Ball bearing drawer slides are intended to include an easy and silent movement drawn on kitchen cabinets, office, and toolboxes as well as dresser drawers. However, high-quality ball bearing slides can wear loosely, jam or get misaligned with time and frequent use. In case your drawer does not slide, this article will give you a step-by-step procedure of how to rebuild ball bearing drawer slides and put them back into working order.
Common Issues with Ball Bearing Drawer Slides
It is good to detect what is wrong before rectifying the slides. The usual issues are that drawer does not open all the way, moves in a jerky manner, makes clicking sounds when opened and closed, or totally falls off tracks. Such problems are normally caused by misalignment or obstructions in the track, fouled rails or worn- out ball bearings.
Retaining knowledge of the particular issue can guide on whether a simple fix can be done or whether to get a new one in the form of a new drawer slide.
The Equipment you will Need to Repair the Problem
You do not require any special tool when repairing your ball bearing drawer slides. To clean up the keyboard, you will most likely need a screwdriver, a soft rag, a cleaning brush, and lubricating spray (such as silicone or lithium grease) and a flashlight. In the event of the slides being damaged, it may also require a set of full extension ball bearing drawer slides replacement.
1. Remove the Drawer from the Cabinet
Begin by slightly withdrawing the drawer as much as it would go. The release lever is usually in both sides of all ball bearing slides. Push these levers together and draw the drawer right out. This will enable you have a better access to the drawer slides which are fixed to the drawer and the cabinet.
Check that the drawer slides are good. Check metal materials well to see wear marks, rust or bends. Make sure that the ball bearings are not broken as well as they move freely.
2. Clean the Ball Bearing Tracks
It is easy for the mechanism of the slide to become full of dirt, dust, and debris that supports easy movement. Clean and remove both the ball bearings and the tracks using either a dry cloth or small brush. With really gunky or just plain sticky slides, some rubbing alcohol on a rag may come to the rescue.
During cleaning be careful not to dislodge the ball bearings. The ease at which your drawer slides is proportional to the smoother and clean the tracks are.
3. Lubricate the Slides Properly
After the slides have been cleaned, lubricate them using a lubricant that can specifically be used on metal drawer slides. The best is the silicone spray or white lithium grease that will not accumulate dust. To the moving parts, apply or spray them lightly with the interior track and the ball bearings.
Also should not use thick grease or household oils because it will over time gum up and leads to more problems. This can be reduced by proper lubrication which helps to get rid of friction, reduce noise and facilitate smooth operation.
4. Realign the Drawer Slides
At times the slides are loose or misaligned as a result of repeated force as well as ill installation. Check the screws that fix into the slide rails into the drawer and the cabinet. Apply a screwdriver and tighten any loose screws and ensure that the rails are level and stand at the same level.
In case the drawer seems to be uneven or continuously falls out, most likely it is the issue of misalignment. When this happens, it only requires to make some slight adjustments in the placement of the rails to rectify the problem. Inspect the distance between left and right slide rail and make sure both sides were mounted at the same level of height and depth.
5. Reinsert the Drawer into the Slides
After cleaning, lubricating and straightening the slides they need to be reinserted. Turn the wheels or the ball bearing tracks with grooves on the slides until they slide freely and softly push the drawer in till it makes a sound. To ensure smoothness of the drawer, open and close some times.
When the drawer receives a sticking or noisy performance after being re- inserted, make sure once more as to the alignment; and when a persistence of obstructions is noticed, then identify them. The slide rails themselves in some instances may be distorted or be in poor shape to the point that they must be replaced.
When to Replace Ball Bearing Drawer Slides
Unless the drawer glides are old, bent, or the ball bearings are misplaced or damaged, it will be less time consuming to replace as opposed to repairing them. The replacement drawer slides are made in different sizes and a weight capacity. Whenever the original slides wear out it is always advisable to first measure them and then buy a new set of slides.
A good upgrade is also to install new soft-close or full-extension ball-bearing drawer slides when you want to change the outdated/worn out ones.
