How to remove the 81-265

Question

I have a broken plastic wheel on my glass sliding patio door and it looks similar to your 81-265. There are no screws or attachments to undo to remove this, and it looks like it should snap out.... but the bottom channel looks like it has been crimped at the factory to maybe keep this in place.
Are there any instructions on how to remove this piece and then replace it with a new one?
Thanks
Bruce

Tom · Accepted Answer

Hey, Bruce. I have heard of that crimp before on some doors. We do have a little project you can do to hopefully get the roller out. What you want to do is first secure the rail in a bench vise to hold it in place. Then you want to use a type of awl and a hammer and try to get up under the piece in the groove. This should spread the groove enough so that the broken piece will pop out. Then when you're finished you can use a set of pliers to close up the groove again.

If you aren't comfortable with this project you may want the help of a local professional.