Make Creaky Drawers Glide Like They're on Ice

Replace old drawer slides so they'll glide in and out like new.

• Bathrooms
• Easy Repairs
• Home Repair
• Kitchens

You don't have to put up with creaky, sticking drawers. Replace your old worn-out drawer slides with the modern ball-bearing type. The drawers will roll so smoothly that you'll think you have new cabinets.

Most new side-mounting drawer slides require exactly 1/2 inch between the drawer side and the cabinet frame. The center mount slide we're using mounts to any drawer regardless of side clearance, which makes it a great choice for replacing old drawer slides.

We used 22-5/8-inch Accuride No. 1029 slides, but No. KV1129P22 are similar. Both come with a mounting bracket that can be screwed to the back of the cabinet to support the back of the drawer slide. But we decided to attach the slide to a wooden support rail instead (Photo 3). This stiffens the slide and gives the drawer better support when it's fully extended. Cut the 1x4 support rail to fit between the front frame and the back of the cabinet. We used a 1-inch wide cleat (Photo 3) to make it easier to attach the support rail to the back of the cabinet. Make sure this cleat doesn't interfere with the drawer below. If it does, fasten the 1x4 with metal angle brackets instead.

Measure the depth of your cabinet from the front of the frame to the back wall. Then check the drawer slide package to find the correct length. Standard depth kitchen cabinets require 22-5/8-inch slides. You'll also need four 1-1/4-inch drywall screws to attach the support rail to the cabinet.

Here are a few pointers and things to watch out for:

• Separate the two halves of the slides by extending them as far as possible and giving an extra tug.
• Measure the height of the lip on the bottom of the drawer (Photo 2). The drawer slide requires 1/4 inch. If the lip is more than 1/4 inch, make up the difference by shimming under the front of the bottom rail before you screw it to the cabinet. Our lip was 3/8 inch, so we added an 1/8-inch shim (Photo 4).
• Two small plastic pads come with the drawer slide. Put one on each side of the drawer opening to keep the drawer from tipping. Fine-tune the drawer by adjusting the thickness of the shim under the bottom rail until the drawer sides barely touch the plastic pads.
• Don't tighten any screws until you've checked the operation of the drawer. Adjust the position of the slides until the drawer operates smoothly and the drawer front rests flush against the cabinet.
• Drawers like the one shown, with a 3/8-inch lip around the front, require a notch to allow the slide to be mounted flush with the front of the cabinet. Cut the notch with a sharp chisel.

Pry the old drawer slides from the cabinet and from the bottom of the drawer.

Draw a line down the center of the drawer bottom. If your drawer has a 3/8-inch lip, chisel a notch as shown. Align the top half of the slide over the center line and attach it to the drawer with one screw in front and one in back. The back of the slide will probably overhang the drawer.

Screw the bottom half of the drawer slide to the 1x4 support rail with 3/4 x No. 8 pan head sheet metal screws. Make sure the front of the slide overhangs the front of the wood rail 3/4 inch as shown.

Shim the front of the drawer slide if necessary. Center the slide on the drawer opening and secure it with one screw in the front. Now adjust the back of the slide until it is level and square with the front of the cabinet. Then attach the back of the support rail to the back of the cabinet by driving 1-1/4-inch drywall screws through the predrilled clearance holes in the cleat.

Slide the drawer into the opening. Align the two halves of the drawer slide and push the drawer all the way in to connect them. Test the operation of the drawer. Remove the drawer and adjust the slides if necessary. Then tighten all of the screws.

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