I bought couple new Linear Slider Carriages, because my previous were not functioning properly (jaming).
But these new one (GM electronic | elektronické součástky, komponenty) are not smooth at all I need to use considerable force myself to move them without LowRider attached. When left alone both of them stand still and dont drop:
I also loosened all 4 small screws 1 turn, moved the bearing block back and forth, and snuged the screws back up. Did not help. What else can I do? It seems to me that I bought correct piece but I dont think LowRiderV3 can operate like this.
Did you prep by removing the sliding trucks, cleaning off the anti-rust oil (I use iso alcohol for this), and applying lubrication to the ball bearings before reinstalling the sliding trucks? Otherwise, applying lube to the linear guides does not work well at all, because the trucks just push the exterior lube out of the way.
I did use alcohol to make it cleaner but I used lubrication on linear guides. So you mean to use lubrication on little small balls instead of rail?
It seems to me that it is for some reason very tight. I would like to loosen little bit the grip of whole carriage on to rail but that is probably not possible.
The sliding trucks can be removed from the rail, either partially or completely, and lubrication added to the small ball bearings directly. Caution must be taken while sliding the trucks back onto the linear guides or else some of the balls can get popped out. But unless you get the lubrication done internally, it does not really get to the ball bearings where it is needed.
I bought slider carriages individually now without the rail and yes, it can be very annoying putting it on the rail as the balls can jump out. I will try tomorrow with internal lubrication, hopefully it will work.
sounds like the carriages are not sized correctly for the rails. Either that, or they have a lot of something packed in there preventing free movement.
I’ve cleaned these before, and repacked. I’d say do the whole operation in a nice big tub so you don’t lose the balls.
I bought with the same “name” like it is written in docs for LowRiderV3. But it did not come with the rail so it could be that it is slightly off, so the movement is very rigid. But if lube for steel balls wont help, I am not sure what is solution, except to buy new carriages with rails but the sounds like expensive overkill.
I bought carriages which went with plastic temporary small rail, for transportation. I used it to slowly move carriage from the plastic one to rail on LowRider and it worked well. By this, balls were stopped from jumping out.
So I bought WD-40, cleaned rails with alcohol as much as possible, applied WD-40 internally and it had no effect whatsoever.
Upper one is old, lower is new. Upper is able for the most part go smoothly, lower with significant problem. Both look identical.
Cue my version of the “WD-40 isn’t a lubricant” rant, but hopefully adding some useful context.
“Classic” WD-40 is formulated to displace water, for example out of electrical contacts and off of metal surfaces. It seems to work as a lubricant because the carrier solvent can dissolve and loosen up old grease or oil that may be in place, but once the carrier solvent flashes off this product has an overall negative lubricating effect since it washes away the old stuff and doesn’t leave any new lubricant behind.
Now that WD-40 is a brand, no longer a single product, this gets more confusing. They sell spray oils, penetrating oils, dry lubricants (spray on wet but leave a dry slippery film), silicone lubricants, electical contact cleaners, spray cleaner/degreasers, heavy greases, and their classic water displacment formula in all sorts of packaging. Note the photo posted in this topic is of a Dry Lubricant product marketed by the WD-40 brand. If using something from the WD-40 product line, make sure you’re sure it will meet the goal you’ve got for whatever you’re applying it to.
such a good mystery.
I wonder if those balls, or the carrier, are magnetized.
The “WD-40” should have had some effect, for bad or good.
If you run your finger over the balls, do you get some resistance? Can you feel the ‘sticking’?
I am away for the weekend, I will look into it on Monday. It should be correct WD-40, but I will look into it.
Interesting point about magnetization. When I bought new carriages, they went with little plastic rail. That rail runs smoothly with the new and old carriages, without any difference. Moment I use new carriage, on normal rail on LowRider, it is giving me hard time.
As far as I remember, running my finger over balls gave me a resistance, if I understand correctly what you mean. @williamaadams you mean sticking to the finger ?
Yes on the finger test. Do you feel resistance there, like grittiness. From the picture, it doesn’t look like there’s any grit, or rust, so I’m going to go with magnetism until proven otherwise, just because that sounds exotic and novel.
There could certainly be some resistance from too much packed grease in there, in which case, a full flush of the grease, followed by re-applying a better lighter lube would be in order.
I’m really pinning my hopes on the magnetism though.
There should not be any rust as carriages are brand new.
If it is magnetism, what am I supposed to do about it? How should I resolve the problem? I know that might be wrong assumption that it is magnetism, but at this point I am really not getting any better ideas (except that I have wrong WD-40 and can give a shot another one)
