Slide adjustment advice? How are cable slides centered?

[Tbos]

Originally Posted by cw3jason

Cable tension and proper adjustment is what keeps the slide centered. Each cable adjustment effects the oposite side. When all 4 in cables and all 4 out cables have the same tension the slide will stay centered. A read of the BAL cable manual will tell you which cables are effected by the others.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

The problem some of us are having is the cables are rubbing the Jam. No adjustments in most cases. I believe if the pulleys are not places exactly correct it can create this issue.

[slow]

Originally Posted by Tbos

The problem some of us are having is the cables are rubbing the Jam. No adjustments in most cases. I believe if the pulleys are not places exactly correct it can create this issue.

Ditto on what Tbos said, although correctly adjusted cables is also important for proper operation.

[cw3jason]

Originally Posted by Tbos

The problem some of us are having is the cables are rubbing the Jam. No adjustments in most cases. I believe if the pulleys are not places exactly correct it can create this issue.

Yes. Pulley position and cable bracket to slide position can cause the cable to rub where it should not. Usually results in freyed or broken cable. I have one on my closet slide that likes to frey. Replaced once already.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[dcg9381]

Jason, how long did that cable last? When you took it in for replacement, did they address the alignment issue? Seems like this is a pretty wide-spread problem and (because the slides can come out) a substantial safety concern...

My cables have done a pretty good job of chewing through the aluminum jamb-clamp, but obviously metal on metal isn't good.

[cw3jason]

Picked it up in April and had the cable replaced at the September rally, so 5 months to get very freyed. Not sure if they corrected the original underlying cause. Time will tell if that cable starts to frey again.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[slow]

I just got off the phone with the Norco AccuSlide service tech. He was very helpful with his insights.

It turns out that the cables will not exit at the center of the (inside or outside) holes in the slide frame mounted to the TT's wall. The reason is that by design, the two guide rollers in the frame (one for the outside cable and the second for the inside cable at each corner of the slide) have their mating surfaces (the rollers rest next to each other) centered to the hole's center. So each cable as it comes off the roller is offset one half of the roller width from the center of the hole. I did not measure the roller width, but I estimate the offset is about 1/4".

I had actually called Jim for another reason. Besides my cables wearing the aluminum frame, I also have an issue with the rubber pads (official name is Cable Path Hybrid 4" - BAL PN 25041) getting destroyed in a season because of the small contact area with the Outside Stand-Off Bracket. I called to find out if an outside standoff bracket with a longer "leg" was available to provide more overlap with the rubber pad when the slide was retracted. It turns out there are two Outside Stand-Off Brackets in the configuration I need, so I need to measure mine to see if the other is any longer.

If I have the shorter leg version currently on my slide, going to the 1/8" longer leg version (yes, not much of a change and may not be worth the cost) may also help alleviate the cutting into the aluminum problem.

Worst case, I may make my own outside stand-off brackets and solve both of my current problems with the slide.

[dcg9381]

Slow - what did Jim tell you (if anything) about the cables being in contact with the jamb-clamp?
I think the 90 degree, L-shaped bracket that the cable locks into is what you're talking about in terms of "legs". It seems to me - I don't have mine in front of me, that it'd be relatively easy for a welder to cut it and setup appropriate length.

What did Jim say about getting those cables to not ride against the aluminum?

[slow]

Originally Posted by dcg9381

Slow - what did Jim tell you (if anything) about the cables being in contact with the jamb-clamp?
I think the 90 degree, L-shaped bracket that the cable locks into is what you're talking about in terms of "legs". It seems to me - I don't have mine in front of me, that it'd be relatively easy for a welder to cut it and setup appropriate length.

What did Jim say about getting those cables to not ride against the aluminum?

Jim suspected that the slide box width was built small on my TT.

To get the cables off the aluminum frame:
* space the bracket off the slide wall but watch the mounting screw head clearance with the opening
* different longer leg bracket
* modify a bracket to allow the cable to move outward

But the rollers are fixed so only, only a small amount of cable repositioning will be achieved.

[Quiroule]

Originally Posted by cw3jason

Cable tension and proper adjustment is what keeps the slide centered. Each cable adjustment effects the oposite side. When all 4 in cables and all 4 out cables have the same tension the slide will stay centered. A read of the BAL cable manual will tell you which cables are effected by the others.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I read the service manuel and can't find where they say how to center the slide. Which manual mentionned that?

