Stan, --- or anybody with an 88 model vanagon of any sort,  - would you
take a look at the track where the sliding door closing mechanism
operates to pull the rear of the door in tight, and tell me how yours is
put together. On mine there is slit right at the end of the track, and
the dust accumulated on the light oil/grease there shows the footprint
or pattern of some sort of bumper stop having been there. The slit
appears to be the retainer where perhaps a rubber bumper was pushed
through. It would be a tight fit, but once pushed through it would pop
out and hold the rubber or teflon bumper in place inside the end of the
track to protect from the roller bearing slamming it every time the door
closes.

Thanks,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

tan Wilder wrote:

>Giving that door a hard rolling slide will eventually break something.
>When closing the door from the outside, roll it to within 1" of closing
>and press the back edge of the door in. That will seat it in both front
>and rear locks properly.
>When inside the van use the rear pull to latch to pull the rear of the
>door in.
>Quite true you might have something binding. I normally cleaned both top
>and bottom tracks about once a year and lubed with general purpose light
>weight grease.
>
>Stan Wilder
>
>On Mon, 26 May 2003 21:17:33 -0500 John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
>writes:
>
>
>>My sliding door has developed a decidedly loud "clunk" when it
>>shuts.
>>Definitely not normal. I thought at first  it was a loose screw in
>>the
>>sliding/locking mechanism - I did find one and tightened it - but
>>that
>>was not the problem.
>>
>>Envision the track down the side of the van that the roller travels
>>on.
>>On the door there is a mechanism that has a roller towards the rear
>>and
>>a roller bearing towards the front. These pieces are just a couple
>>of
>>inches apart mounted on the same part. Whe the door is being
>>closed,
>>just as the door shuts, the roller bearing hits the end of the
>>upper
>>part of the track and makes a 90 degree change in direction. The
>>roller
>>is triking the end of the track to make its turn, and when it does
>>is is
>>making a loud clack!! Something is wrong It is hard metal slaming
>>hard
>>metal. Right at that corner there is a slot. It appears as if there
>>was
>>some sort of bumper there at one time but now it is gone.
>>
>>Can anyone tell me what is supposed to be at that slot at the end of
>>the
>>track?? Somehow what is going on is not normal operation.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>John Rodgers
>>88 GL driver
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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