canopy rollers not rolling

[prkaye]

Still working on the canopy frame... I'm having a problem that my canopy rollers aren't rolling in the tracks. They're just sliding along the track.
Off the frame, the rollers themselves will roll when i manually turn them between my fingers, but they don't spin freely (should they?).
What can/should I do about this?

Originally Posted by prkaye

Still working on the canopy frame... I'm having a problem that my canopy rollers aren't rolling in the tracks. They're just sliding along the track.
Off the frame, the rollers themselves will roll when i manually turn them between my fingers, but they don't spin freely (should they?).
What can/should I do about this?

Are you trying it with just the frame, or is the actual canopy attached as well? It could be that the frame (with no canopy) isn't heavy enough to make them roll.

[prkaye]

just the fame. But they don't seem to roll between my fingers (rollers off the frame) as smoothly as I'd like. I've triple checked that I have them assembled correctly. I'm not clear on what's supposed to be rolling over what in this assembly though (bolt spinning inside bushing or nylon roller spinning around bushing?
It would be nice if the nylon rollers had some kind of rubber coating to give them better friction agains the track so they would roll instead of slide.

[AntiGravity]

No sure if the -9 is the same as the -8 per roller design, but for me the bolt clamps onto the bushing and the roller spins in my fingers free as a bird. Haven't got the canopy into the tracks yet though. I"m wondering whether the bushings you have are a little short and maybe creating just a little friction on the roller itself, since it doesn't spin freely in your fingers. A new brass bushing another a little longer might help?

[Kyle Boatright]

Check to make sure the rollers are not bindng on the side of the channel. Mine did, requiring some sort of minor modification. So minor that I don't remember what the modification was, now that it's been 8 years since I did it...

[LifeofReiley]

Originally Posted by prkaye

Still working on the canopy frame... I'm having a problem that my canopy rollers aren't rolling in the tracks. They're just sliding along the track.
Off the frame, the rollers themselves will roll when i manually turn them between my fingers, but they don't spin freely (should they?).
What can/should I do about this?

You will need to sand or file the larger bushing just a little if the roller will not spin free in hand.

[andrew phillips]

I found that the brass bushing was rubbing on the little curb that keeps the roller from coming off the track on the inside of the canopy. On one side I filed down the track a little on the other side I sanded the bushing to a smaller diameter. Rolls perfectly now.

[painless]

Check to see if you are springing the canopy frame when you insert it into the roller mounts. If there is tension, either outward or inward on the roller, it will bind.

[LifeofReiley]

Another fine tuning adjustment I made... on the front frame where the rollers slip in, install a socket or steel insert up in the tube just below the weld of the square intersection. Bend just the bottom (base of the tube inward or outward to final adjust the alignment. Works GREAT!!!

[prkaye]

Thanks guys, I'm going to continue with canopy work and come back to this roller issue later, when I have the weight of the canopy on it.

You will need to sand or file the larger bushing just a little if the roller will not spin free in hand.

Don't you mean the smaller (shorter) bushing? Seems to me if the larger bushing is too short then you will get clamping on the roller by the bolt...