Slide adjustments

92xj · 03-27-2022, 01:36 PM

2019 Keystone Cougar 25BHSWE
Single dinette slide out.
Please excuse my slide out lingo ignornace.
When sliding out, there is some "thudding" going on between the 30% and 50% out until it gets past a certain point, where it seems the weight of the slide shifts to the outer edge, pulling the rail down into the sprocket gear to engage them tighter. After laying under there for a while, I cannot figure out a way to adjust this gear set to make the teeth mesh tighter. The wife can push up on the slide, on the inside of the TT, which makes the out side rotate down, allowing the gears to mesh well. Can I adjust something to make it happen as well?
I watched this video with no help in the adjustments I think I need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1A2q55BfLs

Here are the gears I think I need/want to adjust

**JRTJH** · 03-27-2022, 01:56 PM

Use a couple of 2x8's and a couple of bottle jacks on cribbing and jack your slide up about 2". That will take the weight off those rollers/gear packs. Then you can remove them, check the plastic (yes PLASTIC) wheels that support the slide as it moves in/out on the mechanism...

I had 3 of the 4 plastic wheels cracked and the other one was worn where it fits on the 6 sided spindle. I ordered new gear packs from Amazon and found the "field repair" to install a washer on the plastic rivet above the ram. That rivet and the washer cause increased "downward pressure" on the ram, keeping the gear teeth meshed tighter, preventing the gears from "skipping"....

Now, all that said, if your slide is "in alignment" so that the front and rear "reach fullly retracted and fully extended positions (front and rear flanges are equal distances from the trailer sidewall) then you're not having problems with the gears "skipping"... If they were "skipping" your slide would not be "square with the trailer sidewall. There is a "drive tube" between the front/rear ram that keep them timed. If either of them "skip a gear" the slide is no longer "timed to be square"....

If your roller gear packs are damaged, you can order new ones from Amazon or from any RV parts dealer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 You'll need two gear packs to replace both, one for the front ram and one for the rear ram.

Here's the gear packs, note the plastic wheels/rollers... And here's the diagram with the "field repair" to modify the pressure rivet. It's the "white wear tab" located at the top of the diagram... You can download the "field repair instructions here: https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws...cd-0002436.pdf

**chuckster57** · 03-27-2022, 01:58 PM

I will add: gear packs come in different sizes and number of teeth.

**JRTJH** · 03-27-2022, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I will add: gear packs come in different sizes and number of teeth.

Yep. I failed to mention that.... The link in my post is for the Lippert ‎014-281331 gear pack. It's for the 2" square rams with 15 teeth on the metal gear.

92xj · 03-27-2022, 02:27 PM

Thank you both. Will dig back into it shortly

92xj · 06-07-2022, 11:49 AM

Bringing this back up.
Since starting this thread everything has been working fine..until this weekend.
Got home from 4 days in the mountains and opened the slide to dry out from rain. When the slide was pushing out, about 40% of the way out, the loud clicks/thumps/gear jumping sound happened 2-4 times back to back, like hitting a hammer (not too hard) on the floor 2-4 times back to back. When bringing the slide back in, one lower corner is now pushed out, not flush, with the trailer body like it used to be. The other lower corner is, like normal.
It sounded and looks like gear teeth jumping. Are the teeth/gears that I took pictures of and posted above the only ones in the assembly? I do not want to go about adjusting the actual slide adjustments, as I think/know my problem is caused by the process and extended and not that it is just out of alignment.
Hopefully that makes sense.

**chuckster57** · 06-07-2022, 12:00 PM

If one side “jumped” or skipped a tooth look at the tube it travels in. Is the top square? There are a couple of fixes, one involves a washer with a notch cut in it and inserted into the wear tab. Another involves straightening the top and welding brackets to the outer tube to hold it square.

92xj · 06-07-2022, 12:46 PM

As in the square tube that sits right above the gears in my photo above? Or the round tube that the ram is housed in, where i would need to pull the corrugated underbelly stuff to view?

JRTJH's second link above shows the notched flat washer deal, which sits right above the gear pack in my photo...I think. I will crawl under this evening and snap a few more photos.

I apologize for my ignorant lingo...still learning this stuff.

