Fixing sloppy drawers in a KRL box

[agdodge4x4]

So Snap On has been gracious as hell with parts on this box, but I havn't asked for slides yet. The wider drawers seem to 'drop' on the right side when you pull them all the way out. After a lot of inspection it seems the single screw that held the slide in place in the front loosened and allowed the slides to get sloppy in the slot they sit in, which wore out the slide AND the inner sheet metal on the box. Is there any way to remedy this? I think I can tack weld in new metal to the slide, but I don't think I can do anything about the sheet metal. On the red sheet metal you can see the lower most slot has worn out of shape.

I think all it needs is a couple of new slides on that side that are sloppy and then just make sure the screws are tight and the slides are slammed against the back side and it should be OK for another 30 years.

 

[Wamsutta]

That 1st picture on the left is what's called a bayonet. The 2nd picture are bayonet slots. The wear on that bayonet is extremely unusual. You shouldn't need screws to hold the slides in place. The bayonets on the slides should fit the bayonet slots so tight that you have to tap them down with a hammer. I use a 1 x 6 inch wooden dowel as a giant pin punch.

Check to make sure those inner walls are flat. Put a long straight edge against it. You can pull the walls outward by hooking something into the bayonet slot and pulling outwards. Pushing the walls in is equally easy. That inner wall is only 18 gauge steel. It bends real easy. Actually too easy. There should be no movement of the slide with the inner wall.

Check your slides to see if they're bent too.

 

[agdodge4x4]

WAll is straight Slides are straight. Bayonets on every snap on box I’ve ever worked on could be removed and installed without any hammers. So that’s something I havnt heard before. Good to know. These slide back and then down and are held from moving with a single sheet metal screw like all my other boxes.

With the screws removed the slides move forward and backward in their bayonet slots a bit which I think is what caused all this wear. Nothing is tight and the drawer being opened and closed rode the bayonet slots back to front and the heavy drawers wore the bayonet’s up and down like in the photo above.

The wear on the bayonet is exactly the same on the entire right side from 30 years of being loose with loades drawers. These drawers are 29” deep so lots of weight on the ends when fully extended.

all of the original slides have the set screw and the box is drilled for it.

What’s the fix?

ETA: I took the rest of the slides out on that side. All are worn exactly the same as the one above, plus the bayonet slots are worn. Two of the bayonets are bent and one is completely broken off so….

As for being tight without screws, the bayonets have a gap of at least twice that of 18 gauge steel so there is no way to make these tight without screws or dead blow on the bayonets to snag them down. I do not believe these KRL style like this are meant to be as tight as described. That’s probably why the factory installs set screws??

Anyway, need some new slides and we’ll be set I think.

 

[Wamsutta]

The drawers on my box are also 29 inches deep. My box never came with screws though.

I remember the older boxes like the KR1000 having the screws on the front of the slides.

I'm puzzled why your box came with screws if it's a KRL.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Not sure. KRL1001, screws in front of slides only, factory installed. This is a 1994 box.

These slides rely on the screw in the front to keep them from moving up and down in the front. That motion is how they are removed. There is not locking tab like in some slides. No tools or disconnect thing slid behind the slides are required for removal.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Front set screws.

 

[agdodge4x4]

Good news, Snap On just replaced the broken slides and I was able to build up the ones that were worn down with my MIG welder and some careful shaping. I could have gotten them to replace others, but I didn't feel it was right unless they were truly broken. I appreciate the warranty and I don't want it abused. I removed all of the slides and cleaned them in my parts washer. Now I just need to find some lube to keep them slick. They all work well dry, but I would feel better with something on them. They had grease from the factory.

 

[Snaparxon]

Mine has screws, 1996 KRL1001.

 

[seber]

Good news, Snap On just replaced the broken slides and I was able to build up the ones that were worn down with my MIG welder and some careful shaping. I could have gotten them to replace others, but I didn't feel it was right unless they were truly broken. I appreciate the warranty and I don't want it abused. I removed all of the slides and cleaned them in my parts washer. Now I just need to find some lube to keep them slick. They all work well dry, but I would feel better with something on them. They had grease from the factory.

No they didn't. When I bought my first one I checked. It had what appeared to be paraffin on the slides. That is what I have been using ever since. I've bought several that were greased with white lithium. Don't do that. Not only does it make a miserable mess after a while, it collects grit and wears the slide out.

 

[AntonLargiader]

The last "new" slides I bought got under warranty were greased with a translucent yellow grease.

I had some old slides (from when I bought the boxes) that were gummed up and I needed to clean them, but the biggest problem now is the deteriorating bump stops. My driver has given me a bag of the diamond-shaped detent bumpers, but I've realized that I need a bunch of the gray plastic stops for the roller cages. They crumble, and without them the cages lock onto the outer track and can't roll any more.

Circled below is the bumper and the tab that bumps against it, and you can see it's missing on the bottom slide. The back of the slot that the bumper sits in has a wider notch, and when the bumper is missing the tab scrapes over the sides of the slot, drops into that notch and sticks there. That locks the roller cage to the slide, and from then on the inner track will just drag through the ball bearings. Sometimes the tab doesn't stick in there and it will still work properly, though, so if I can't get the gray bumpers I will just bend the ears down a bit so the tab doesn't hang up on them.