Slide drag

[danaw]

Hope I don’t get that type exposure

 

[Mikelff]

Cable slides. I will try the app. I am a little apprehensive about adjusting slides, but I guess it couldn’t be too hard
Thank you

You will need the tools required to be able to replace those cables. Proper crimpers and such. There are plenty of utube videos you can go to and see how to do it, and/ or go to the BAL website and watch their video. It’s a lot of work but you could probably do it with the needed tools. You will need a good helper. It’s really not a one man job. Keeping a spare cable is a good idea. Lots of folks with cable slides keep spares on hand. You will also have to learn how to adjust your slide cables in order to effect a proper replacement. If you are breaking cables, it is likely your cables are not properly aligned where they attach to your slide. They should be straight and level, not kink when the slide closes or opens all the way. They should be level in and out and also not rub anything during the in and out process. It is common that the factory does not do a good job of attaching the cable anchors to the slide. Making the adjustment is easier than replacing the cable. Heavy stress can also cause cable failure. This is why you should learn how to make tension adjustments to your cables. You also need to keep the underside of the slide clean as much as possible. I also use slide treatment to keep my slide outside bottom treated/ lubed and this helps a lot. Just spray it on and wipe off excess thoroughly. Big slides will bow in the middle over time because of the weight. The slide ski’s Chuck has posted do the job. Hope this helps.

 

[BuckandTeresa]

Good answe Mikelff! I had to buy an $80 crimper and $30 cable cutters at Home Depot, but with my son helping we knocked it out in about an hour. I now keep a spare cable kit with me.

 

[twindman]

I am lucky to have always owned a rig with hydraulic slides. 2006 Montana and 2013 Mountaineer. I have never had a problem with the hydraulics - knock on wood (dang I should not have mentioned this). Seems these cable slides are pretty much junk.

 

[monothome]

Both my big cable slideouts were dragging and tearing up the darco underneath. Last summer I added plastic skis to the outer two rollers, one on each edge of the LR slide. There were only two, although I’ve heard Lippert recommends one every three feet or so. These rollers had a compressible rubber block inside as a shock absorber. I added 3 more identical rollers from Amazon, took maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Lots of YouTube videos showing you how. My kitchen slide started dragging, wearing the darco underneath and making a screeching, binding noise just before stopping inbound. I checked by looking underneath and feeling the rub strip (no rollers on the heavy kitchen slide!) and determined it was a half inch high rub strip. Some are 3/4”, and you must buy the correct height rollers! Again, I found a bunch of YouTube videos showing how to do it. It is simple! Just jack up the floor enough to clear the rub strip, mark and cut the flexible rubber weather stripping to fit where you want the roller, zip five roofing screws with rubber washers attached, lower the Jack, rinse, repeat, four more times (5 rollers total). The first roller install on the kitchen slide I cut the rub strip and extension out, thinking the roller would interfere (it didn’t), some YouTube guys said to remove it, others said no. My rub strip was barely worn after five years, but it was wearing out the darco underneath. You don’t need to cut the rub strip out, the rollers are outside of it, and you don’t need to cut the lower hard plastic of the rub strip extension, it is 1/8” high or slightly less, and the “L” of the metal roller can rest on top of it no problem. Less than an hour to add all 5. Now, my slideouts move smoothly in and out, no binding or screeching.

I used these rollers.
Kitchen:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1CHV6PC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

LR compressible roller:
P854282R COMPRESSION ROLLER ASSEMBLY RIGHT HAND FOR FLUSH FLOOR – BAL RV Products

Rubber block (not included with roller):
F854734 COMPRESSION BLOCK FOR FLUSH FLOOR 4.00 INCH WIDE – BAL RV Products

I know it has been a bit since your post but was hoping you recalled some detail. I have a 293RK with a similar slide setup to your large non-kitchen slide. You indicated that you "added 3 more identical rollers from Amazon" but the Amazon rollers in your next post were not the compression type. Were they the compression type from BAL? How did you mount them? I have two long supports where the rollers are and 3 shorter supports in the center below the steel tray the compression rollers are bolted to, did you align the rollers to those shorter supports? Thanks in advance! Moe

 

[BuckandTeresa]

I know it has been a bit since your post but was hoping you recalled some detail. I have a 293RK with a similar slide setup to your large non-kitchen slide. You indicated that you "added 3 more identical rollers from Amazon" but the Amazon rollers in your next post were not the compression type. Were they the compression type from BAL? How did you mount them? I have two long supports where the rollers are and 3 shorter supports in the center below the steel tray the compression rollers are bolted to, did you align the rollers to those shorter supports? Thanks in advance! Moe

Check the post above with the rollers listed where they go. My original post was wrong, I used the non-compressible Amazon rollers (5) on the kitchen slide, and on the LR slide the three new compressible rollers plus rubber blocks from BAL, ordered by my RV parts shop. Make sure you match your existing ones.

I think it would make sense to mount them directly above your under-tray supports, as long as these are fairly evenly spread across the slide floor for balance. I mounted them by jacking the floor clear and blocking it up, then pre-drilled holes and screwed self-tapping roof screws with rubber washers straight in from the side, parallel with the ground. I think the roller had five holes on the side, so I used it for a template to drill slightly smaller holes into the steel backing. I’ve had zero problems with this installation.

I would get some of the flexible hard plastic slides or skis to install them above your rollers at the same time. These will protect your darco layer on the bottom of the floor. You can find more info on Youtube and find them on Amazon.