Easy Lift Piston Installation
This video covers the set up and installation of the gas pistons that come included in your DIY Murphy bed hardware kit.
How to Install the Easy-Lift Pistons on the Easy DIY Murphy Beds | Step-by-Step Video 4:14 Min
Below you will find the step-by-step photo instructions for installing the Easy-Lift Pistons if you rather see photo illustration instead of the video above.
At this stage, you have put all the Murphy bed parts together as instructed in the Assembly guide sections 2 to 6.
The cabinet top should be attached to the cabinet sides. The upper and lower header boards should also be attached to the rear part of the cabinet.
Your Murphy bed should be laying on the floor as you see in the photo.
With a helper, grab the bed cabinet by the header top and slowly raise it until it stands VERTICALLY.
The bed frame should remain on the floor as in the photo.
TIP: If you have hardwood or tile flooring you should place a piece of cardboard or thin plywood under your bed handles to protect your floor and handles from scratches when you raise the cabinet vertically.
The bed frame will move on the floor and cause scratches. See photo in step 4.
Grab the pair of easy lift pistons that came with your Easy DIY Murphy bed hardware kit. Look for the white arrow on the body of the pistons.
Make sure the end of the piston that says “THIS END UP” is pointing up towards you before you install them in the next step.
See photo.
The end fitting should snap onto the ball stud with minimal pressure.
Repeat for the other side until both pistons are installed.
**Important Before The Next Step**
Make sure the cabinet stopper component is not installed on top of the cabinet top because it will stop you from installing the pistons.
This is important since the cabinet stopper would stop the bed frame from falling into the cabinet.
With your helper, grab the bed frame and raise it up towards the cabinet all the way until it recesses into the cabinet at the top.
Notice how in this photo the bed frame is all the way into the cabinet. At this point, it should be resting on the upper header at the back of the cabinet.
TIP: We recommend you use a wood clamp to lock the bed frame in the cabinet so it does not fall forward accidentally.
If you have a helper nearby they can also hold on to the bed handles to hold the bed frame.
For this step make sure you have the bed cabinet 2 to 3 feet away from the wall so you can comfortably get behind the cabinet. See photo.
For this step make sure you have the bed cabinet 2 to 3 feet away from the wall so you can comfortably get behind the cabinet. See photo.
Get your helper to hold on to the bed handles in front of the bed frame and get ready to move the bed frame in and out a few inches while you are behind the bed cabinet.
Now your helper should move the bed frame in and out slowly until the end fitting lines up with the ball stud. When it does, push the piston’s end fitting onto the ball stud.
It should pop in without major effort.
IMPORTANT: You must follow these steps to install the pistons. Do not use a hammer or any other method to get the piston end fitting to connect with the ball stud. You will damage the piston. If the end fitting does not line up, see the troubleshooting tip at the bottom of this page.
In this photo, it shows the end fitting properly connected to the ball stud on the upper plate.
Repeat the sequence in this step to attach the piston on the other side.
After you have completed step 5 above, your bed frame should still recess in the cabinet a little anywhere from 1″ to 3″, as shown in the photo.
If it sticks out at the top see the troubleshooting tip at the end of this page.
Now it’s time to move the Murphy bed cabinet against the wall where you want the bed to sit. Slowly move the bed cabinet up against the wall, preferably with a helper.
Now that you have moved the bed cabinet up against the wall, use a piece of cardboard or wooden shims to shim the gap at the top between the bed frame and the cabinet. Do this on both sides as in the photo making sure the gap is even on both sides at the top.
Notice how the bed frame is shimmed at the footer end to even the gap on both sides. This is important before you anchor the bed cabinet to the wall.
Now it’s time to anchor your Murphy bed cabinet to the wall.
Refer to section 8 in the Assembly Guide for complete instruction on how to properly anchor your Murphy bed.
After you have anchored the bed cabinet to the wall, get your helper to pull on the bed handles so that your bed frame opens up a little at the top enough for you to slide the cabinet top stopper component between the cabinet sides as in the photo.
The cabinet top stopper is held in place with four 1-1/4″ long wood screws.
Also refer to section 9 in the Assembly Guide for further details.
Here is the anchored Murphy bed cabinet with cabinet stopper installed and secured to the cabinet top base.
Full-size Murphy bed is shown in the photos.
Troubleshooting Tip
If you have trouble lining up the end fittings on your pistons with the ball studs on the upper plates, chances are you have mounted the plates too high or too low on the cabinet sides.
The distance from the center point on the back of the ball stud to the end of the cabinet sides resting on the floor should be 30-3/4″ inches.
It’s ok to be off by a 1/16″ or even a 1/8″ but anything more will affect the installation of the pistons.
Refer to page 13, figure 1 on the Construction Guide for all measurements.
Congratulations! You are now done.
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