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How to Adjust the Rollers on a Sliding Glass Door

Kenneth Crawford

As a sliding door ages, it will be necessary to adjust the rollers from time to time. All sliding doors use roller assemblies on the bottom edge of the door. These roller assemblies are adjustable to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the door frame opening.

Adjusting the rollers will take a couple of screwdrivers and thirty minutes to complete.

  1. Open the sliding glass door and determine where the door is binding. If the door seems to be rubbing the top of the track, you will need to lower the rollers. If the door is rubbing on the bottom track, the rollers will need raising.

  2. Locate two holes at each end of the bottom of the door panel. If you have a vinyl door, there may be covers over the holes. Pry the covers off with a small flathead screwdriver. The holes will either be on the inside bottom rail or at each bottom edge of the door panel.

  3. Look inside the hole and locate the head of the roller adjustment screws. Insert a large flathead screwdriver between the bottom edge of the door panel and the track. Insert the small flathead screwdriver into the adjustment hole.

  4. Lift up on the door edge with the large screwdriver. This will take the pressure off the set of rollers you are adjusting. Turn the adjusting screw to raise or lower the rollers. Turn the screwdriver clockwise to lower the rollers, or turn the screwdriver conuter-clockwise to raise the door panel.

  5. Go to the other side of the door and adjust the rollers in the same manner. Use the large flathead screwdriver to lift the door panel and take the weight off the rollers while you are adjusting.

  6. Open and close the door a few times and continue making roller adjustments until the door glides smoothly across the door track.

  7. Tip

    Clean the inside of the bottom track with a cloth. Do not use lubricants because they will attract and hold dirt inside the track which will cause premature wear of the door rollers.