Slide-out Gear Pack question

[Mikendebbie]

My dining room slide has shifted forward a smidge over the past 5 years and today I decided to re-center the slide box and perform some maintenance. The slides are working fine. I watched ChuckS Youtube videos several times (thankyou ChuckS). I loosened the 4 bolts on the end of the slide beams and tried to bump it back to center. I managed to move it about 3/16". Not sure I did the "bump" correctly...it was harder than I expected. The box is now within a 1/16" of being centered...close enough. I expected the gear teeth on the support arm/rack to better lined up with the gear teeth in the gear packs...but it is not so. I took the pics of my dining room slide below July 2019. First photo - the forward gear pack teeth line up perfectly with the rack teeth (as they did in 2019). 2nd photo the rack teeth hit about 50% of the gear pack teeth (as they did back in 2019). I don't see a way to adjust this to get the gear pack teeth aligned with the rack.

I drew some red lines on photo #3 to point out that the gear roller is NOT centered on the gear pack axle. Photo #3 is a close-up of the gear pack. The 2 red lines show about 1/8" that the gear roller (ideally) needs to move to be better centered on the rack teeth. I considered jacking the slide box up just enough to take weight off the gear pack and then use a crow bar or screw driver to try to push/pry on the gear roller to see if it would move a bit on the axle. I have not tried that yet. I thought I would post here to see if anyone has suggestions...or perhaps this is "normal"???? I think I may have a similar situation on the kitchen slide. I also have pics from 2019 to compare to today. The gear packs have been like this since day #1 when I bought it and they work fine. I would sleep better if everything lined up. Any ideas?

 

[Carl n Susan]

Hey Mike: can you post the link to ChuckS' magic YouTube video?
TIA!

 

[Mikendebbie]

Here are links to ChuckS YouTube videos for the hydraulic slide…

Thru-wall slide side-to-side adjustment…

Slide routine inspection and maintenance…

 

[Carl n Susan]

Thx Mike!

 

[twindman]

Mike, in the photo, it seems the bracket holding the drive gear is bent a little bit, causing the gear and long rack on the slide to be off. Am I correct in this thought, or is the perspective from the photo off.

 

[Mikendebbie]

Yes - I noticed that the gear pack mount appears to be slightly bent/racked to the left (which is toward the rear of the coach). I suppose I should call Lippert and get their ideas for BEATING it back to plumb.

This is my guess for the BEATING procedure…
- Jack the slide up slightly to take the weight off the gear pack
- remove the timing bar and gear pack
- insert a threaded bolt with nuts snugged up to the inside faces of the tube (both sides) to maintain tube dimension when I beat it with a sawed-off short handle BFH.
- once the tube is back to plumb - reassemble the gear pack and timing bar to see if the rack teeth line up with the gear pack.

I assume the tube has been racked like that since I bought it. The drivers side rear pack gears ALSO do not line up (see pics below) - but I have never had issues with the slides.

I don’t remember the thread topic now, but back in August 2019 (my photos are dated Aug 12 2019), there was a thread that prompted me to look at my slide gears and take pics. I posted the pics to the thread along with questions, but I don't recall getting any concerning responses, so I quit worrying about gear alignment.

Below are photos of my Driver's Side gears from 2019 and 2024. You will note that the rear gears (second set of photos) do not line up - similar situation to the passenger side rear gears not lining up with the rack. I will check plumb on all gear packs again once the sun comes up - but I don't see that the tube is bent or skewed here. However - as noted by the green lines in the bottom photo - I see a space where the gear pack teeth are NOT centered on the gear pack axle (same as the other side!). I also note that this "space" is not present on both of my forward gear packs. No idea if this is normal.

Edit: I would love for someone here to describe a situation with the slides that would cause the bend in the gear pack mounts on one side. I recall a few rough stop-n-go experiences with the slides in 2018 (BEFORE I changed out the OEM 50 amp breaker to a new 80 amp breaker). Since then - the slides go in and the slides go out...no problem! Part of me is thinking "If it ain't broke - don't fix it!"

 

[ChuckS]

When you loosen up the horizontal adjustment bolts ( 2 per each guide bar ) and shift the position of the slide you wont usually affect the gearpack teeth to guide bar teeth alignment..

I would venture that if you use a jack and lift the weight up off the gearpack teeth ( just like you would if doing gearpack replacement ) you would then be able to move the guide bar and get the teeth meshed better.

