Slide alignment problem after awning hangs
The slide awning was getting tattered and I should have removed it. But it was still helping some. Went to put the slide out and it got hung up somehow. Had to go cut it off to get the slide out. Ther...
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Here is an option which can allow you to fight with the frozen bolt out in the open where you can better work at it.
I just did this 2 days ago... Timing is everything! In my case I'm in the middle of a camper frame repair and I needed to get the square shaft out of the way to work on the frame.
If the square shaft bolts are frozen, then just drop out the entire pinion assembly. See here.
Starts like this ( this is an old pic)
Now the 2 day old pics. Then pull the 2, 3/8 bolts, needs 9/16 wrench and the square shaft and pinion will drop out the bottom. I put the bolts back in just so I would not loose the parts.
Also I found out, my square shaft is 2 pieces. An inner smaller tube over a larger outer. They telescope inside each other. Mine was long enough with a super slide, once I dropped out the pinion assembly I could lower the square shaft enough that I could pull the entire outer square shaft out of the inner while in the camper. I then went and took off the inner shaft at the other pinion.
And I also discovered I have worn bronze bushings on the master rack pinion drive assembly I need to replace before I put this back in. Another thing, I can guarantee you there will be anti seize or bearing grease on this inner and outer square shaft where they overlap. I was lucky they are not rusted solid together
To confirm if the bolt is torsion pressure bound holding the square shaft bolt in place, then just bump the slide out 1/2" and take the pressure off. Once the slide flanges are bumped off the slide seals on the side of the camper, you can put an adjustable wrench on the square shaft and try to wiggle any play at all. If there is any play at all, then the bolt is not torsion bound up, it's just frozen in there. You might want to even try wiggling the square shaft the way it is now. If your bronze bushings are gone too, there might be play in it now then that tells you the bolt is frozen and not torsion bound up. Remember this started with you thought it jumped teeth. The only way I can think that did happen is the pinion shaft bushings are shot and the hole pinion dropped down out of the rack gear teeth. If so there has to be play in the gearing.
It took me no more then 5 minutes to drop that entire pinion and square shaft out. I was really surprised it went that easy.
Hope this helps
John
I just did this 2 days ago... Timing is everything! In my case I'm in the middle of a camper frame repair and I needed to get the square shaft out of the way to work on the frame.
If the square shaft bolts are frozen, then just drop out the entire pinion assembly. See here.
Starts like this ( this is an old pic)
Now the 2 day old pics. Then pull the 2, 3/8 bolts, needs 9/16 wrench and the square shaft and pinion will drop out the bottom. I put the bolts back in just so I would not loose the parts.
Also I found out, my square shaft is 2 pieces. An inner smaller tube over a larger outer. They telescope inside each other. Mine was long enough with a super slide, once I dropped out the pinion assembly I could lower the square shaft enough that I could pull the entire outer square shaft out of the inner while in the camper. I then went and took off the inner shaft at the other pinion.
And I also discovered I have worn bronze bushings on the master rack pinion drive assembly I need to replace before I put this back in. Another thing, I can guarantee you there will be anti seize or bearing grease on this inner and outer square shaft where they overlap. I was lucky they are not rusted solid together
To confirm if the bolt is torsion pressure bound holding the square shaft bolt in place, then just bump the slide out 1/2" and take the pressure off. Once the slide flanges are bumped off the slide seals on the side of the camper, you can put an adjustable wrench on the square shaft and try to wiggle any play at all. If there is any play at all, then the bolt is not torsion bound up, it's just frozen in there. You might want to even try wiggling the square shaft the way it is now. If your bronze bushings are gone too, there might be play in it now then that tells you the bolt is frozen and not torsion bound up. Remember this started with you thought it jumped teeth. The only way I can think that did happen is the pinion shaft bushings are shot and the hole pinion dropped down out of the rack gear teeth. If so there has to be play in the gearing.
It took me no more then 5 minutes to drop that entire pinion and square shaft out. I was really surprised it went that easy.
Hope this helps
John
