Slideout Lube?

[bigb]

Not sure what type of slide I have but what is the best lube to use on this gear track? Will the Boeshield T-9 that I already have be good?

[bigb]

After some reading it appears that I should not lube that gear rack or it will attract dirt, need to do more research and find the lube points on my rig.

[bigb]

So for my type of slide the book suggests it needs no maint. however a very light silicone spray is ok on the driving gears. So I pulled the cover and when I did a roller bearing and nut fell out and I saw the cover was covered in metal shavings. Checking it out further I saw that the motor is suspended on two tracks by 4 roller bearings and drives the rack by gears on shafts. The one bearing was out and another was loose which explains why my slide seemed so loose when moving and I would always put my hand on the top and help it.
Well it is apparent that those roller bearings are installed onto the motor brackets first, then everything is slid into the tracks before the track and rack is installed. Not wanting to take all that apart and have to re-level and calibrate things I decided to try and install the one that fell out and tighten the other one. Had to make a custom, allen wrench to hold the bearing from turning while tightening the nut, the allen socket is inside the track so the wrench has to make a U-turn in order to fit it in and be able to hold it. I also mad a thin pinch bar to pull the threaded part of the bearing thru the hole in the bracket. Very little room to work up in there and you are upside down with your head stuck into one of the lower compartments. Back and forth between the inside of the coach and out, multiple heating and bending of the allen wrench and a couple of hours I had it done. The gears had a very light rust on them so I applied a very stingy shot of the Boeshield and put it back together, slide now works perfect and doesn't extend unevenly top to bottom anymore. The metal shavings were from the edge of the slide that was dragging due to the missing roller.

Out of every 10 things I go to do on this rig 9 of them turn into a repair/replacement. Not complaining though, got it for a good price and I enjoy doing my own work, much better than paying the high prices for shoddy work let alone finding somewhere that isn't backed up 3 months.

[SmilingSimon]

seems nothing is made to be rebuilt or even simple preventive mtce but only to be replaced. all bearings should be sealed to keep it full of grease not necessarily to keep water out.

besides 'pros' only want to fix fast and really do not care like the diy owner will, besides you might even think of way to improve something if diy.

those look essentially open bearings, same as mine i think, i spray with silicon spray, did not have spray grease, so why not some nice spray grease that then solidifies some to stay inside the bearings whineyBagels/kwikee/hwh ??? huh huh huh ?

OR did you not make your rv's to last for mo than 5 yr use ?????

ps: i remember seeing CEO of GM, robert stempel iirc, and he said that they actually designed all the parts to last the warranty period only, which at time was a lame a$$ 12mo/12k miles, but yet we see constantly how 'great' vehicles are, so if so great put a 10-15yr/100k mi warranty ?????!!!!

yep that is what I thought, few would make it !!

[Elkman]

There are dry silicon lubricants that will not cause dirt to adhere to the slides and I would be more worried about the slides binding and a part shearing off than a little dust unless one is camping in the desert.

General Motors held the patent for tetraethyl lead and when the CEO, Al Sloan, was told by his engineers that it was reducing the life of engines by 50% he told them he did not see that as a problem but an added benefit. So the auto and petroleum industry poisoned children for the next 50 years. When leaded gas was outlawed there were two results, engines now last commonly for 200,000 miles or more and crime rates dropped dramatically with fewer brain damaged children becoming brain damaged adults.

[MadMaxWinny]

Side note: +1 Boeshield. Waterproof & doesn't turn into a dirt magnet. WD-40, etc can be nightmares and cause more problems than they solve.

[puttin]

Here's what the guys at the factory service center used on my slide rams:


https://www.amazon.com/CRC-Industria...omotive&sr=1-1


In addition, they don't recommend spraying it on the tracks or anywhere else. The guys there said the most important thing is to keep everything as clean as you can...that's it.

[SmilingSimon]

Hard to not think that a dry lubricant such as silicon can be detrimental, less resistance to movement of any kind has to be good for reducing stress of moving a big A$$ slide in/out - so disagree, and they are not the ones to fix or pay for the fix.


but agree anything that attracts dirt/dust or even moisture is not good.