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How to fix wardrobe doors not sliding?

Dani29

Hello, I’ve changed the wheels on my cupboard doors and they still don’t slide. The doors don’t open and I have to lift them to slide them open. I was hoping changing the wheels would do the trick. It’s definitely an issue with the wheels or the tracks. I’ve also tried some lubricant and that hasn’t helped at all. The wheels are inserted and adjusted with the screw that goes in the side of the door. I’ve also tried adjusting them and nothing is working Can someone please help me.

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JacobZ

Hi @Dani29,

The first thing I'd suggest is taking the doors off and having a good look at the tracks. Check for any sections that are bent, damaged, excessively worn or otherwise preventing the rollers from moving freely.

If you find any damage, could you snap a few photos and upload them for us to have a look at? Depending on what has happened, there may be a relatively simple repair, but if the track is badly damaged, replacement might be the better option.

I'd also be interested to know a little more about the rollers themselves. What type of rollers are fitted to the doors, and what adjustments have you made so far? If you can include some photos of the rollers and adjustment mechanism, that would also be helpful.

We can certainly assist, but we need to narrow things down first. Once we can see what you're working with, we should be able to offer some more specific advice.

Jacob

MikeTNZ

Hi @Dani29,

Is it the sliding door you're having issues with? I note that that is what is in your photos.

As @JacobZ mentioned, look for issues with the actual tracks, if something has bent the track, (usually the lower one) this will cause problems with the way the door slides to open and close, at the worst, you can gently bend the track back into alignment with pliers, just be gentle, this is usually only extruded aluminium.

One thing you could try is a can of silicone spray on the tracks and wheels, spray the track and run the door backwards and forward a few times, this should sort this out.

Silicone spray is awesome for lubricating things, as it only leaves enough residue to do it's work.

Should you need further advice, by all means let us know, we're only happy to help.

Cheers,

Mike T.

Dani29

thank you so much for your suggestions Jacob and Mike. I’ve attached pictures of the wheels I purchased from Bunnings - they were replicas and pics of the tracks and screws at the side.

when I looked at the tracks they didn’t seem bent by when I felt the track rims they felt slightly bent.

In terms of the bottom tracks- are they hard to replace?

JacobZ

Hi @Dani29,

Looking specifically at that third photo, it seems like the track has worn down over time so that the door is now rubbing on the top of the track, which I suspect is at least part of the cause of your issues. A bent track would likely coincide with this and add to the problems.

My suggestion would be to repair the existing track rather than replace it. You can use these https://www.bunnings.com.au/rolltrak-2370-x-6-x-7-2mm-stainless-steel-miracle-cover-track-3_p3961964 , which @Nailbag made me aware of, to restore the track. Check out the Rolltrak website for some more information - https://rolltrak.com.au/products/track-3-6mm-x-7-2mm-replacement-track-stainless-steel/

They are installed by filling the cover track with https://www.bunnings.com.au/turbo-500ml-metal-builders-bog_p1210384 , then pressing it into place over the damaged track, wiping away the excess bog as it is installed. It is a really simple solution that should restore your tracks to a much more usable condition.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

Nailbag

Hi @Dani29

First step is to replace the rollers and adjust them so they not only allow the door to roll freely, but so it meets flash to the door jamb when closed.

If there is any resistance or sticking due to that worn section of track @JacobZ picked up, then replace it with one of those repair kits. The process is actually very straightforward. Just follow the instructions. Though I would recommend having a watch of the how to videos on YouTube as it makes it much easier to understand the process.

Nailbag

Dani29

Do you know where I could watch videos for this?

I can’t make sense of how to replace it so that the doors would slide well.

JacobZ

Hi @Dani29,

Here's the video Nailbag has mentioned -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPRlwB3HKMI

Have a watch and let us know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

Dani29

Thank you Jacob and Nailbag.

Thank you so much for sharing this Jacob. Will give this a go and let you know how I go. Thank you. ☺️

Dani29

Hi Jacob and Nailbag,

I went to Bunnings last night. I will need 2 x roll Trak replacement tracks ($69x2) and metal bog ($28). I’m not sure what size I need for the replacement tracks? My current tracks are 10mm high.

am I better off purchasing something like this? It’s cheaper. Not sure it would work with my cupboard as bottom track is 1670mm long.

Thanks for your help.

MitchellMc

Before you purchase the replacement tracks, @Dani29, I think it would be worth going back a step and checking the adjustment of the new roller carriages.

How did you go when you installed and adjusted the new rollers? When you turned the adjustment screw on each carriage, could you visibly see that side of the door lifting up and away from the bottom track?

The adjustment screw changes the position of the roller in relation to the bottom of the door. As the roller is adjusted further out, it effectively lifts the door higher. You need to adjust both rollers so the door is sitting high enough that the bottom edge of the door isn't rubbing on the track, while still remaining correctly engaged in the top guide.