[mfifield01]

Originally Posted by cw3jason

Picked it up in April and had the cable replaced at the September rally, so 5 months to get very freyed. Not sure if they corrected the original underlying cause. Time will tell if that cable starts to frey again.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Could you see the cable fraying before it broke?

[cw3jason]

If the cables are adjusted to equal tension running it in and out will cause the slide to self center, because the cable tension will equal out.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[cw3jason]

Yes. It was the top outside cable and I saw it getting worse each time I used it. Replaced before it broke

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Tbos]

Originally Posted by slow

Jim suspected that the slide box width was built small on my TT.



To get the cables off the aluminum frame:

* space the bracket off the slide wall but watch the mounting screw head clearance with the opening

* different longer leg bracket

* modify a bracket to allow the cable to move outward



But the rollers are fixed so only, only a small amount of cable repositioning will be achieved.

In my case the cables are too far outward from the side of the slide. No way to change the brackets to move the cables in.

[dcg9381]

Originally Posted by cw3jason

If the cables are adjusted to equal tension running it in and out will cause the slide to self center, because the cable tension will equal out.

Right, but the slide is essentially "free floating" within the opening. If it sits too far forward (as in my case) or too far back, there is no factory adjustment for this.

[slow]

Originally Posted by Tbos

In my case the cables are too far outward from the side of the slide. No way to change the brackets to move the cables in.

Are your stand-off brackets not slotted to allow the cable to find its sweet spot? Mine are. It is just that there is not enough slot to go outward any more.

It also sounds like your cables are routed the opposite of mine. Or are you having issues with the cables that pull out the slide? My "pull to retract" cables are inboard are are wearing the frame. My "pull out" cables inside the TT are OK.

[Tbos]

Originally Posted by slow

Are your stand-off brackets not slotted to allow the cable to find its sweet spot? Mine are. It is just that there is not enough slot to go outward any more.

It also sounds like your cables are routed the opposite of mine. Or are you having issues with the cables that pull out the slide? My "pull to retract" cables are inboard are are wearing the frame. My "pull out" cables inside the TT are OK.

My stand-offs are slotted. At least one cable on each side is rubbing the jamb. The cables that are hitting on the jamb are the ones labeled out (red and purple). I have not removed any seals outside the TT to see if they are hitting there too. I've physically moved the cables over to see if it helps. I've not operated the slide since then. I wonder if I could put something in the slots to hold the cables in place.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[mfifield01]

Originally Posted by Tbos

My stand-offs are slotted. At least one cable on each side is rubbing the jamb. The cables that are hitting on the jamb are the ones labeled out (red and purple). I have not removed any seals outside the TT to see if they are hitting there too. I've physically moved the cables over to see if it helps. I've not operated the slide since then. I wonder if I could put something in the slots to hold the cables in place.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I was thinking the same thing. You could put a small bolt and nut to keep it in. All four of mine seem to be forcing outward. On the left side, they are rubbing left. On the right side, they are rubbing right.

[slow]

IMO, there is too much risk of trying to "guide" the cable away from the aluminum frame with hardware unless it is securely anchored to the frame somehow. The risk being jamming up the cable, rollers or even the slide creating more damage than the aluminum frame wear from the cables.

Keep in mind that the aluminum will only be worn by the cables to a certain point based on the guide roller position. I also suspect that the stainless steel cable rubbing on soft aluminum is not fraying the cable when the slide is being deployed or retracted. Rather the cable is fraying because it was kinked of rubbing on steel within the frame (off a guide roller?), or the cable end is being bent due to misalignment or catching on the aluminum frame. Another possible cause of cable fray may be a loose cable being pinched when the slide is closed and the slide is bouncing around while in transit.

That is why I took the approach of carefully "cleaning up" the hole in the aluminum frame and creating a lead in chamfer for the cable end now that my cable has no more aluminum frame to wear.

Having said all the above, I am still learning and trying to understand the potential failure modes and solutions. These thoughts are just those that I currently have.

[mfifield01]

Mine appears to have made it's own path on the aluminum. I don't know if it will wear any more. My cables don't appear to have any fraying to them.

[Tbos]

Originally Posted by mfifield01

I was thinking the same thing. You could put a small bolt and nut to keep it in. All four of mine seem to be forcing outward. On the left side, they are rubbing left. On the right side, they are rubbing right.

That seems to be exactly the way mine are acting. For now I'm going to keep watching them for wear.