Sliding Door Maintenance

[JN99]

[danfromsyr]

So you are saying I can run these Titanium & Stainless steel bearings on my lower door roller?

[teej]

I just worked on the door and will add my observations to this thread:

Goal was to clean all rolling mechanisms and install UHMW tape. Did that, and it helped, but the two roller bearings under the track cover were toast.

Learned here that skateboard bearings work, buddy owns a shop and gave me a couple, fit is perfect.

Keys (all learned on samba):
1. Removing track cover--good padded upward whacks after removing 2 screws and slipping the cover tabs above the track tabs. Also needed to free up the munge along the bulb trim that acts like glue.

2. Find notch in track to release bearing assembly, and prop door on something.

3. Old bearing inner races were stuck, I carefully cut them off with a dremel/chisel.

Once again everything I needed to learn to fix this was available searching.
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1986+ Wolfsburg Weekender Pop-Top 2.3 WBX Manual Trans

[Thor-bob]

I had a squeak develop from the catch finger that holds the door open rubbing against the body of the truck arm holder, when the door was closed. There used to be some foam there, so I glued a few layers of packing leather (cow suede) onto where the catch finger would live, and then placed some graphite onto the leather. Never squeaked again.

Hurray for Luddite materials!


Thor
1990 Carat

[brickster]

I have a 1984 Campmobile with the early door. It requires excessive effort on the exterior handle to get the latch to open. Every time I open it, I feel like the handle is going to break off.

The handle and latch move freely when the door is open, so my best guess is that the door's adjustable arms may have the door either too far in or out which puts pressure on the latch. Anyone else BTDT?

[Jeffrey Lee]

Many problems with the Vanagon sliding door can be remedied by first properly aligning the door within its opening, on all planes.

This won't solve ALL door problems, but is the best place to start; and some problems cannot be solved WITHOUT this important first step.

Start on Page 58.5 of the Bentley manual, and go around adjusting all the points where the door attaches to the body. Your goal is for the door, when closed, to be:

level
equal spacing around all four sides
flush with adjacent body panels (neither recessed nor extended outward)

Once this is done, start working on aligning the striker plates mounted to the body with their respective latch mechanisms on the door. These can be adjusted by slightly loosening their bolts, gently tapping with a plastic mallet to adjust, then retightening.

Hope this helps!
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Camp Westfalia
Camping Tips • Newsletter • Cool Campervan Apparel
www.CampWestfalia.com

[skills@eurocarsplus]

do you have the upgraded bushing for the door handle?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/301319325029

that alone is huge. a dab of oil on the bushing where it meets the handle makes things that much better

but it needs to be in good adjustment to all work
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[brickster]

Thanks to you both.

It seems to be level and centered, so I’ll try to adjust the striker plates.

I don’t know if I have the upgraded bushing but the handle turns very freely now.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

it's not about the handle turning freely, it's about giving the base the needed support so the square stock pressed into the handle doesn't blow the pot metal out like a baked potato

the OE was like a rubbery ring (like an o-ring) and the new bushing is really nice, almost a hard plastic and gives the handle a surface to work against while opening the door
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