won’t make any mistakes about where each part goes.
The base of your machine may be held on by several bolts that are slightly different from any others used in the disassembly process. You may want
This Video will help you to disassemble a NordicTrack elliptical
HOW TO PACK AN ELLIPTICAL
Packing your elliptical is a two-person job. The first step is to use the packaging tape to secure all loose parts in place. If you have any small parts that will fall off during transit (for example, the resistance knob), secure them with washers or duct tape. Now it’s time to pack!
Packing materials:
For each elliptical section, you’ll need -Tape-Packing paper. What to do:
- Lay a sheet of packing paper on the floor in front of you and place the frame on top of it.
- Next, tape down any lose pieces that might pop off during transit.
- Next, wrap a strip of packing paper around the edge and tape it down.
- Repeat this step for each elliptical section, making sure that no loose pieces are sticking out from any side or corner.
- You may have to reinforce some areas with extra packing paper if there are gaps between sections.
Once everything is wrapped up, tape everything shut securely.
CONCLUSION
This article will walk you through how to take apart an elliptical machine. You might be wondering why someone would want to do this in the first place, but there are a few reasons:
First, they could be moving and don’t want their elliptical anymore.
They need access to certain parts that aren’t easily accessible when the machine is assembled.
They want it for scrap metal or other materials like steel pipes which are valuable commodities and can fetch between $4/lb for copper or aluminum up to $20/lb for stainless steel.
Whatever your reason, we hope this guide helps make dismantling your elliptical a little easier! If you need more help with any step along the way, please feel free to reach out via our contact page.