Sense owning my van, it has become more and more difficult to shut the slidding door. Sometime I have to "Lift" up on it so it will latch. I would say that there is about a 1" to 2" of play up and down. I don't think this is normal.

Now the upper "wheel" looks ok (at least the rubber (I think)).

Here are some pics of the top wheel.

Is there anyway to adjust it?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...tar/wheel1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...tar/wheel2.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...tar/wheel3.jpg

Here is me lifting the door:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42...tar/lifted.jpg

Suggestion, comparisons to your door, ect. Anything would be greatfull.

 

Nighthawk:

I think you need to replace the lower roller. I bit the bullet and paid $27 for mine, which is a real rip-off, but I know Aerocolorado (don't hate me for this, Aerocolorado ) had success replacing it with a shoulder bolt and a bearing you can buy at the local hardware store.

 

I love fixing things like AeroColorado did, but sometimes it is faster and less stressful to send it out to be fixed. (Like my recent brake issue!)

 

So the lower roller is toast, great. I tried looking at it but I guess the only way is after removal.

Happen to know AC's exact parts from the Hardware store?


Paying someone else to do work, bah humbug!

 

Yeah, I know. But with the other van down for an extended period, wife in hospital, nine other crises, I took the coward's way out. . .this time. Probably just as well, too. The RABS seems to be more than I am qualified to handle.

 

Sorry to hear that, Dave. I hope she's OK.

 

NightHawk,

Also check the rear hinge assembly. Mine sagged due to the bolts coming loose on the rear hinge assembly making the door sag bad. I would replace the lower roller, your top roller looks pretty bad too. The rear hinge assembly is the roller on the center track. Also, check your center rail, mine broke at the front causing some anguish too. I sunk some self tapping sheet metal screws and fixed it. If you end up taking off the slider, have some help, I took mine off by myself but putting it on was something else. I dropped the door and bent the lower left side While your at it, check the rear latch and clean it and lube it up with lithium grease (I used synthetic oil for the kiddies bikes which as worked all summer) and make sure the tab that pops the hinge open is bent good enough. That tab will bend in a way that it wont strike the other tab (you will see what I mean if you take it off). It's kind of a pain to get the rod back on the latch but will save you from not being able to open the door. I soaked the rollers and latch in solvent (okay gas ) and then lubed them up, I barely close it and it rolls just fine. also if the door sounds like a zipper when you close it, the lower roller is shot. There is supposed to be a plastic or rubber wheel on the metal part of the wheel on the lower roller. Fordparts.com should have the parts.

Do a search (advanced search) on sliders in the Aerostar forum and it will get you help on the rollers, adjusting them and removing the door, rear assembly hinge etc. It sure helped me and like I said, my slider works better than new. I have over 174,000 on the van now and drives like a charm, just installed shocks. Wow what a difference.

Hope that helps.

Dave, hope the little woman is okay, keep us posted.
Aaron
Nappers

 

I replaced the lower roller on my '93 a few years back, and it was really painful taking the old roller off. It might help if you heat it up first with a torch since aluminum expands more than steel under heat, but it still was a royal pain.

I need to do the same for the '95 now, but I'm going to go Aerocolorado's way. I'm tired of forking out 30 bucks for a lousy toy bearing. I'll try to take pictures and post them here.

 

Hey Nappers I remember I posted awhile back about adjusting and replacing the door rollers.

Cooper:

Removing that roller was a pain for me as well (I tried a propane torch but I didn't have the kind of cylinder with napp gas at that time ) so I clamped the lower hinge on a vice took some tin snips and snapped the old wheel off the metal pin took a pair of vice grips clamped them on and struck the end of the vice grips so that when they bottomed out on the hinge they exerted a pulling motion on the pin and the roller came out. Call that a despiration move since at that moment 1 hour went by with no luck removing this thing.

Now what Ford should have done is made that hole all the way through the hinge so all I would need to do is use a hammer and a punch to get the roller out but thats just me. Reinstalling the roller was much easier however that time I used a mallet since damaging the roller which IMO was way too expensive wasn't on option.

 

But what help would I be if I didn't post some instructions. From the pictures it looks like the mechanism shows signs of wear as for the door sagging I would check the center hinge (Number 6). Since that is where the doors weight is channeled. I would also check to make sure the track is screwed in tightly.

The top hinge pictured is supposed to have the roller completly engaged in the track and shouldn't be bottoming out on the body. Which means its taking up the slack for another either failing or misaligned component the bottom hinge and top hinge only account for the doors alignment (flushness to the body) and guide the door to its home position and aren't designed to support the weight.

Here are some instructions on adjusting the center hinge if its not too worn.

Some up/down adjustment may be obtained from the center hinge by moving the center hinge strap up or down as desired prior to securing the retainer bolts.

If that doesn't help the hinge is too worn and will need to be replaced.

 

take a buddy and the toolbox go down to the wreckers get a whole bunch of the parts you need. pay for one set and have a few more extra parts just in case. when i did it myself I found that sitting thedoor on a set of tires really helped me out too put thefirst upper slider on

 

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Hammer, I agree. I have many oddball parts for my Aerostar from the boneyard, many of which were already removed from the van, and just sitting there. A "I might need this one day" mentality. Also, about a month after I bought my Aerostar, I ordered a L - R and sliding door handle/ mechinism from the Ford Parts Deaership GURU. All, in case one day when I life the door handle to enter the stud minivan Aerostar, and the handle breaks. So far, so good, nearly 10 years later. Of course i still have to worry about in-laws on occasion. I am cursed with relatives who yank up hard on the door handles. Get inside, and SSLLAAMMMMMMM!!! the doors, that rocks the van back and forth. Why?! of course they treat their crappy vehicles like that, but why mine? That happened once and I told them not to slam the doors. You should hear my sister-in-law shut the rear hatch on her Chevy Venture van! The crunch and slam sound can be heard for a mile, I'm not kidding. Why are some people born slammers? Ed

 

Ed:

You are not the only one with that problem. To quote the guys on NPR's "Car Talk" every weekend, "All my in-laws are out-laws."

 

my wife is a slammer too. I still get the dirty look when I say "you don't have to slam the door that hard". guess some people just don't get it. [shrugs]

 

Mine, too. And the kid is even worse. I don't understand it.