Ultra Mek Mechanism issue: ottoman support in "tv recline" barely stays up

HI,
I've been shopping around a fair amount for a recliner and I was initially settled on BY, however in everyone of the BY recliners I sat in, the ottoman failed to support my legs in the "TV recline" position. I could sit in the chair with the ottoman up, but if I moved or applied the slightest downward pressure with my legs, the ottoman would simply fold back down. This is making me re-think my desire for BY (or any Ultra-Mek mechanism). This was not the case with H&M recliners I sat in - these recliners provided plenty leg support and the ottoman was locked firmly in place unless I applied a fair amount of downward force. I know the mechanism between the two brands are different Ultra-Mek for BY and L&P for H&M, which would explain things, so my questions are:
1) Is this common for the BY w/ the Ultra-Mek mechanism?
The salesman mentioned that the BY chairs I was sitting in were not balanced to my weight (6'3" 165lbs), so
2) Is there a way to adjust the Ultra-Mek to provide more resistance to the ottoman?
3) I did look under the chair and saw no obvious adjustment (no wing nuts, etc), so assuming no adjustment is available, what about swapping out the springs for springs that have a bit more resistance.

thanks for your input!

Some mechanisms have adjustable spring tension and some do not. You don't mention which model B-Y this was so I can't tell you if there is a tension adjustment to it or not. When they build these pieces, they don't know if the user will be a 5' 4" 110 lb lady or a 6'3" 275 lb. man so they try to find middle ground on the tension so that it suits most people. I suspect the one you tried is an anomaly, as that's not typical for B-Y recliners.

Hi,
sorry I thought I replied, but does not appear to have been posted...
I tried a number of BY recliners Haskins (5007), Yorba (4508), schaumberg (4009) [this one at two different Stickly Audi stores], Hobson (5005), and a few others, so I'm not sure it was an anomaly. Yes some of the chairs were a bit tighter than others, but in all, none provided the tentsion to the ottoman in TV mode as the several H&M models I tried (Ghent - NC7000 and Greyson - 1054). Would a spring with a higher tension resolve this?
thanks

Unfortunately you cannot add a spring or request a tighter adjustment, they are what they are when they come out of the box. I have a solution to your dilemma however, simply get a motorized one, either plug in the wall or rechargeable battery. Problem solved.

wow - great idea! Can you give me an estimate for the upcharge for a motorized mechanism (plug in)?

$ 175 per seat for motorized plug-in. $ 306 per seat battery powered (rechargeable)