Tips on How To Disassemble a Treadmill

So you need to disassemble your treadmill? Using a treadmill is the most enjoyable part of ownership obviously. On the other hand, assembling, placing, and moving it around can be a chore. Hopefully you did a good job in choosing where to put your treadmill, as well as assembling it, which does make a difference in the disassembly process. Whether it’s to get rid of or sell, you’ll want to keep all the parts organized. The good news is, disassembling a treadmill is easier to do alone, whereas the assembling process typically requires assistance.

If you assembled the unit yourself this will be a bit easier, but even if you did, there are lots of pieces involved here. Below you’ll see a list of tips and resources to help the project run more smoothly.

Be sure to measure your deck before disassembling or check the owner’s manual for sizes. The size and weight of the deck will be an issue when moving this once disassembled.

Find Your Owner Manual

Chances are your treadmill ownership manual is long gone by now. If you’re one of those owners who kept it in a drawer, good for you! If not, don’t worry, you can download the manual and all the part pictures online. Whether you want to know how to take apart a NordicTrack treadmill, or perhaps a ProForm treadmill, having those PDFs right in front of you will help. Treadmill models across the brands do have a lot in common, but if you’re planning sell it to someone, then handing them a copy of that manual will help them with the assembly.

Below are links to a few of the more popular models’ manuals to help give you an idea of where to start looking.

• Sole F85
• NordicTrack 1750
• Horizon T101
• Bowflex Products
• ProForm Pro 2000
• Landice Treadmills

The value to having the owner’s manual with you while disassembling is that you’ll be able to note the exact number of nuts and bolts, see in pictures where everything hooks together, and more easily take apart the unit in the order it was assembled.

Gather the Tools You’ll Need

The treadmill stands before you a large apparatus. Make sure you have all the tools ready to go so you don’t have to stop and start. Irrespective of the model in question, you’ll most likely need a:

• Phillips head screwdriver
• Power drill
• Set of sockets
• Hex wrenches (ideally the ones which came with the unit)
• Allen wrenches
• Tape measure
• Scotch tape to hold pieces together after disassembly
• Small plastic bags for the nuts, bolts, and wires
• A blanket to wrap around the monitor or touchscreen
• Bubble wrap or more blankets to keep the pieces separated
• Post-It notes for individual pieces
• Smartphone camera to take pictures of the treadmill before disassembly

Know the Main Parts and Where You’ll Put Them

The main parts to any treadmill are pretty much the same, and you’ll want to have an area ready to store them. The treadmill’s frame and rails will be the easiest to unscrew and take apart. You’ll want to wrap these in blankets or bubble wrap so they don’t get scratched, as well as place the appropriate screws and nuts into bags identifying to which piece they belong. The treadmill deck itself is typically the big deal of the day. A NordicTrack X32i measures 76.5″ x 40″ x 73″ and weighs 462 pounds, almost all of which is in the deck. The deck itself is the long running surface which contains not only the belt, but rollers, and motor as well. The bigger the unit, the heavier the deck. The treadmill console and touchscreen is also a key component and one you’ll want to have safe and secure once removed. Touchscreens and consoles can vary from a small 5″ LCD screen to a 32″ monitor full of hardware.

Next Steps

Below are general steps on how to disassemble a treadmill, but keep in mind these will vary with on the unit itself. Below are the steps required to disassemble most treadmills.

1. Unplug the Treadmill from the Power Outlet: As a rule, always unplug the treadmill before working on it. This would include working on the belt for cleaning or replacement.
2. Remove the Safety Key from the Console: A small, but very important part of any treadmill, the safety key is typically plugged into the console below the screen. Most treadmills will not work without the safety key securely in place, so put this in a separate plastic bag and keep safe. Some models will require a screwdriver to remove this piece while others you’ll just pull out.
3. Separate the deck from uprights: You’ll need the sockets for this part. Loosen the uprights from the deck and separate them one at a time. Be sure to place the bolts and screws into a separate bag and mark appropriately.
4. Disconnect the console and monitor: This can be tricky. Be sure to carefully disconnect all wires while separating the console from the frame. Keep as much of that together as you can.
5. The deck should be by itself now: Use this opportunity to clean the deck and belt. For information on how to do that, check our piece here. Don’t try removing the belt from the deck at this point unless you have to.

Prepare In Advance

Disassembling a treadmill doesn’t have to be complicated, but there will be a lot of small parts to keep together. The good news is you can probably do this in under an hour by yourself. Moving the unit is another matter and will require assistance. The key takeaways include having a copy of the owner’s manual on-hand so as to know how the unit goes together, have the proper tools ready to go, and give yourself plenty of room to keep your parts together.