**JRTJH** · 06-07-2022, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 92xj

As in the square tube that sits right above the gears in my photo above? Or the round tube that the ram is housed in, where i would need to pull the corrugated underbelly stuff to view?

JRTJH's second link above shows the notched flat washer deal, which sits right above the gear pack in my photo...I think. I will crawl under this evening and snap a few more photos.

I apologize for my ignorant lingo...still learning this stuff.

No need for an apology... "lingo" is just a level of understanding. You'd be amazed (or maybe not) at the number of parts in my pole barn that are "whatchamacallits".... LOL

Here's an updated drawing of the slide gear driven ram. I've put a red line through the area where the "cutout washer" goes. Its purpose is to prevent the "moving inner square tube with gears on it" from rising out of the gear set on the drive. It's not a lot of "extra thickness" but it does hold the gears together enough that they can't/won't rise up and skip.

Here's the repair pdf for inserting the "modified washer"

92xj · 06-07-2022, 02:30 PM

Thanks, I'll give that section a look this evening and see if shes bent or warped any. If so, and this area is my problem, any tricks on getting my 2-4 tooth skips back into alignment?

**chuckster57** · 06-07-2022, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 92xj

Thanks, I'll give that section a look this evening and see if shes bent or warped any. If so, and this area is my problem, any tricks on getting my 2-4 tooth skips back into alignment?

If you can support the room with a floor jack, using a T to spread the weight you can lift that side and then drop the gear pack. Move the room and lift the gear pack back up. Do this with the room about 1/2 way out and measure both sides from the exterior wall to the slide flange.

92xj · 06-07-2022, 02:48 PM

Sounds good.
I also just found this video which is helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r59GIyDa0bA

92xj · 06-08-2022, 10:20 AM

So got under there and got a good look. There is slight bend in the top of the square tube on the ram side of the slide. I will do the washer trick on this for sure.

I also undid the cross bar linkage and have the slide back in time side to side by measuring the length.
I took the small bolt holding the cross link onto the gear set, jacked up the slide and undid the gear set to be able to spin it and line the hole up with the cross bar.

I did notice the two bolts holding the gears were plenty tight with the lock nut, but they do still spin in the bracket. It is like the nut bottoms out on the threads one thread to soon. But, they did this before I even touched it, which makes me think it is fine and keeps people from over tightening and squashing the bracket onto the rollers on the side of the gear.
The gear itself looks fine. There are no teeth missing and normal wear but nothing severe. I wish the gear set had adjustment and I could really cram it up into the straight tooth section on the tube. It just looks like they barely mesh and only the tips of the teeth engage, causing it to slip teeth when under load. Is there an adjustment somewhere?

92xj · 06-08-2022, 10:31 AM

Will add a washer or two under each of the slide tab things...

And how can I make these mesh deeper. This photo the slide is out which pushes the tube gear strip down onto the gear set as far as it will go. I wish I could slide the gear set up more to make them mesh deeper...

**chuckster57** · 06-08-2022, 11:12 AM

Your gear/rail engagement looks good, I would leave it alone. Hopefully the washer fixes the skipping.

92xj · 06-09-2022, 07:50 AM

Washers installed and no more skipping. You can hear a change in ram pitch when the slide is in the 20%-40% range of motion when opening, like it has to work a little harder to push and pull in this range.
I made 6 extra washers to throw in the toolbox. I have a feeling the ones installed will be falling out often, which sucks. That plastic piece just doesn't hold them tight during the whole length of trailer as the weight shifts from up to down as it slides all the way out.
I will be pondering a permanent and better solution, but just not sure what that is at the moment.
Also, I do plan to get and spray the slide silicone for ONLY the sides and top of the square tubing. That metal on metal friction needs a little slippery action, but will keep the gears and rail teeth free and clear of any grease/lube.

92xj · 06-09-2022, 07:54 AM

and one thing I just noticed, I don't even have a side wear tab and never did. There are no marks on the inner square tubing. Just something they never installed from the factory. I have no desire to disassemble the entire slide assembly to install the tab and it looks like there isn't even room. Oh well, hopefully the silicone lube helps ease the friction on this side.

You may also like: