sliding door won't go back on

[xpress]

hi there. i have had some trouble getting the door back on. i want to be able to put it on and off relatively easily to service the runners and for painting/restoration. i have found it hard to get the three wheels back on that central runner. here's my discoveries so far. i am pretty sure that in the factory they must have attached the various bits before putting the door on with the allen head bolts.

1. is it better to take off the three wheel thing with the three allen head bolts and then attach that without having to hold the door and attach the wheel onto the runners while holding the door?

2. i have a panel van, the door has this back board with vw clips that are presumably not reusable, will i have to prize this off to get to the third allen head bolt to get this three wheeled slider thing off the door? i want to keep this panel, even though i will probably be reboarding/carpeting the van, is there a way of avoiding breaking the board? presumably it would have to removed to service the lock mech if this sliding door needed it.

3. haynes book of marvels says to use a wood wedge but really there must be a knack to it but i haven't got it yet, any advice?

ps i have the sliding door with two wheels that are fixed and a big wheel that pivots around it, is that a late door? my van is changeover 1985, which is funny because i think i have an early door handle on the outside but a late slider door sliding mech?

[toolsntat]

The door should come off by only removing the cover panel over the runner

No need to unbolt any of the running gear.

Andy

[Ian Hulley]

Photos of the mechanism and the rear roller assembly would speak more than a 1000 words.

On a late slider you have to remove the rear track cover, lift the door and place the upper front bearing/roller in place, then with the door at an agle to the van the lower bearing/roller and then gently lift the rear roller onto the track and replace the cover.

Ian

[Aidan]

Photos of the mechanism and the rear roller assembly would speak more than a 1000 words.

On a late slider you have to remove the rear track cover, lift the door and place the upper front bearing/roller in place, then with the door at an agle to the van the lower bearing/roller and then gently lift the rear roller onto the track and replace the cover.

Ian

there's a small depression about a third of the way along the track where the roller just pops in, can be done with cover in place with a bit of care

[Ian Hulley]

there's a small depression about a third of the way along the track where the roller just pops in, can be done with cover in place with a bit of care

Depends if you're strong enough to juggle the other 2 bits level enough to line it up

[jamesc76]

cheers for the reminder just nipped out unlocked garage, grabbed screw driver and grease, out to van whip off sliding door grease all bearings etc door back on stuff back in garage and locked up, all within max 10 mins!

[Plasticman]

As he says^^, you might want to stick a bit of masking tape on the cover so you have a good idea where the cut out is
mike

[xpress]

Nice i will be doing it in ten minutes soon hopefully, ian what angle do you hold the door for lower roller to pop in? Ta. Will try to get the knack of this without taking the bits off.

on my van there's a channel with no recess, there's one main slider on the van swing arm and two guide wheels that don't really do anything but sit in the channel and guide the rail like the higher one on the van, is this a later slider or an early?

[jamesc76]

Nice i will be doing it in ten minutes soon hopefully, ian what angle do you hold the door for lower roller to pop in? Ta. Will try to get the knack of this without taking the bits off.

on my van there's a channel with no recess, there's one main slider on the van swing arm and two guide wheels that don't really do anything but sit in the channel and guide the rail like the higher one on the van, is this a later slider or an early?

If you can post a pic be much easier I'll look see if I have a pic! Sorry none of mine show it well enough sorry

[toolsntat]

Sure there was a recent thread with picture somewhere......

Andy

Nah it was this thread https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... r#p7608384" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; but no rail piccy

[Cruz]

This any help?

[xpress]

thanks people. cruz, i will have to look for the recess, i haven't seen one yet, maybe it's crudded up with grease. are there certain vans with it not on? i was looking for this when i saw it in the haynes book of gold.

it says push door back, i guess so that the roller carrier is beneath the recess. then lift the door at the rear, and turn the door slightly outwards so that the roller comes out, then lower the door and turn the door top end inwards slightly to pivot the upper rollers out?

ps is that picture an early or late door mechanism? i say that because my van is changeover and i think i have a late mech and an early door handle!

[Aidan]

late door is what Cruz's picture shows you can easily tell late door has angled c pillar (the door frame at rear of door) with the lock and stricker plate at the rear of the door
early slider has some nylon blocks involved in the rear roller rather than the three rollers

[xpress]

This is the mechanical I have. I take it the pic is a euro van, mirror image of UK? How mad, early van, late door!

[Aidan]

1st August 1985 is change over on sliding door, with stricker plate at the rear and angled c pillar

the electrics didn't change to late style till a year later except on Carats which always had the golf fuse box,