If the sliding doors on your
shower or bathtub don’t glide
smoothly, repair them soon. A
door that drags on the lower track will
eventually do permanent damage to
both the door and the track. A dragging
roller at the top of the door will wear
and require replacement.
First, make sure the rollers on both
doors are riding on the tracks inside the
upper rail. Sometimes, one roller falls
out of the track and the bottom edge of
the door skids along the lower rail. In
that case, you only have to lift the door
and guide the roller back onto the
track.
If an off-track roller isn’t the problem,
you’ll have to remove the doors to
adjust and possibly replace the rollers.
Many doors have a small plastic guide
at the middle of the lower rail. To
remove this type of guide, just remove a
single screw. Others have a guide rail
screwed to the door (Photo 1).
With the guide removed, lift the
doors out of their tracks (Photo 2).
Then make sure the rollers turn easily.
If not, apply a little silicone spray lubricant.
Some lubricants can harm plastic,
so check the label. If the lubricant doesn’t
do the trick, replace the rollers. Most
home centers and some hardware stores carry replacements ($3 per pair). Take an
old roller with you to find a match. In
many cases, you can use a replacement
that’s slightly larger or smaller than the
original. But be sure to check the original
and replacement edges match—either
rounded or flat (see photos below).
If you can’t find rollers locally, type
“shower door parts” into any online
search engine to find a supplier.
Screw the new rollers into place and
rehang the doors. You’ll probably have to
remove the doors once or twice to adjust
the rollers for smooth operation (Photo 3).
Click Image to enlarge.
1. Unscrew the guide at the lower edge of the sliding door. Protect the shower or
tub from scratches with a drop cloth.
2. Lift the door out of its track inside the
upper rail. Tilt each door in or out to
remove it. Wipe both tracks clean.
3. Raise or lower each door by repositioning
the roller in its slanted slot.
Loosen the screw to move the roller.
