Does your TV hang crooked on the wall mount when you turn it to the left or right, while the television hangs neatly straight against the wall? This can occur in certain positions with a single-arm swivel TV wall mount.
This is related to the construction of the arm, the pivot points, and the way the television's weight is supported.
On this page, we explain why a TV mount can hang crooked, how to adjust a swivel TV mount, and which TV wall mount may be a better alternative when you often want to turn the television far to the left or right.
Why can a TV mount hang crooked?
A television continuously exerts a downward force on the arm of the TV wall mount due to its weight. The farther you pull the television away from the wall, the greater the leverage and therefore the load on the arm and pivot points.
That is why the construction of a single-arm swivel TV mount is designed so that the last section of the arm can angle slightly upward. This compensates for the downward load caused by the weight of the television.
Without this compensation, the arm could sag further downward when extended, and the television could start to droop over time.
The fact that the arm angles slightly upward is therefore not a manufacturing defect, but part of the TV wall mount's construction.
Why does the TV hang straight against the wall but become crooked when rotated?
This is a situation that can mainly occur with a single-arm swivel TV wall mount.
When you extend the TV mount straight forward, the upward angle of the arm is distributed evenly across the television. In principle, the TV should then hang straight.
The situation changes when you extend the arm fully and then turn the television to the left or right at the final pivot point, directly behind the TV.
Because the last section of the arm angles slightly upward, rotating it also changes the position of the television relative to the horizontal line. As a result, it may appear as though the TV is hanging crooked on the wall mount.
The farther the arm is extended and the farther you turn the TV at the last pivot point, the more clearly this effect may become visible.
This does not automatically mean that the TV wall mount was installed incorrectly or is defective.
Adjusting a TV wall mount: first perform this simple check
When a TV mount hangs crooked, you can easily check whether the base of the wall mount has been installed and adjusted correctly.
First pull the TV fully straight forward, without turning it left or right.
Is the TV hanging straight?
In that case, the basic construction of the TV mount is correct in principle. If the crooked position only occurs when you turn the TV left or right at the front pivot point, this may be the effect of the single-arm construction described above.
Does the TV still hang crooked when pulled straight out?
In that case, we recommend checking the installation and adjustment of the TV wall mount. For example, check whether the wall plate is mounted exactly level and whether all fasteners and pivot points are properly secured.
Do not use only the last pivot point
With a swivel TV mount, it is important to use the arm's different pivot points.
If you pull the arm fully straight forward and then use only the last pivot point behind the TV to turn it left or right, the crooked position may become more noticeable.
Therefore, give the TV mount some room and bend the arm back slightly.
By using multiple pivot points, you change the geometry of the arm, which often allows you to position the TV more upright again.
This also gives you more options for precisely setting the desired viewing angle.
Adjusting a swivel TV mount with the adjustment screws
In addition, on many Wolff Mount TV wall mounts, you can adjust the head on which the TV is mounted.
At the back of the head are adjustment screws that allow you to correct the position of the TV. Depending on the model, you can use them to adjust the tilt and left/right alignment, among other things.
If the TV hangs slightly crooked on the wall mount, a small adjustment with these adjustment screws may be enough to straighten the screen in the most commonly used viewing position.
Which TV wall mount should you choose if you want to swivel the TV far frequently?
Do you regularly want to pull the television far from the wall and turn it to the left or right at a large angle? When choosing a swivel TV wall mount, it is therefore important to look not only at the maximum load capacity and VESA size.
The length of the arm, the number of pivot points, and the type of construction are also important.
Dual-arm TV mount: more stability
A dual-arm TV wall mount distributes the television's weight across two support arms.
This makes the construction very stable, with less movement and sagging when a larger or heavier television is positioned far from the wall.
However, a dual-arm TV mount also has a disadvantage. Due to its construction, its freedom of movement differs from that of a long single-arm TV mount.
If you want to turn the television very far to the left or right, for example almost perpendicular to the wall, a long single-arm construction generally offers more possibilities.
A dual-arm TV wall mount is therefore particularly suitable when maximum stability is more important than a very large swivel angle.
TVB-15XL: longer arm and four pivot points
Do you want a great deal of freedom of movement while also being able to determine the television's position precisely? Then the Wolff Mount TVB-15XL is an interesting alternative.
The TVB-15XL features a longer arm and four pivot points. This allows you to distribute the movement across multiple pivot points.
As a result, you do not need to pull the TV bracket out completely straight and then only rotate the head behind the television. You can use the various pivot points to achieve the desired position and viewing angle.
This allows you, for example, to leave the arm slightly angled while still positioning the television far from the wall.
The additional pivot points give you more options to:
- to turn the TV far to the left or right;
- to bend the arm into different positions;
- to adjust the viewing angle more precisely; to position the television far from the wall;
- to position the TV more to the right when it is extended far from the wall.
For situations in which the television is regularly viewed from different or wide angles, the TVB-15XL therefore provides a more finely adjustable alternative to a standard single-arm TV wall mount.
Single-arm or dual-arm TV wall mount?
The best construction mainly depends on how you want to use the television.
A single-arm TV wall mount offers plenty of freedom of movement and is highly suitable when the television needs to extend far from the wall and turn far to the left or right.
A longer single-arm TV mount with multiple pivot points, such as the TVB-15XL, offers even more options for precisely aligning the arm and television position.
A dual-arm TV wall mount provides greater stability and is particularly suitable for larger and heavier televisions. However, a dual-arm construction is generally less suitable when you want to be able to turn the television almost perpendicular to the wall.
TV mount hanging crooked? We are happy to help
Is your TV hanging crooked on the wall mount, and are you unsure whether this is caused by the adjustment, installation, or construction of the TV mount?
Please feel free to contact us.
Preferably include the television’s make and model and, if possible, a photo of the TV wall mount in both the folded and extended positions.
We can then assess whether the TV wall mount can be adjusted differently or whether another type of articulating TV mount would be better suited to the desired viewing position.
