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schoonerman Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2008 Posts: 244 Location: vancouver
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: Sliding Door Rollers/Bearings 1985 and Newer, Alternatives |
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Moderator note: Thread title has been Changed to reflect the direction discussion has taken.
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My buddy Dave just bought an 86 Westy for $900, he has no mechanical skills so I'm helping him out.
The sliding door rear vertical wheel on the black arm broke, we removed it and got a price of $130 from the local supplier, bloody amazing!!!!
Dave said he could find one that could do the job at Home Depot, I bet him a 6pack he couldn't.
The next day he came up with a $3 patio door wheel which was just about a perfect copy, except the center hole had to be drilled out a tad to fit the shaft........it works perfect, the door slides and closes great.
He has just about drank all the beer!!!!!! _________________ 87 Westy/Vanagon |
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syncrodoka Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005 Posts: 12005 Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32576 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32576 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 1:58 pm Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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That's great Dave.
Just let me in how you secured the bearing( keep it from spinning) to drill it out so it fits the shaft. _________________ T.K. |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32576 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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Yea it is.
Kinda tight area to be putting a c-clamp in there, plus chuck it up in a vise, plus drilling hardened steel isn't no picnic if you don't have a drill press in your back pocket.
Even if you did, it would be tight clamping it down tight so it don't spin. _________________ T.K. |
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Jeffrey Lee Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014 Posts: 1488 Location: Wisconsin
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:51 pm Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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Terry Kay wrote: |
Just let me in how you secured the bearing( keep it from spinning). |
That should be an easy task for Naysay Kay, whose location is "The No Spin Zone". _________________ Camp Westfalia
Camping Tips • Newsletter • Cool Campervan Apparel
www.CampWestfalia.com |
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 3:53 pm Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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Nyet.
It is right in the middle of the spin zone.
Look, there is no way them inner races are being drilled if they are good top shelf bearings.
It'd cost a guy $1500.00 plus for a good set of titanium or cobalt bits that will cut the hardened race.
Perhaps Dave bought a water jet or lazer cutting table.
So that big savings on that bearing just blew your load on the other end.
So, the bearings are low quality moe goo gui pan, Charlie Chan bearings with mild steel races.
Junk.
And there is no way to hold them inner races to drill them.
Zero.
Your dumping new bearings in them after you Home Despoted the van slding door with the grooved outer section.
Nobody drills good hardened roller bearing races, nowhere.
So, are you saying the corner hardware store has Vanagon sliding door parts--bolt on & go? _________________ T.K. |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32576 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 6:10 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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Well good morning all!
Terry, I didn't drill out the bearing....... I don't have the drill bits to do so nor the precise equipment needed.
Look at the bearing, It has the inner race protruding about a 1/16" - 1/8" on both sides.... (this photo is the enlarged bearing, look at the beauty of the inner race)
I simply got out my Dremel, which any reasonably equipped home Mr CanDo has on the bench......
I have a selection of chainsaw sharpening stones, 3 different diameters actually, I selected the larger of the three, the pretty Pink one!
I clamped the roller in to my vise with the center just above the vise top.
I then took a small screw driver and held it against the bottom of the center that protrudes the 1/8" acting as a brake to prevent run away spinning as the grinding wheel spins at an alarming rate...
The amount removed is not huge, I'm only shooting for 7mm and am starting at 6.29mm.
I did allow the center to spin as a slow controlled rate which produced a very clean and even interior grind.
YOU MUST TAKE IT SLOW!!! Do NOT overheat that center spindle!! I would do a little, let it cool, do a little, let it cool.... until I achieved my 7mm size.
It wasn't hard, it wasn't rocket science but it worked extremely well.
I will post a photo later but to get the new bearing to set in the same plane as the OG unit, I had to grind off the 1/8" center protrusion on one side. No biggie......
Dave _________________ Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16501 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Jake de Villiers Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007 Posts: 5911 Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 7:59 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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I'm curious to see how long that cheesy bearing lasts under the load of the slider.
Maybe we should have a pool? Of course, if you only use the van a couple of weekends a year... _________________ '84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com |
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Sodo Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007 Posts: 9603 Location: Western WA
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 8:06 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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Dave you're doin' it! I'll have to try this.
.....,,.,FWIW..... I know its an old thread, but such a useful repair..... Vanagonistas deserve a more searchable thread title. _________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:05 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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Any port in a storm I guess,and for the price, you made it work.
How much time did you have in that Dave?
Forget about that stupid question--it's just a hobby I know.
I'm thinking that maybe I would have spend the 30 bucks at the VC, got a cookie, slapped that baby on the rear spindle, had a cup of coffee with the cookie, and called it good.
Hope that is some kind of substantial bearing to carry the load. _________________ T.K. |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15143 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:33 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 bearing |
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those bearings are made to carry the load of a sliding patio glass door.
plenty stout. they only carry 1/2 the weight of the door, either the patio or the vanagon as there's the other roller on the other end. _________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32576 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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chompy Samba Member
Joined: August 12, 2014 Posts: 400 Location: Cascade Locks
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:36 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 sliding door bearing |
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This is an awesome fix, and I'll be attempting it at some point. It's nice to be able to go to the local hardware store and pickup something like this.
You guys know they sell cookies at the store right?
You'll pay the shipping cost so you can get a cookie that costs $1... _________________ '81 Westfalia Subaru EJ22
Manual Transmission |
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:59 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 sliding door bearing |
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Here ya go causing me to be thinking "how in the hell did he get a straight through precision bore on that inner race?"
Too much thinking on my part, and I screwed up thinking precision, and not factoring in who was performing in this play.
Hope that bearing lasts knowing full well that 99.9% of the hardare items are flown in direct from Bombay, or Bangladesh over at the HD.
Only time will tell. _________________ T.K. |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32576 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:43 am Post subject: Re: $5 fix for a $30 sliding door bearing |
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The only issue I thought of is that the bearing is carrying the load a little different.
It's getting a hung on load, rather than a direct down force load.
But, yea, it isn't high speed and doesn't get that much mileage on it. _________________ T.K. |
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