From the photos, I'm not convinced the track is sufficiently worn to require replacement. With the roller carriages adjusted towards their maximum height, I would expect the door to be lifted clear of the track and able to roll freely.

Could you try adjusting both rollers and let us know whether the door visibly rises as you turn each adjustment screw? If the screws are turning but the door isn't lifting, that would point us towards an issue with the roller installation or adjustment rather than the track itself.

In case you didn't realise, I believe it is the white screw above the carriage attachment screw that adjusts the roller out and lifts the door. Start by screwing it clockwise around 5 revolutions. Do this to both carriages on either end of the door. If it doesn't slide, try two more rotations and so on. You want to visibly see a gap forming under the door, which provides clearance.

The reason for wanting to establish that the rollers are indeed adjusting correctly is that if they are not lifting the door, changing the track will not solve the issue.

Mitchell

Dani29

Hi Mitchell,

thank you for your post. The 2nd screw (adjustment screw) doesn’t do anything to the wheels. It’s like the adjustment screw isn’t helping at all- not grabbing onto anything? - therefore not adjusting the wheels.

I’m not sure how to fix this?

Thanks for your help.

EricL

Hello @Dani29

I've placed an image below of the Rolltrak R1290 which is what you currently have installed in your door. The image shows the side view and the top view of the roller assembly. The top view shows you that the screw must be attached to the nut that is inside the roller assembly. If the screw is not properly installed to the nut it will not be possible to adjust the roller assembly.

You will notice that the top end of the roller assembly has a rounded nib that is jutting out. This nib leans onto the aluminium frame of your door and is like a pivot. As you tighten the screw the assembly pivots on this nib and makes the wheel go down which lifts the door higher. I propose double checking that the roller wheel assembly is properly installed with the nut in place. Turn the adjustment screw clockwise to adjust the wheel down. This should in turn raise the position of the door. Please give it another go and let us know the results. Please be patient as it may require several turns before the wheel starts coming down.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Screenshot_8-9-2026_223226_rolltrak.com.au.jpeg

MitchellMc

Hi @Dani29,

Sorry, I may have confused the situation here. I had presumed the white screw was the adjustment screw. Based on Eric's image and explanation, it seems the silver screw included with the new roller carriage is the adjustment screw. Try turning the bottom silver screw clockwise instead of the white one I mentioned earlier.

If you can, it might be worth taking the door off and laying it on its side so you can more easily see how the roller adjustment works.

It's important that we work out the adjustment mechanism as if it's not working a replacment track will not help.

Mitchell

Dani29

Hi Mitchell,

Thank you Eric and Mitchell. I’m going to look at this tomorrow night and will keep you updated. Hoping I can work it out! Thank you ☺️

Thanks for your help.

EricL

Hello @Dani29

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your sliding door operational.

Eric

Dani29

Hi Eric,

No luck. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’ve spent hours trying to install the wheels. The nib doesn’t seem to lean against the door. I’ve provided some photoes. Nothing is happening when I’m trying to adjust the wheels and I think this is because they’re not installed correctly. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I can’t seem to find something for the nib to lean onto or grasp onto.

I’ve provided photoes of the inside of the door, wheel and adjustment area.

JacobZ

Hi @Dani29,

Just to clarify, the "nib" Eric is referring to is this rounded bit here -

When the screw is tightened, it will pull on the inside of the door frame and pivot so the wheel goes down.

When you are tightening the screw, can you see the nut holding in place? Or is it spinning?

It will not tighten as required if that nut is spinning, so it would be worth having a look at what is going on from the underside of the door while tightening the adjustment screw.

Could you show us a photo of the underside of the door with the roller in place?

This might help us to better understand what is going on.

Let me know how you go.

Jacob

EricL

Hello @Dani29

Looking at your frame, it appears that the adjustment hole is very worn out. I propose installing a washer on the outside so that the screw will have something to lean on when you start to tighten it up. I've placed a sample sketch below to give you an idea of how it is set up.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

ec64bed5-014a-43c7-9c89-b7826144757c~1.jpg

Dani29

Hi Eric,

Thank you for the diagram. It helps so much. What size washer do you think I will need please?

Also, is this the angle I should be installing the roller wheel at? I’ve been sitting it at a flush 90 degree angle.

Thank you ☺️

MitchellMc

The washer would need to be small enough to fit inside the channel, but with a centre hole large enough for the adjustment screw shaft to pass through @Dani29.

The way you’ve been inserting the roller carriage appears to be correct. You had it installed this way and the door sitting on the rail the other day, so I think we now need to work out why the roller isn’t adjusting.

To make sure we don’t get any false positives and confuse the situation, could you please try a quick test? Insert the carriage the same way you did the other day, but before putting the door back onto the rail, turn the adjustment screw clockwise. Keep turning until it stops or you see the roller begin to extend from the bottom of the door.

You might find during this test that the adjustment screw hole is worn and a washer is needed. However, before we go down that path, we need to establish why the roller isn’t extending when the screw is turned.

Mitchell