Sliding Door Lower Mechanism Replacement

I have been nursing my sliding door along for awhile now, but unfortunately it has come time that I have to replace the lower slide mechanism as the roller on the end of the mechanism's arm has totally disintegrated and fallen off.

From my searches around this forum on replacing the lower slide mechanism, it looks like the Sprinter step well liner has to be removed to replace the mechanism. On our Westfalias removing the step well liner is complicated by our extended floor that overhangs the step well and the storage compartment that is actually in the step well. I am thinking that I have to at least remove the storage compartment that hangs down from the extended floor and is riveted to the rear wall of the step well.

Before I start disassembling things, I thought I would post to see if anyone else has tackled this job on our Westfalias and could shed some light on the process to possible shorten my learning curve ?
 

hoflix

New member
I have the same problem.
I tried replacing the lower roller once, but got stuck and gave up.
The top of the compartment is glued to the wooden floor. I tried to cut the glue with a knife (broke 2), but it didn't work.

So... +1 ! if anyone knows a way, pls enlighten us
 

MrTomacco

Mr. Tommaco
I have replaced the top and middle roller and spent $200 to get it adjusted and it is too smooth now! It rolls so easy I apply too much force out of habit!. I too am stumped as how to replace the bottom roller. Do we have to remove the entire floor?
 

discus

GA Westy
I have replaced my bottom roller. Tricky and I’ll see if i can give instructions soon.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I have replaced my bottom roller. Tricky and I’ll see if i can give instructions soon.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
That would be much appreciated. My parts came today, but with Hurricane Florence coming I wont be pulling my door off anytime soon. I actually have that side of the Westfalia covered with a tarp right now.
 
The two weeks of rain we've been having finally let up so I could get to working on my door again.

I accomplished the removal yesterday and once into it, it was pretty easy only taking me about two hours. I will list the process.

1. remove black metal edging from around the Westy floor that extends over the step well by removing the visible screws and sliding trim off
2. cut black adhesive holding metal Westy step well storage bin to Sprinter step and pull storage bin out of step well (I used a short metal cutting blade in a sawzall to cut the adhesive)
3. remove single screw holding black plastic trim that surrounds front part of step well and pry black plastic trim up off of the two clips holding it in place
4. locate the square removable plugs in step that are hiding the step bolts and pry out the plugs with a tiny flat bladed screw driver
5. remove step bolts including the forward one recessed down that deep hole after fabricating an attachment for my vacuum cleaner to suck out 15 years of debris
6. briefly manipulate the now loose step and wonder how the hell it comes out from the step well given the Westy plywood floor extension that is in the way
7. pull off the sliding door seal and the right side passenger door seal from the b pillar in order to remove the grey plastic interior trim covering the b pillar
8. remove lower bolt holding the passenger seat belt to the b pillar
9. pull off the b pillar interior trim to allow more room to manipulate the step out of the step well
10. pull step up, twist and remove from step well

I was excited to see how little rust there was in my step well, especially considering some of the pictures I've seen on this forum from other Sprinters . The only real rust is surface rust caused by the lower sliding door arm sans roller scrapping the paint off of the step well. A little prep and some paint and it will be good as new.

Putting it all back in place should be pretty easy. It's adjusting the many variables on the sliding door that has me nervous. I had successfully adjusted the sliding door a couple of times previously, but only had to deal with a couple of the variable adjustments. Now that I am replacing all three of the support arms I will be starting almost from scratch on the sliding door adjustment, which seems like a daunting task. Yikes! But first, I have to wait for two more days or rain to clear before I proceed. I think I am going to order a new sliding door seal as the original one was torn some along the bottom, plus I suspect some of the leaking I was occasionally getting through the sliding door was some fatigue in the 15 year old seal.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

MrTomacco

Mr. Tommaco
You might replace one roller at a time to minimize the variables on the door adjustment. It was $200 or so to have my door adjusted at a Sprinter shop. I put sharpie marks on the parts for future reference because I had to take the rear one off because the door lock wires had gotten pinched between the door and the latch and shorted out. Be sure the wires are in the clear!
 

Riptide

Active member
Robert, don't throw away the old door seal just yet. I've replaced mine a few times, and after driving the door seal into the corners and curves of the door frame really good, I always end up with the seal a little short, as in the two ends don't meet. I used a section of another seal (about an inch or two), and glued the ends to fill the gap. I used some plastic tubing as a ferrule of sorts to slide into the round section of the seal to help align all the ends together...
 
Thanks for the suggestions MrTomacco and Riptide.

I put everything back together today, but the center roller arm wont seem to hold the door in the proper alignment. Frustrating. I posted a question in the T1N Forum asking for help.
 

MrTomacco

Mr. Tommaco
The washer is oblong and sorta cone shaped. You need to be able to rotate it some how to set the ( up and down?) alignment. Not sure how you grab it to adjust it. There is a metal tab in a slot that adjusts the bracket forward and back also. I gave up and had the pros do it. And then marked their location.
 
After several frustrating attempts at trying to get my center roller arm adjusted I took it to the professionals. I fortunately have a local non dealership shop right near my house that specializes in Sprinter Fleet maintenance. They looked at my door for about 60 seconds and immediately said that the center roller that I had purchased awhile back was a cheap Chinese knockoff that was too weak, and quickly bends with use causing the rear of the door to sag. They had seen these Chinese knockoffs several times before. They ordered a true genuine MB part directly from MB, replaced it and adjusted my door. The sliding door works so smoothly now you can close it literally with one finger. Depending on what angle the van is parked at, I actually have to slow the door down to prevent it from closing with too much force, which is something the professional who did the adjustment stressed upon me.

