Scott,
Your post has caused me to take a closer look. The slide mechanism is on the floor under the bed. It is similar, but not exactly the same as in you picture. With the bed pulled back into the room, I can actually see a gear that fits into slots in a metal rail under the bed. But I still can't tell if there is a shear or "ratchet" problem. With my wife operating the switch, I was able to push the slide tight on the front side, but the other side is still slightly out at the bottom and more than 1" out at the top (it's not settling down). And I found a lable. It is a room slide manufactured by a company called "Happijac", so I was able to find a users manual with troubleshooting steps. Thanks for the suggestions and motivation to look closer.
JRMunn