Patio door hard to slide

[Rebel1]

When I first encountered this problem a couple of years ago, all that anyone previously had done was lube and clean the tracks. I sprayed the roller axles (probably used WD-40) and it made a dramatic improvement. The problem has now returned. Spraying the axles no longer has much effect.

What's really puzzling is that the owner says even during the winter (central NJ), some days it will be fairly easy to slide; other days not so.

One side of the door faces the normal living space, so is exposed to ambients around 70F. The "outside" faces an enclosed sun room with a jacuzzi. During the summer it gets very hot; I don't know how cold it gets during the winter.

The wheel axles face the outside and are easy to spray without removing any trim plugs.

The door is a bit bigger than 44"W x 88"H. It's double-paned, so even under ideal conditions its heavy weight makes it somewhat hard to slide. As I recall, its a metal frame. I don't know the brand.

I don't feel any flat spots on the wheels or the track, but I haven't been in the house for over six months; things may have changed.

Thanks for your suggestions.

R1

[gfretwell]

I would take the trucks out and see if you can match them up. New ones will make a world of difference.

[Ed Pawlowski]

They may feel OK, but with the weight of the door they don't work well. Easy and cheap enough to just replace them and you are good for another 15 years or so.

[21blackswan]

someone is going to make a small/large fortune, by inventing a new way to get out onto the patio, with a large glass door, or doors

I've always had some issue with my sliding glass doors, from to the screen, to the tracks, to the doors themselves...

marc

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, If you used WD40, you just cleaned things. WD40 is not a lubricant. Probably white Lithium grease spray is better choice. They stay and work on all temperature range.

[Rebel1]

Great tip. I'll try that next week. Thanks.

R1

[micky]

i CAN'T emphasize enough how heavy the door is, because the first time one finds out for sure, as opposed to just reading about it, is when he's trying to keep from falling and the door crashing on top of him.

But I'm not saying you need two muscular pros. I'm only 5'8" of average build, with a little extra experience maybe staying upright. One other average guy would have been plenty** The big problem for me, alone, as that a) I didn't realize how heavy it was until it was tilted and the top was weighing down on me. At that point, the bottom was about to slide away from me, So maybe have a rubber mat or something non-skid to rest the door on, a plan where to put the door, and wear shoes that don't slip, not just socks.

I'm not sure about leather gloves, even though there are no sharp edges. Leather gloves seem to double one's strength, but they make it harder to feel what's happening.

**Unless he was like my next door neighbor. I asked him for help lifting a sidewalk square and he came over with his own gloves, pink dishwashing gloves. It's not that they're pink and girly, it's that they'll rip immediately and if he doesn't know that, it's like he'd never done any hard work. I provided a pair of leather construction and he was strong enough, but when I mentioned putting the square back, he never volunteered again.

[bob haller]

WD40 is NOT a lubricant, it gets gooey over time....... and might be the cause of things getting stiff

[Ed Pawlowski]

According to the WSD-40 company it is a lubricant

[Stormin Mormon]

According to Confucious, Aristotle, and the Bible, WD-40 is a short acting lubricant.

Confucious Say man who need to use WD-40 need to use short straw.

After consulting with the Greek God Homerepairus, it has been revealed to me that WD-40 is a short acting lubricant which is not suitable for sewing machines or electric fans. Aristotle

And it came to pass that Stumped Moron did need a lubricant for his equipment. And it came to pass that he arose early in the morning to use WD-40 because the LORD had revealed it would be short acting and gum up. Handyman 4:31

[micky]

Yeah. I don't have any but I'm sure they're good. Might solve the "can't feel what's happening" problem.

Aslo rubber but nowhere near as fragile as the pink Rubbermaid dishwashing gloves my neighbor brought.

I couldn't follow this description.

Or this.

I have two sliding glass doors, one wider than the other. Double pane glass. I couldn't carry either with one hand, I'm pretty sure, no matter what technique I used. If the panel (glass door?) is standing up, and I lift it at the side, there will be a tremendous force on the lower corner away from my hand, to turn horizontal instead of standing up. See what I mean--I didn't follow you.

[Rebel1]

Novel approach: don't use the roller wheels at all.