assembling bball hoop.jpgA few months ago I forewarned yous of the acme 3 things to know before assembling a Lifetime Basketball Hoop. Today, I'm going to share with you some of the specific hurdles I alluded to in that mail that nosotros crossed forth the way when assembling our own Lifetime Basketball Hoop (model 90228). To be honest, I'm kind of embarrassed to share my story with you given some of the pretty major "oopsies" we had.  Subsequently all, since I work for Lifetime, you'd recollect I'd know how to assemble the products.  Non necessarily truthful.  This was my first fourth dimension assembling a Lifetime Basketball Hoop.  Let'due south just say, I can definitely empathize with our customers at present!

Earlier nosotros started assembling, we laid out all of our parts and pieces to make sure we could easily find everything.  Thankfully, all the parts and bags of hardware are labeled well. Just read what part you need in the directions, expect at the parts list in the forepart of the educational activity manual to come across what bag the part is in, and find the matching hardware bag.

The first few steps seemed pretty easy. Then, we came to the step of putting the poles together (department one.5). Since I work for Lifetime and hear from a lot of customers, I knew this is ane of steps that is well-nigh often washed incorrectly. If you jam the poles together too soon, they will exist stuck together incorrectly and you are unable to split them.  (If this happens to you, please telephone call the Lifetime Customer Care department!)  But, if you follow the instructions, there are petty alert signs in the corner of the pages that try to highlight areas that may be challenging and crave attention to detail.  So, nosotros took our fourth dimension and  - ta-da - poles were assembled with no issues.

Oops #1
But then nosotros got to department two.2  - inserting the beam through the cycle, through the pole, and through the other wheel.  Directions say, "Then have one adult position the Lesser Pole (ALE) within the Base as shown with the lip at the bottom of the pole facing outward."  Key word:  Lip. For some reason, nosotros thought lip simply meant "edge" of the pole. Just, look carefully at the lesser of the pole!  I side has a curved edge that about looks similar it's dented - this is the lip!  Brand certain that lip faces away from the base!  (You'll find out why that's important actually soon, I hope. Read on…)

Oops #ii
During department 2.3 we attached the pole braces to the base of operations - backwards. Sigh.  Not a huge deal, because we apace noticed when we tried to attach the braces to the pole and the hardware wouldn't fit through the holes.  Tip: Look at the picture closely to really effigy out which end of the pole brace goes where.

We made it to section 3 in exactly one 60 minutes. Yay!

Oops #3
So, it turns out department 5.2 was our nemesis in more ways than 1.  First, we were supposed to bend the stop of the Cotter Pivot later we inserted it into the Clevis Pin. (Sounds more like medical surgery than basketball associates, huh?)  The diagram is a little disruptive to really understand what it should look like finished, so I took a flick to hopefully make it a little easier for yous.  Merely, that was minor compared to the next hiccup…if you tin fifty-fifty phone call information technology that.  A circular pole is round…it has no forepart or dorsum.  Correct? Wrong!  Unfortunately, nosotros didn't detect that we put the pole on the base backwards (like I mentioned in Oops #2) until this department five.2. when it was time to attach the aligning mechanism to the pole.  Hmmm, that's odd... our adjustment mechanism is on the front of the pole instead of the back of the pole similar it should be.  (Insert several big screams, throwing of tools etc.)  Yep, nosotros painstakingly took off the backboard, removed the wheels and pole, and reassembled it all correctly.  It took every ounce of muscle and patience we had, but it was possible. Not like shooting fish in a barrel, not quick, but possible.cotter pin.jpg

Fast forrard one hour… at present we were back on track.

The rest of the assembly was like shooting fish in a barrel to understand, just awkward to accomplish at times. Awkward because once y'all accept the backboard on the pole, you lay the arrangement forward and have ane developed hold it while yous stop attaching the adjustment machinery arms. We were hesitant to put whatever weight on the rim until the system was assembled but my artillery were getting tired from holding the heavy system!  Then, we ended up using a sawhorse to help me back up the weight of the system.  It's non in the transmission, simply information technology worked notwithstanding.  The next morning time, we let our kiddos climb up on the pace ladder and aid with the last final stride... hanging the net!net.jpg

Nosotros really did try to make a video to document our assembly and aid yous. However, because we ended up having to reassemble so many steps, I fear it would but be more confusing than helpful.  Nosotros'll come across, maybe I'll get motivated to edit it someday. In the concurrently, hopefully these few words of wisdom, er circumspection, will help. In all, with our ane hour redo, it took united states of america 4 hours to get together.  So, hopefully, you'll have less do-overs than us and finish in near three hours.

Now that's it's been several months since we assembled our basketball hoop, the assembly headaches are long gone.  They've since been replaced with fun family memories of playing H-O-R-S-E and Around the World with our kids and neighbor kids.