Monitor Arm Keeps Dropping or Rising? Find the Moving Part First
If a monitor will not stay where you put it, watch what moves. The whole arm can drift, the screen can tilt at its head, or the base can shift against the desk. Each needs a different check. Support the display before touching an adjustment screw, and keep it supported as you work.
Start by separating a balance problem from a loose connection. Tightening the wrong screw can leave the original problem unchanged.
Watch the arm, screen and base separately
| What you observe | Where to start |
|---|---|
| The whole arm lowers or rises after positioning | The weight carried by the arm and its lift-balance adjustment |
| The arm stays at height but the screen tips forward or back | The tilt joint immediately behind the screen |
| The plate or display connection moves | The mounting plate, locking hardware and monitor screws |
| The base shifts or the desktop visibly flexes | Stop moving the display and assess the desk attachment |
| The image shakes when you type | Check the desk, fixing point and arm position together |
If another person is helping, have them support the display while you watch the connections. When fitting a monitor for the first time, keep hold of it until the plate is secured and the arm holds its position.
Check the carried weight
Use the monitor's weight without its original stand. Include any mounting adapter or accessory that the arm will carry. Both ends of the supported weight range matter: a very light display can rise because it does not provide enough load for the spring-balanced mechanism.
| Hexcal arm | Flat display | Curved display |
|---|---|---|
| Single Monitor Arm | 3–11 kg | 3–11 kg |
| Heavy Duty Monitor Arm | 2–27 kg | 2–22 kg |
| Monitor Mount System — Dual Arms | 2–20 kg per arm | 1–14 kg per arm |
Check each monitor separately in a multi-screen setup. If a display is outside the supported range, further tightening will not make that combination suitable.
Find the lift-balance adjuster
The lift-balance adjuster changes the spring force that supports the arm as it moves up and down. It is separate from the screw that holds the screen's tilt angle. On the Single Monitor Arm, the balance screw is beneath the round cover at the rear of the arm, just above the upright. On the Monitor Mount System, it is at the pole end of the upper arm. Look directly at the balance screw when judging the turn direction.
Keep the monitor attached and support the arm horizontally throughout this adjustment. Have someone help if you cannot support the display and use the tool comfortably at the same time.
| Hexcal arm | If the whole arm drops | If the whole arm rises |
|---|---|---|
| Single Monitor Arm | Turn the balance adjuster clockwise | Turn it counter-clockwise |
| Monitor Mount System, single- or dual-screen configuration | Turn the balance adjuster counter-clockwise | Turn it clockwise |
| Heavy Duty Monitor Arm | Turn toward the + marking on the adjuster | Turn toward the − marking on the adjuster |
Use the row for your arm: the Single Monitor Arm and Monitor Mount System turn in opposite directions. If you cannot identify yours from its shape and desk attachment, send Hexcal support a photograph.
The two directions are not a mistake on Hexcal's part. The Single Monitor Arm and the Monitor Mount System are different mechanisms sharing one instruction format, and each manual describes its own spring. Follow the row for the arm you own rather than the first manual you find.
Adjust gradually with the arm supported, checking whether it holds its position. Stop when it does, and never force the screw past its limit.
Supported does not mean comfortable. The balance adjuster is tuned to hold the mid-range of that weight window; a screen sitting at the very bottom or top of it leaves the spring fighting a load it was not set for. A display that still drifts inside the supported range after adjustment is usually carrying too little load for the spring's fixed pre-tension, not failing.
Two situations push a screen toward the bottom of its support before the arm fails:
- A mounting adapter. A plate, bracket or VESA adapter between the screen and the arm can add both weight and leverage. Check whether it changes what the arm is carrying before you touch the adjuster.
- A screen that does not match the hole pattern. A heavy panel on a plate that needs extension pieces spreads the load differently and can create movement the arm was not balanced for. If the plate flexes, stop adjusting.
When adjusting is not enough
Some movement does not come from the spring. Use the description below to decide whether to keep adjusting or stop and get help.
| What you hear or feel | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| The arm drops again straight after balancing | The carried load is above the supported range, or the spring is not holding its setting |
| The arm holds, then sinks slowly over a day | A borderline load. Check the carried weight before you turn the screw again |
| A creak at one joint when you move the screen | A connecting part under load. Check the plate and screws first |
| The arm moves unevenly through its travel | Not the spring alone. Support the screen and have the joint assessed |
| The screen moves but the arm does not | Tilt head or mounting plate, covered in the next section |
Treat a tipping screen as a separate problem
When the arm holds its height but the screen tilts, the relevant joint is directly behind the display. Changing the lift balance will not tighten that joint.
Support the display and inspect the head connection. If the mounting plate moves relative to the screen, check that the plate is seated and locked and that the screen's mounting screws are secure. If the plate is stable but the head rotates, the tilt joint needs attention. Have support identify its adjustment point from a photograph if it is not clearly marked; avoid loosening an unfamiliar fastener while it carries the screen.
A deep curved display places different demands on the tilt head from a flat display of the same weight. The heavy duty arm selection guide covers the weight and mounting checks before you consider a replacement.
Stop if the fixing point moves
A shifting clamp, a moving mounting plate or a damaged contact surface needs an installation check. More spring tension cannot secure the arm to the desk.
With the display supported, check whether the base sits flat, the clamp grips a suitable solid area and the monitor connection is fully seated. The desk mounting checklist helps identify blocked clamps, unsuitable surfaces and mounting dimensions. If the desktop flexes or the attachment remains uncertain, stop using the arrangement until it has been assessed.
Finally, look at the cables. A taut lead can pull the screen or resist the arm's movement. Free the route and check the positions you use with the monitor cable routing guide.
When contacting support, send the product name or a photograph of the arm, your display model, its mounted weight and photographs of the desk attachment and monitor connection. A short video of the moving part helps distinguish a balance adjustment from a problem at the head or base.
Before you call support. Photograph the adjuster and the marking on it, the plate where it meets the screen, and the desk attachment from underneath. Include the display model and its weight without the stand. The turn direction alone identifies most arms; the photographs settle the rest.