Sliding wardrobe door wheels

Arguably, the wheels on a sliding wardrobe door are the most important element as they need to provide a durable, smooth and effortless action when the doors are opened or closed. However, they are often overlooked in favour of the more obvious features of door design, manufacture and materials. In this article we’ll take a closer look at the different types of wheels, how their features affect the performance of your sliding wardrobe doors and how you can replace the wheel assemblies if necessary.

Replacement wardrobe door wheels

In the event that you need to replace running wheels for our steel-framed or aluminium-frame doors, these are available from our Ebay shop or by calling the Sales team on freephone 0800 035 1730.

• Steel-framed wardrobe doors – sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels
  1x Sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels (£12.50)
  2x Sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels (£25.00)
  4x Sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels (£50.00)
  
• Steel-framed wardrobe doors – sliding wardrobe door running gear
  1x Sliding wardrobe door running gear (£12.50)
  2x Sliding wardrobe door running gear (£25.00)
  4x Sliding wardrobe doorrunning gear (£50.00)
  
• Aluminium-framed wardrobe doors – sliding wardrobe top guide wheels
  1x Sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels (£9.50)
  2x Sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels (£19.00)
  4x Sliding wardrobe door top guide wheels (£38.00)
  
• Aluminium-framed wardrobe doors – sliding wardrobe running gear
  1x Sliding wardrobe door running gear (£6.00)
  2x Sliding wardrobe door running gear (£12.00)
  4x Sliding wardrobe door running gear (£24.00)
  

Our wardrobe door wheels may fit other manufacturer’s doors. Please check the size specification and the photos of our wheels. If the wheels look different then potentially you may need to look at the Spacepro sliding wardrobe door wheels or Stanley sliding wardrobe door wheels. If you are unsure, please email a photograph of your current running gear or wheels to info@wardrobedoorsdirect.co.uk.

Sliding wardrobe wheels supplied fitted

When you order and purchase any set of sliding wardrobe doors from Wardrobe Doors Direct they will come pre-fitted with the appropriate running wheels for the framework ie. steel or aluminium (see descriptions and specifications below). Furthermore, as all our sliding wardrobe doors carry a 10 year manufacturer’s guarantee on all wardrobe door wheels, in the unlikely event of one of our wheel sets failing, we will replace it free of charge.

Not all sliding wardrobe door wheels are made the same

The sliding rollers / wheels that allow sliding doors to run smoothly in their tracks can be manufactured from different materials and work in different ways. In some systems, the top guides will not have wheels at all, but will simply be a plastic or felt pad instead. In others, where the wardrobe roller wheels are included in the top guides they may not have proper bearings but instead may have plastic pegs that the wheels clip onto. This plastic against plastic contact will create more friction than wheels with bearings, and will consequently affect the smooth running of the sliding doors.

Similarly, across the breadth of running gear available, the quality of the materials used will also affect the final performance of the component. At first glance, many products may look the same as our SlidePro components, but are in fact fabricated from inferior materials. For example, the top guide wheels in our SlidePro running gear feature a spring-loaded mechanism that causes them to remain in contact with the side walls of the tracks at all times.

Below, you can find the full specification for our SlidePro sliding wardrobe door running gear, designed especially for use with steel-framed and aluminium-framed doors.

SlidePro sliding wardrobe door wheels (designed for use with steel-framed wardrobe doors)

Wardrobe roller wheels specification:

• The top guide wheel assembly is constructed from a nickel-plated steel carriage with an injection-moulded PVC insert.
• The dual wheels are rubber-coated to run smoothly and quietly within the steel top track channels. They use 608zz double-shielded bearings (rated ABEC-5) for durability.
• The top guide wheels have a noiseless action when in use.

Wardrobe runner wheels specification:

• The bottom load-bearing wheel assembly is constructed from a nickel-plated steel carriage with an injection-moulded PVC insert.
• The wheel component uses a durable nylon wheel and 608zz double shielded bearings (rated ABEC-5) for durability. The wheel is chamfered to roll smoothly and quietly within the steel bottom track channels.
• The bottom wheel also includes anti-jump tabs which, when snapped into the bottom runners, prevent the doors from leaving the track.
• The bottom running gear has a noiseless action when in use.
• Load bearing up-to 30kg per wheel.

SlidePro sliding wardrobe door wheels (designed for use with aluminium-framed wardrobe doors)

Wardrobe roller wheels specification:

• The top guide wheels are constructed from a nickel-plated steel.
• The dual wheels are rubber-coated to run smoothly and quietly within the aluminium top track channels and use 608zz double shielded bearings (rated ABEC-5) for durability.
• The top guide wheels have a noiseless action when in use.

Wardrobe runner wheels specification:

• The bottom load-bearing wheel assembly is constructed from nickel-plated steel.
• The bottom roller is spring-mounted in the bottom rail assembly of the door to prevent the door from leaving the track.
• The wheel component uses a durable nylon wheel and 608zz double shielded bearings (rated ABEC-5) for durability. The wheel is chamfered to roll smoothly and quietly within the aluminium bottom runners.
• The bottom running gear has a noiseless action when in use.
• Load bearing up-to 50kg per wheel.

Maintenance of sliding wardrobe door wheels

The only real enemy of sliding wardrobe door wheels is dust, fluff and/or hair. If your doors are installed over carpet then we do recommend that you periodically vacuum around the bottom running gear / wheels to remove any build-up of carpet fibres and clear away any dust or hairs that have accumulated. Any build-up of these will affect the smooth running of the doors in the tracks. The roller wheels in the top tracks can also be vacuumed occasionally to remove any dust that may have accumulated. Please refer to our article How to clean and maintain your sliding wardrobe doors for more information.

Performance issues with sliding wardrobe door wheels

Although very rare, some issues do occasionally occur with the wheels on sliding wardrobe doors.

Sliding wardrobe door roller wheels
If the wardrobe roller wheels are not positioned correctly at installation stage, there is a potential that the wheel can rub on the top track, which over time, can cause the rubber on the wheel to degrade.

If the sliding doors are handled incorrectly during delivery or installation this can cause one of the spring-loaded roller wheels to become detached. If this happens the easiest remedy is to replace the whole roller assembly. Of course, if this happens during delivery then we will replace the unit completely free of charge.

Sliding wardrobe door wheels
Over time and with heavy use, the ABS plastic on the wheels can split which causes a gap in the wheel. If you hear that the wheel ‘clunks' when you push it along the track or you feel that the wheel is not rotating properly then this could be the cause of the problem.

Fitting replacement sliding wardrobe door rollers / wheels

If, for whatever reason, you need to fit replacement roller or bottom wheels to either steel-framed or aluminium-framed sliding wardrobe doors, this is a relatively simple process.

• First, check against the available wheels on our Ebay shop that you are purchasing the appropriate matching wheel set for the set(s) you wish to replace.
• Remove the relevant wardrobe door from the running tracks by lifting it up and out of the bottom running track and then tilt it at an angle towards you to remove it from the top running track. In some cases (eg. where the panels are glass or mirrored), the doors may be quite heavy and so two people may be required to lift them from the tracks safely.
• Depending upon the wardrobe door framing, follow the steps below to remove and replace the running appropriate wheels:

Replacement sliding wardrobe doors

If your door is damaged and you require a replacement sliding door please read this article How to replace wardrobe doors with replacement sliding wardrobe doors.

Further information

To purchase sliding wardrobe doors wheels please visit our Ebay store or to discuss an issue relating to spare parts please call the Technical team on freephone 0800 035 1730.