Good afternoon! I have a 2003 Freightliner 3500 140 dually and the sliding door is a little sticky. You have to yank it pretty hard initially to open it and it does not slide smoothly from there. It does close nice and straight without having to slam it. Does anyone have recommendations on a lubrication routine or other suggestions for making it easier to open and close the sliding door? Thank you in advance.
Sliding door lubrication recommendations?
- Thread starter djgelb
- Start date
Maine-coast
Well-known member
lobsta
Active member
Cleanliness is usually a good start.
Are your slide rails all gummed up with murk..?
Since they are pretty exposed, there have been instances where folks spilled stuff (say fizzy drinks or juice) which then wen to gum up the mechanisms and cause you the said grief.
After you are all cleaned up, try some moly-slip.. in not-so-mad quantities..
Are your slide rails all gummed up with murk..?
Since they are pretty exposed, there have been instances where folks spilled stuff (say fizzy drinks or juice) which then wen to gum up the mechanisms and cause you the said grief.
After you are all cleaned up, try some moly-slip.. in not-so-mad quantities..
lobsta
Active member
The lad / lass explicitly cited difficulty during opening the door.
What you are referring to is the end-stop latch holding mechanism that - as you said - will hold the door until you release it by either the inboard or outboard door handles - same action that you'd take when opening..
What you are referring to is the end-stop latch holding mechanism that - as you said - will hold the door until you release it by either the inboard or outboard door handles - same action that you'd take when opening..
lobsta
Active member
I'd check the handle itself for dirt and old grease.. then the lock / latch assembly would also be a good place to check.
If you are not well tooled, you can just go HAM with some penetrating oil (WD40) into the latch orifices to let it soak up and see if it gets better.
Here are some images of the unit removed from the door. You need some tooling to get it out.. but what you will need more of.. is grace and patience..
If you are not well tooled, you can just go HAM with some penetrating oil (WD40) into the latch orifices to let it soak up and see if it gets better.
Here are some images of the unit removed from the door. You need some tooling to get it out.. but what you will need more of.. is grace and patience..
glasseye
Well-known member
It will always require a firm yank to get it started rolling closed.
If it makes grinding noises while rolling closed, the track needs cleaning, not lubrication. Pull the scuff plate and inspect.
The roller exposed during the inspection might need a drop or two of oil, but the track needs none.
sprinter-source.com
If it makes grinding noises while rolling closed, the track needs cleaning, not lubrication. Pull the scuff plate and inspect.
The roller exposed during the inspection might need a drop or two of oil, but the track needs none.
Restoring the Slider Track
I noticed some grindy noises about midway open, so I removed the scuff plate on the slider to see what was happening under there. Seems like half of Utah had migrated inside, along with a fair bit of water over the years. The last time I was in there was in 08 when I was looking for places...
where or what is the Scuff Plate please?It will always require a firm yank to get it started rolling closed.
If it makes grinding noises while rolling closed, the track needs cleaning, not lubrication. Pull the scuff plate and inspect.
The roller exposed during the inspection might need a drop or two of oil, but the track needs none.
Restoring the Slider Track
I noticed some grindy noises about midway open, so I removed the scuff plate on the slider to see what was happening under there. Seems like half of Utah had migrated inside, along with a fair bit of water over the years. The last time I was in there was in 08 when I was looking for places...
but my grinding noise is coming from the EDIT: "Middle" track not the lower track (I didn't realize there are actually three tracks)
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glasseye
Well-known member
Scuff plate is the plastic piece over the door vestibule, the one you step up on as you enter. The screws that retain it are very hard to see, hidden under square plastic plugs 1 cm or so in size. Five, I think.
Your upper track may have debris, too. They gotta be clean.
Your upper track may have debris, too. They gotta be clean.
but again, my grinding sound is definitely coming from the middle track. (waist height)
could that be related to a dirty lower track?
If it is the middle track, that track and roller is visible looking from the correct angle. But you initially said the upper track. So if you are not sure, I would recommend removing the door, check all the roller hardware, and clean out the lower track. Multiple posts and pictures on several of these (Advanced Search in the upper right of your screen) operations - including one of my own where I was financially rewarded from some of the debris I pulled from the lower track!
my error. that was typo (now corrected)
(I didn't notice there were actually three tracks: upper, middle and lower. but of course there has to be)
bill in tomahawk
Active member
Use engine oil in a squirt bottle on the rollers and the channels.
Do the lock too.
b
Do the lock too.
b
glasseye
Well-known member
What reward? And how much? 🤪
A CND dollar
sprinter-source.com
Restoring the Slider Track
I noticed some grindy noises about midway open, so I removed the scuff plate on the slider to see what was happening under there. Seems like half of Utah had migrated inside, along with a fair bit of water over the years. The last time I was in there was in 08 when I was looking for places...
ECU
2006 T1n 118 Sprinter
I spilled a bag of quarters down the step. I'm sure some must remain.
I opened up my step once. Apparently, I had spilled a bucket of paint that some had gone down behind the step.
The dried paint was a quarter inch thick. Screws and other things stuck in the latex. Of course the drain hole was clogged.
These days, I clean it out once and a while with the magnet on a stick.
But the magnet didn't work on US quarters...
If you want to be fastidious use none-detergent oil so the dirt and grime gets pushed aside instead of suspended; Lube at least once a year. Grease might last longer but good luck getting it into all the hinges and bearings of the three rails. While you are at it you might as well do all the doors, latches, lock cylinders (use silicon spray not oil)