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Lubricating the sliding door

8K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  cowboydan 
#1 ·
What is recommended to use to lubricate the sliding door, and where are the lubrication points.

Is there anything special I should pay attention to, to avoid problems?

Michael
 
#7 ·
chevy57bert said:
mrosspa said:
What is recommended to use to lubricate the sliding door, and where are the lubrication points.

Is there anything special I should pay attention to, to avoid problems?

Michael
I would clean up the sliding door brackets with the rollers on it..+ the rails they traveling thru..
Mud will let the door scream when open or closing it.. or if the rubber shell is broken / gone..
Those Roller bearings can not be lubricate.
If they are noisy , replace them.. (expensive..)
define can not be lubricated. if your refering to packing with grease, i agree. but i can clearly see all three roller bearings on my van and the wd40 straw has no trouble getting the juice to the rollers. when i got my van, i could bearly open the sliding door. now even my 4 yr old girl can open the door and it rolls smooth. i have used just wd40...jmo
 
#8 ·
I use chainwax on mine . ( you lube motorcycle chains with it, it smells like cosmoline)
 
#10 ·
Lets say that the sliding door hardware is suseptable to a variety of use and abuse. The best way I have found to keep the rolling stock in order is to clean out the lower recessed track and roller assembly with liberal doses of compressed air, followed by liberal doses of CRC or WD40. (The trick here is to use a lubricant that will dry, so as to not attract dirt.) Blow out the rear roller/latch and track assembly (middle of the door) and follow up with the same lubricant as afore mentioned. The upper roller should only need a few squirts of lube, but a quick spray of the entire track will serve to keep down metal to metal wear.

While discussing the sliding door, also inspect the rear roller/latch assy to ensure the "popout" spring is not missing or broken. It's the gizzy that pops the rear of the sliding door out when the handle is activated to "open".

It's a good idea to clean and lubricate all the locks, levers, hinges, rollers, and slides on a regular basis. Especially when you consider the type of material that is used on the door handles. Seems like they were designed to fail and I've replaced more than a few over the years. When I do an oil/filter change every 5K, (about 3x/yr), I also lubricate all the locks, etc, and last but not least I add a can of injector cleaner to the fuel.

Needless to say, the doors, etc work as advertised each and every time. Keep on truck'n

Bob
 
#11 ·
chevy57bert said:
cowboydan said:
define can not be lubricated.
The bearings I have are sealed and have grease in them already..
They even have a kind off rubber tire to keep the noise down.. ( bought them in a Bearing shop)
Just the lower big sliding door bracket comes from GM. (about 75 USD)
i can't tell if mine are sealed or not. but mine do have a rubber coating. im guessing when the rubber wears out i'll have to replace, but for now the door works great with wd40
 
#14 ·
FYI,

WD 40: Trade mark for a penetrating lubricant, with solvent qualities. Discovered on the fortieth concoction which was supposed to be a Water Displacing agent. Turns out that it did a whole lot more than what they originally wanted it to do, including displacing water. Some mechanics use it as a homeopathic pain reliever for arthritis. Dunno if it really works or if it is placebo as an Rx, but I do know that when I get it on my hands, even when the stuff dries, my hands still feel oily. Silicone is not a penetrant, or a water displacing agent, but I will grant you that it also feels slippery as all getout when I spray my hands. Silicone is really great for rubber nourishment, mounting tires, keeping door seals working, and the like as it also lubes after the carrier dries out.

Bob
 
#15 ·
I know all about WD's devolpment, it was developed at the request of the US military (specificaly the Air Force) and, as you say, does many things well (might have to try it on my arthritic knees, now :lol: )
I also know it'll ruin bicycle and motorcycle chains (even pre o & x ring types) and didn't do squat for the squeeking sticking door on my boss's Astro, whereas silicone spray lubricant fixed it. WD worked great, however, on the stuck throttle body throttle shaft some yahoo brought me after he'd sprayed it with white grease and made it worse :lol:
Note that I didn't say it had no lubricating ability, just that it's more a penetrant.
Also a solvent. That could wash away the original lubricant in the bearing. Like it does on bicycle and motorcycle chains.
 
#16 ·
RECox286 said:
Some mechanics use it as a homeopathic pain reliever for arthritis. Dunno if it really works or if it is placebo as an Rx, but I do know that when I get it on my hands, even when the stuff dries, my hands still feel oily.
Bob
I know, If I get a lil down, I huff it...

It always helps me feel better...

Jim
 
#17 ·
astroturf said:
RECox286 said:
Some mechanics use it as a homeopathic pain reliever for arthritis. Dunno if it really works or if it is placebo as an Rx, but I do know that when I get it on my hands, even when the stuff dries, my hands still feel oily.
Bob
I know, If I get a lil down, I huff it...

It always helps me feel better...

Jim
LMAO, good one 'Turf. BTW, silicone isn't good for rubber, it seals in any contaminants . It's also one of the worst things you can treat your vinyl or leather interior pieces with. It's great for waterproofing shoes, boots,tents.................and the list goes on.
 
#21 ·
i just cleaned all the silicon spray that my dad put on his cars' joints. what a mess... wd all the way
and if wd40 kills bikes...mine didn't get that memo ! i've had it for almost 20yrs have never replaced anything except the tires and seat. the only lube used on it is wd40 once a year and stored outside.
 
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