Then tighten the two horizontal adjustment bolts and operate slide a few times while observing the guide bar to gear pack teeth mesh.

** I would not recommend hitting with a hammer with the slide not lifted up vertically... all the weight is still being placed on the teeth and it might cause another unwanted issue.

I would also check the two side wear tabs located on the sides of the frame slide tube bracket and verify they have not been worn off..

** You could also have an issue with that 1 gearpack assy with one of the bronze bearings that are each side of the gearpack being worn out...

 

[Daryles]

Maybe disassemble the gear pack and put washers on the left side to shift the gear to center?

 

[Mikendebbie]

ChuckS - did you lift the slides with a jack before loosening the 4 bolts and pushing the slide box to center? I did not do that…I just loosened the bolts and started butting it with my back. Moving it the small bit that I did took LOTS of effort by myself…felt like trying to move a heavy safe on the floor.

 

[ChuckS]

If I looked at the pics correctly ( on my 2nd cup of java ) and these 70 year old eyes aint that great this early.... It appears the issue is at the FOLLOWER side gear pack and the driven side gearpack to guide bar teeth are meshed correctly..

you might also want to check the side to side adjustment for the follower bar ( there is a bolt that holds this adjustment )

If the slide is "cocked a bit" this "Might also be a contributor... the slide gear pack for the follower ( non driven ) side would be getting extra sideways pressure applied to it during movement and this could cause the guide bar teeth to shift accordingly.

 

[Mikendebbie]

I need help identifying the follower bar and its adjustment bolt.

 

[LeftOverParts]

It could be the angle the picture was taken but I noticed that the left gear shaft in picture 3 doesn’t protrude as much as the gear shaft on the right of picture 1. The hole that is drilled in the shaft in picture 3 is closer to the bracket.

 

[ChuckS]

ChuckS - did you lift the slides with a jack before loosening the 4 bolts and pushing the slide box to center? I did not do that…I just loosened the bolts and started butting it with my back. Moving it the small bit that I did took LOTS of effort by myself…felt like trying to move a heavy safe on the floor.

No I put my backside against the slide and shoved a few times .. wife came out and helped me shove a bit more and that worked ..

 

[scottandsusan]

One of our previous campers had a large living room slide that had wondered it's was forward. Probably out an inch or so. A local RV mechanic told to jack the camper up so the front is high than the rear. Then run the slide in and out a few times and it should center back up. It worked.

 

[Mikendebbie]

Gear pack update

I went out there today and took new photos and measurements.
It's weird, but the Passengeer side slide box is back to where it was BEFORE I started this re-alignment task - like I did not move/adjust it AT ALL the other day. Anyway, I took pics...see below.

I checked plumb on the gear pack mounts on each side. They are all very close to plumb. The skew in the previous photo was camera angle. Drivers side slide is good to go. For the Passenger side - I need to loosen the four side-to-side bolts and try to bump it again. Info on Lippert Now app says I might have to use a lever to pry/move the slide box horizontally..."but be careful when you attempt this"...gee thanks Lippert. I guess I will try the "butt bump" again. I need better ideas for how to move the slide and get the rear gear pack lined up for the Passenger side slide! Right now it feels like I am moving an upright piano by myself.

I wonder if it would be easier to “bump” if both sides were jacked up just enough to take pressure off of the gear packs?

 

[Carl n Susan]

I have been thinking about this issue as I have a slide which is too tight at the rear. I am thinking a floor jack under the couch side of the slide, when the slide is extended, along with loosened horizontal bolts. Then a butt bump may have less resistance with the floor jack aligned to roll forward (what I need in my case).

 

[Mikendebbie]

Great idea Carl…but my unit lives on gravel and I don’t have that big of a floor jack. I have a baby floor jack I used years ago to change tires on my lawn tractor at the time.

 

[Carl n Susan]

My Montana lives on gravel also. I made a "T" out of 4x4's that extends the reach of the floor jack so it can lift the slide. It doesn't have to be raised much -1/2" or so is plenty. I put a sheet of heavy plywood under the jack to get it off the gravel so it will roll - once again it doesn't need to go too far.
That is my plan when I get time.

 

[Mikendebbie]

One floor jack? Where on the slide would you position it?

 

[Daryles]

Could you use a ratchet strap or a come along to pull it over versus a butt bump?
More precise control of movement.