Single Wheel Rollers That Don't Wanna Come Out!

Question

I have removed both the anchor and adjustment fasteners from the ends of the door, however the roller acts as if there is another (fastener) anchor possibly on the top of glass edge that prevents removal of the roller assembly? It also appears that the dust seal slots may also interfere with roller removal as they encroach into the opening but I think I could machine off to allow access if needed. I have pried on the roller assembly w/o any fasteners and it seems quite fixed so I cautiously stopped before I broke it.

The roller unit appears to be diecast and wheel pivots for height adj. I'd estimate the wheel to be about ~1-1/8" dia. As a Mechanical Engineer this is quite surprising to me to be unable to remove roller assembly and hoping there may be some "trick" short of total door disassembly for replacement.

Thank you for your time and your guidance is eagerly awaited! I believe the door was made by Alenco in Bryan TX (photo above) who is now out of business in that location.

Tom · Accepted Answer

Hello there! Hopefully we can help. I'm not immediately familiar with your door, but it looks like a fairly older model. That means there's a good chance you need to knock off the bottom rail in order to get the roller out. Once the fasteners are all removed, you can use a mallet and block of wood to firmly, but gently, tap the bottom rail off. That should allow you to access the roller assembly.

You just have to be careful, you don't want to damage the glass or anything. As long as you take your time you should be okay.