Convert Drawer Slides to Ball Bearing?

[Steevo]

Does anyone here know whether an older Snap-On box, that has friction slides on the drawers, can be converted to ball bearing slides?
If so, how does one find the right replacement parts?

For that matter, how can I find even the original equipment drawer slides for a model no longer listed on the Snap-On site?

I have a KRA59C top box, as well as a roll cab from the same year (about 1977/78) that I need to do something about the worn out slides on.

 

[RedAggie03]

I have the similar boxes '79/'80 models with friction sliders. I was told they could not be updated by this forum when I first joined. You can get new sliders though from SO still I believe.

 

[plinker]

I have a KRA-59G and my Dad bought a KRA-4059 a couple year's ago. The KRA-4059 has BB slides. They are pretty much the same exact box otherwise, from what I can tell.

 

[rsanter]

Anything can be done if you want to put the effort to doing it. Generally what this forum says is that those older boxes are not worth doing because of the cost of the slides coupled with the amount of work it would take.

What I have learned from my research, you investigate on your own and very the information.

I had a aviation box that I really liked but wanted to have bb slides in it but they never came that way.
The clearance between the outside of the drawer and the inside of the cabinet is (.500) a half inch. This is a very common thickness for bb slides and I have a bunch of the accuride slides andnthey are a half inch thick.
So you could remove the drawers, remove the friction rail that is spot welded to the side of the drawer and the inside of the cabinet and replace them with the bb slides.

The issue....
How do you attach them?
Well I say ther are several ways. You can spot weld the piece to the drawer, or you can pop rivet or solid rivet them. I was going to solid rivet them
To the cabinet you can use screws or pop rivets I was going to screw them at first so that any needed adjustments can be made and the pop rivet them in their final location and leave the rivets and the screws.
Now this was assuming that I was going to use aftermarket bb slides.
If you use the original slides then you could opt to cut the square holes in the drawer sides so that they will clip onto the original type slides. This would be a lot of work and I would say that you would want to use a jig or fixture to be sure you are getting it right.

So now on the cabinet side. You will need to figure out where the proper location of the slide is to be. I was going to scribe a line on the side inside of the cabinet at the top edge of the drawer and then setup and base all my locations on that. You would likely need to make some spacers that would go on the top of the last slide body that would assure that you are getting them installed parallel and true. This way you can spend a bunch of time getting the bottom one right when you have the space to do it and then take advantage og that work to make your life easier on the rest of them.
So, what is the spacing? Well before taking it all apart you can measure from the top of one drawer to the top of the next and that will give you the drawer height plus the spacing. Measure the drawer height and the slide height and do some math. I like to make a drawing of where everything should be ( with dimensions) so I have something to refer to and stay on the same track.

So I have yet to actually do it so I only have the research and not the experience. So why haven't I done it yet? Well because it's so far been easier to score a deal on a replacement box than to do all that work

Bob

 

[Steevo]

Hmmm.

Maybe I just need to call Snap-On and see if I can get a set of friction slides.
After all, if they last as long as the original ones did, I'll be 92 years old when they are this worn out again.

 

[dr.gizmo]

I did this to an old craftsman box of mine. I went to the local big box store and bought some kitchen cabinet roller slides, they look just like the ones on the tool boxes. I had to cut the old friction slides off of the drawers and then drill the drawers for the new slides, but in the end it worked out OK.

 

[stanward]

Hello Dr. Gizmo,

Do you have photos of what you have done? I'm wanting to do the same for my Craftsman tool chest.

Thanks!

I did this to an old craftsman box of mine. I went to the local big box store and bought some kitchen cabinet roller slides, they look just like the ones on the tool boxes. I had to cut the old friction slides off of the drawers and then drill the drawers for the new slides, but in the end it worked out OK.