Bed slide cable mounts

[SageCrispin]

I have a 2007 Damon Challenger 376 with the bunk bed slide on the passenger side. I have found that all of the outside cable mounts have at least 2 of the screws sheared off. The two at the rear have four broken off, leaving only 2 holding each of the mounts. They appear to be stainless Phillips head wood screws but I have not taken out any of the good ones to verify that. I can't just replace the screws as they are broken off inside the holes.

So...how to fix and what caused it?

CW can't look at it until 6/4. We leave for NC 6/2. They have also been quite patronizing, and not very forth coming with advice but I guess that's another issue.

Thanks all. Sage

[SageCrispin]

I have a 2007 Damon Challenger 376 with the bunk bed slide on the passenger side. I have found that all of the outside cable mounts have at least 2 of the screws sheared off. The two at the rear have four broken off, leaving only 2 holding each of the mounts. They appear to be stainless Phillips head wood screws but I have not taken out any of the good ones to verify that. I can't just replace the screws as they are broken off inside the holes.

So...how to fix and what caused it?

CW can't look at it until 6/4. We leave for NC 6/2. They have also been quite patronizing, and not very forth coming with advice but I guess that's another issue.

Thanks all. Sage

[Redapple]

Small carbide drill and an easy out for removal.

Re-install with Loctite.

They are most likely machine style flathead screws. The failure is possibly the cause of excessive shear loading.


Bill

[SageCrispin]

I took down the header in the bedroom and found that it was an Accu-Slide ( BAL ). I downloaded all the information from their site and found it to be most helpful. While it didn't address my specific problem, it helped me understand the whole process. In the end, I drilled out the screws, replaced them with the next size up, loosened the cables (a lot) and tightened the jam nut on the connector bracket. All has been well since then (knock on wood).

The problem was certainly Damon's installation, not the product itself. I like the system, largely due to its simplicity.

Below is my note to BAL and their response.

****
I have one of your units on the bunk bed slide on my 2007 Damon Challenger. I have discovered that all of the standoff brackets on the outside of the slide have at least 2 of the 6 Phillips head screws sheared off. Two of the standoffs have only 2 screws left holding them on. All of the inside standoffs appear to be fine. I see no fraying of the cables at any of the standoffs. I have downloaded and read your service manual and I would say that the cables are correctly tensioned, though on the tight side. I could see where they would be quite tight in the winter months if temperature is a factor for your cables.

I have also seen that two of the cable/chain brackets are hitting each other as they pass. One of them (the "green"� one) seems to insist on running horizontally instead of remaining vertical.

So I guess my questions are:

How do I replace the screws since the screws themselves remain in the holes?
How do I prevent the cable/chain brackets from hitting each other?
What ultimately caused the screws to break off?

Sorry to bother you with this, but my "wonderful dealer"� has informed me that my warranty "does not cover broken screws or slide adjustments."� Somehow I think I'll be better off fixing this myself.

****
****
I'm sorry to hear you're having these difficulties with your Accu-Slide system.

Before I offer some suggestions, I must first let you know that all of these issues are related to the installation of our system which is solely the responsibility of Damon. We do not participate in any installation activities nor do we warrant issues resulting from them.
Additionally, any replacement parts must be ordered through Damon.

There could be a direct correlation between the three issues that you mention, but it would be difficult to confirm. By your description, the issue that has the greatest potential of causing the problems with your system is the green cable/chain connector bracket running horizontally.

By design and, as noted in our instruction and documentation, these brackets MUST be positioned in a vertical orientation when tightening the chain lock nut. If the connector bracket is in a vertical position and locked down appropriately, it will remain in a vertical position.
If these brackets are in any orientation other than vertical, they stand a great chance of crashing into one another. When this occurs, the motor will continue to try to move the system, but the blocks won't permit it. Extreme forces are then transmitted throughout the entire system which will result in something giving. This may very well have caused the screw heads on the stand-off brackets to have sheared off.

Although I cannot speak for this specific instance, another issue that can cause screw heads to shear off, can be due to undersized screws being used. A #12 Phillips pan head self tapping (not self-drilling) works very well for this purpose.

You also mentioned that you suspect the cables may have been over-tightened. This too, will transfer extreme forces throughout the system which could easily result in screw head (or other) failures.

Repair considerations -

Outside Stand-Off Brackets:
We made a running change to these brackets which, I suspect, took place after your unit was built. Our new bracket (still P/N 854182) now has three cable slots. Presuming your brackets have a single cable slot, relocating these brackets up or down to provide fresh locations for remounting will most likely result in the cables running on an upward or downward angle as they enter the sidewall. All cables must run level or they will be subjected to potential cutting, fraying and eventual breaking.
Your servicing dealer can order for you (through Damon) four new brackets. These would provide the opportunity to raise or lower the brackets to achieve fresh mounting locations but compensate for the cable orientation by using other slots. To insure proper cable orientation, these new brackets should be located when the slide room is all but 3" - 4" fully closed.

Screws:
As mentioned above, a #12 x1.5" Phillips pan head self tapping screw would be a good choice for remounting the outside stand-off brackets.

Cable Adjustment:
A general rule-of-thumb regarding cable tightness...following adjustment, you should be able to (w/little effort) move the cables upward 1/2"-1" and downward 1/2"-1". Cables tighter than this can bog the system down causing undue stress and strain to the system components.

I hope this information is helpful.

Brent W. Heffner
Director of Quality & Technical Support
NORCO INDUSTRIES
2600 Jeanwood Drive
Elkhart, IN 46514
Tel: (574) 262-3400 ext.246
Fax: (574) 264-2366
E-mail: bheffner@norcoind.com
Website: www.norcoind.com <http://www.norcoind.com/>

[SageCrispin]

Direct Accu-slide link here.