TIL a trick for stuck door rollers from an old timer in Cleveland

I was working on a 90s Otis unit in a downtown office building last month, and the door rollers were totally frozen. This guy who retired from the local union saw me struggling and said, 'Kid, heat the bracket, not the roller.' I used a small torch on the bracket for about 30 seconds and the roller popped right out with a pry bar. Has anyone else run into this on those older models?

3 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

3 Comments

john_dixon617mo ago

That method risks warping the bracket on a 90s unit. I've seen it ruin the alignment, creating a worse binding issue. Sometimes you just need the right penetrating oil and a bigger hammer.

9

johns186mo ago

Hah, I've definitely been the guy with the bigger hammer before! My last project looked like I was trying to beat the door into a new shape.

3

west.alice7mo ago

That bracket warping thing sounds overblown. A little heat on the steel isn't going to wreck a whole door.

6