Slide gear jumped a couple of teeth

[LHolben]

2016 Blue Spruce 3870 fiver: 19 degrees outside. While attempting to open the bunk room slide, one end was frozen shut as the other end opened. The stuck end jumped a couple of teeth and now one end stays open.
Slide will open but there is a loud clunking sound during the slide movement.

Anyone have an easy solution to this?

[bikendan]

Who makes Blue Spruce?
Or did you mean Blue Ridge?

[LHolben]

Blue Ridge is the Forest River model fifth wheel.

[LHolben]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Who makes Blue Spruce?
Or did you mean Blue Ridge?

You are correct. Blue Ridge. Thanks for correcting me.

[5picker]

Not sure of YOUR mechanical skills but yes the rack gear teeth can be reindexed but it's going to require some mechanical skills and some tools.

What make slide do you have?
Through frame models have a rack and gear system on the bottom of the slide.
Schwinteck slides have a rack rail (or two) mounted to the sidewalls of the slide.

[NJBreeze]

Think you have to un-bolt slide from track, straighten it then re-connect.

Would seem to me this isn't a job for just one person. Some possible concern is if the slide is no longer square.

I'm not sure of the gears having indexing for hydraulic slides . It would say the gears are indexed to the hydraulics and not sure how or why you would do that. Electric slides would be a different story.

[TitanMike]

If this is a through frame, electric slide, with rack and pinion equalizer mechanism , I recently had a similar problem.

The "shaft" connecting the gear/pinion clusters had a break at the midpoint weld allowing shaft to bow and make noise as it hit frame.

Lippert has a video on their site that shows how to remove and lube gear clusters, replace, and also how to readjust slide so it nests properly at seals.

It's not really as daunting a task as one might think. Simple hand tools a tape measure, and some drying silicone lube. Might need an extra person to help push the corner of the slide in against seal when equalizer is disconnected.

FWIW a rack and pinion equalizer mechanism CAN be used on electric or hydraulic slides as the equalizer is independent of the actuator mechanism unless ir has a center actuator motor integrated into the equalizer.

Mine just has a single screw linear actuator on one end and the rack and pinion equalizer works all on its own.

[Tom48]

Our coach has lippert, though Power Gear brand when built, under slide gear drive. Mine was hopping. First thing I learned is that Camping World kept "FIXING IT" by globs of gear grease. FIRST THING IN SERVICE DOCUMENTS SAYS "NEVER GREASE THE GEARS OR RAIL".

"If you must lube something, you may use a light lubricant on the gears own axle inside the gear pack."

THE GEARS and rails were caked with dry gear grease to the point that gears did not fully seat.

As to a FIX. First was cleaning the caked grease from gears and rails was a bear". .Then, I Had to jack slide up to lift the weight off gear. Drop the gear out, correct slide position and replace the gear.

There is a slip joint on the drive axle but it did not have enough play to move my slide two teeth. Tough job. Good luck.