One interesting thing to note about their installation of the center roller arm. I purchased my 2005 Sprinter used in 2014 and the sliding door had obviously been worked on before. That big washer with one convex side installed under the bolt that holds the center arm roller to the door was always a point of interest for me. When I purchased my van the washer was installed with the convex side towards the inside surface of the door. The professionals at my local shop flipped the washer over and the convex side is now facing away from the door. I have no idea which way is OEM as I never could find a picture of it in any of the Sprinter Manuals that I looked through, but found it interesting and wanted to make note of it for other owners.

The other thing to note which I mentioned previously is that it does appear that my door seal is fatigued. When inside the van with the door closed I can see some daylight between the seal and sliding door's inner surface along the vertical leading edge of the door. I checked the adjustment tolerance of the doors leading edge and it is indeed 1 mm recessed from the B-pillar as the installation instructions recommend. So i will be ordering a new seal soon and replacing that.
 
Last edited:

onemanvan

Active member
Good feedback re: sliding door - thanks! OEM configuration of the convex washer is rounded side facing in. I imagine it's easier to adjust with the rounded side facing out. Interesting point re: the gap on the leading edge - I have the same gap! I don't think mine is due to misalignment and I don't think the weather seal is deformed. Just another quirk of the poorly designed sliding door...
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Robert,

Thanks for update. Not many people have been as lucky in getting sliding door to work.

Would it be possible to post info re shop name, service technician, time and ballpark cost?

It might be handy info for folks on east coast--perhaps even as they travel.

Note: More detailed thread by Robert on the central arm and washer:

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69769
 
Last edited:

Kiltym

Active member
We had a little daylight along the leading edge and top edge of the sliding door. I simply wiggled the gasket a bit inward and I no longer have daylight in either location. Might want to try before spending $100 on a new gasket. Our door closes pretty well, but likely not perfect, and nothing leaks, which was my primary concern when I saw the daylight "cracks".
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
In this post from the T1N thread, Ted adds some more info and photographs.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showpost.php?p=704421&postcount=11

Text (but not photos) quoted below:

As an aside, I am not convinced that the Westy needs the special "high-clearance" door roller. This was used on refrigerated trucks with a lot of insulation.

Unfortunately, the normal Sprinter center roller cannot be installed on our "high-clearance" door. You can tell our doors are special because they have that little cutout for the unique roller. The way the center roller attaches is unique to our doors. The threaded bolt is in a different place, and a tab on the regular hinge doesn't line up.

At a German Westyfest some years ago I saw a van with a normal Sprinter door (and normal roller.) They were not the first owners so they didn't know anything about it, but their door worked fine and still had the interior panel with roller blind, etc.

The normal roller -- by virtue of its shorter length and forked design -- is a much sturdier item. Even the OEM Mercedes part is a pot-metal thing that doesn't have enough stiffness to do the job.

Our door is rusted and when we eventually replace it I will report back on the regular roller.

Ted

p.s. If the seam at the rear of your door is split, get some oil in there and tape it up to stop the rust from continuing to grow.

------------------

Note: Just a guess: the Westy may use this bigger swing out door because of the relocated door lock knob. On our Westies, we have the roller shade on the sliding door. Our door lock knob is thus relocated slightly so as not to be in the roller blind space. When you open the sliding door all the way, the door lock knob just clears the rear window weatherstripping.
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Also, according to the Europarts-sd.com site, our Westy version of the sliding door allows it to be locked in a partially open position. I don't know how this works??? Anyone know?

https://europarts-sd.com/mfg-subcat-item.asp?cID=97&scID=144

Center Door Slide Mechanism OUTER SLIDE 2002-2006 (GENUINE MERCEDES)
Rating: 0
Middle of right side sliding door. Located on outer portion of door.
This unit is ONLY used with those vehicles having the two stage sliding door. This option allows the sliding door to be opened
and locked at the halfway position and the full open position.
Dodge refers to this as the body slide.
Mercedes Code: T09 (Sliding Door Exterior Track)

This center door slide is a much heavier duty unit than the one shown below. If you have this version, there will be a small black plastic cover (shown below) on the outside of the sliding door, at the rear most area of the door.
Compare to INNER SLIDE shown below. The two different center slides are NOT interchangeable.

IF YOUR EXISTING PART NUMBER'S LAST TWO DIGITS ARE 04 47, ORDER THIS UNIT. IF THEY ARE 13 47, CHOOSE THE ONE SHOWN BELOW.
 
The sliding door adjustment was done by

Larrys Auto & Truck Repair
1313 Belleview Ave
Charlottesville, Va. 22901
(434) 979-3223

They charged me $107 for a new central roller arm directly from MB and 2 hours of labor at $80 per to install the roller arm and adjust the door. NOTE: ...every component on my door was loose from my recent parts replacement so they were starting from scratch and adjusting every parameter on the door.

This is my fourth trip to this shop and each time the service has been more than satisfactory.


Robert,

Thanks for update. Not many people have been as lucky in getting sliding door to work.

Would it be possible to post info re shop name, service technician, time and ballpark cost?

It might be handy info for folks on east coast--perhaps even as they travel.

Note: More detailed thread by Robert on the central arm and washer:

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69769
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that, but unfortunately got a little water through the door after last nights rain, so I will try replacing the gasket next.

We had a little daylight along the leading edge and top edge of the sliding door. I simply wiggled the gasket a bit inward and I no longer have daylight in either location. Might want to try before spending $100 on a new gasket. Our door closes pretty well, but likely not perfect, and nothing leaks, which was my primary concern when I saw the daylight "cracks".
 

Wasaabi

Sprinter Westfalia #133
Thank you for a great write up. My middle roller needs replacement. Can anyone here confirm if I can replace it while leaving the others intact such that I would only have to adjust this one new roller? I’m trying to figure out my odds of getting away with a relatively simple DIY repair using a new genuine part. Thanks.
 

Top Bottom