How do I replace my Pella door roller parts?

Handy Person from newport, ri

Dec 1, 2015 7:17 pm

I have a 5' Pella sliding glass door that is used daily with the blinds between the glass that needs new rollers. I believe the door was installed between 1995 and 1998 - I think??

The door has just one hole on each side for roller height adjustment and it appears the roller assembly is 'pressed' in. The sides of the roller assembly have no flanges, just flat and recessed even with the bottom of the door. The assembly appears to be 3" long and the roller appears to be 1 1/2" long and 3/8" wide. The width of the assembly appears to be 9/16" wide.

I have what I believe to be a part number from a Pella part catalog for a galvanized roller but I'm not 100% sure its the correct one. I have pics of the roller as it resides in the door as well. I looked for a door serial number but all I can find is a reference to Guardian tempered glass on the bottom right of each pane.

Lastly I'm curious how to remove and install the roller assembly as well. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance. Patrick

5 Replies

Paul from SWISCO

Dec 2, 2015 10:51 am

Hello, Patrick, thanks for reaching out to us. I think we can help you with this project, the only way to know for sure what roller you have is to remove the original from the door. That way we can review its design and size to pick out the best match in our inventory.

Now, all that being said, the code you gave is usually related to the 81-244. That may be a good place to start, but you did mention that your original doesn't have flanges, so that may not be the one. Another potential option is our 81-098. Review these two products and see what you think!

Alternate image for 81-244

Alternate image for 81-098

Handy Person from newport, ri

Dec 2, 2015 1:03 pm

Hi Paul,

Thanks for you quick response. I should have mentioned that I have the aluminum clad outside/wood inside slider but maybe that makes no difference. There is definitely no flange on the roller assembly and looks pressed in. So question, are they just pressed into a cavity and fit snugly - no visible screws keeping them in there??? If pressed in, is removal just prying and wiggling it out to get them out? If you think your generic is the correct size, I'll be happy to try it! Please let me know. Thanks much.

User submitted photos of a patio door roller.

Dave Sr. from SWISCO

Dec 3, 2015 2:32 pm

These photos are a huge help, thank you!

Service people in the past have told me that these rollers are just pressed into the bottom rail of the door. I imagine the weight of the door keeps the roller in place rather than any particular fastener. To remove the old wheel, try to pry out with a screw driver.

As for adjustment, you should have a hole on the side of the door where you can use a screw driver to adjust the roller wheel up or down. I have used both the genuine and generic rollers for Pella without any major problems, but the generic part isn't an exact fit. The only difference between the rollers is that the wheel in the 81-249 goes 1/16" more past the housing than the 81-098. You might have a problem if your glass doors are tight in the opening height in clearing the bottom track. Just something to keep in mind.

Handy Person from Hewlett, NY

Sep 16, 2020 9:26 am

Hi fellow DIYer's!
When I met my in-laws in 2014, I recall their patio Pella sliding door having no handle and having to use all my might to open and close the door because the wheels were so far gone. Rusty, crud covered and the wheel bearings shot. Now that I've been living here for the past 6 months during pandemic, I decided it was time to fix this once and for all. After watching a couple DIY youtube video's it looked easy enough. Turns out, it was even easier! It took me 30 min to remove the door, remove the old wheel assembly, install new wheel assembly, clean the track and reinstall the door.
-unscrew 2 phillips screws holding in rubber bumper in upper right corner.
-remove door handle
-slide door all the way to the right
-remove 2 phillips screws holding L-bracket bottom center
-use 8" #2 phillips screwdriver and lower the door using the holes located on the bottom side edge of the door(might have to remove the plastic cap)
-with 2 people, lift the door straight up, and then tilt the bottom edge outward, and then set the door down.
-lay the door flat on a set of saw horses making sure to rest the door on the frame NOT THE GLASS.
-using the 8" #2 phillips driver, lower the wheels all the way out of the door.
-take a pair of vice grips and clamp onto the wheel and it should pull straight out of the door.
-slide the new wheel assembly into the door and tap in gently with a mallet.
-reinstall the door following the above steps in reverse.

Now the door slides like it's floating on air and my father in-law know's who his favorite son in-law is!
Thanks Swisco for supplying the great info and replacement parts!

I will be back for sure!
-Dan
Now the door slides like it's floating on air and lets just say my father in-law now know's who his favorite son in-law is!

5 user uploaded images