How do I fix sticky windows?

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seilerbird

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There are 7 sliding windows in my motorhome and most of them are very hard to open and close. They don't slide worth a darn. I have cleaned the tracks, tried greasing the tracks with a bar of soap and tried lubing the tracks with WD-40. Each thing I tried gave a bit of relief, but none of the windows open and close the way they should. Any suggestions?
 

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[quote author=seilerbird]... tried lubing the tracks with WD-40.[/quote]

WD40 isn't a lubricant  ;)
 
Tom said:
WD40 isn't a lubricant  ;)
Click to expand...

Oh, no. Every time I mention that I used WD-40 to lubricate something someone always has to chime in and say "WD-40" isn't a lubricant. It most definitely is a lubricant. Look on the label and the first use it lists is Lubricates. WD-40 is primarily composed of various hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons come from petroleum. 15% of the formula is Mineral oil (light lubricating oil). 60-80%: Heavy Naphtha (petroleum product). It is most definitely a lubricant. I have been using it to lubricate a zillion things since the 60s.
 
Maybe we're talking about a different product, but the can of WD40 in my garage says nothing about lubrication  ;)

WD = water displacement, not lubricant.

Maybe I should call them and let them know that they labeled the product incorrectly  ???
 
We are talking about the same product. It was designed to be a Water Displacement product, hence the name, the 40th formula that was tried. But it is first a foremost a lubricant. Read the label again. Here is some reading for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD_40




 
sliding things (like windows) need their support frame and hardware to be square and plumb etc.
over time things will get out of whack.

you have a whack job in your future to un-whack those windows.
when was the last time you opened up all the pinch screws for the frame?
hopefully the windows could use some of that gasket caulk stuff while you have them open to investigate what went out of whack.

It's probably something simple and may even be obvious from the exterior...
like my broken pop rivet that loosened up the fixed pane on a slider window.

took longer to write this message than to fix that.

re the WD40 thing... I stopped even buying the stuff 15 years ago.

I'm now down to four items that I use:
PB Blaster (spray)
Silicon spray
white lithium grease (tube)
engine assy lube  (tube)


 
Try reading the label in that Wiki - nothing there that talks about a lubricant, because it's not  ;)  Read the back of the can and all it talks about is cleaning, stops squeaks (no lubricant mentioned), moisture displacement, and loosening rusted parts. So, I did read the label(s) again, and there's nothing there about lubrication. Try reading the label again  ;)
 
>WD-40? can clean your bike & tools, remove grease, and lubricate locks, hinges, & all moving parts

<>Want to lubricate sticky drawers? Clean crayon from wall...

This is from the official WD 40 web site created by the manufacturer of WE 40:

http://www.wd40.com/uses-tips/

 
[quote author=seilerbird]... created by the manufacturer of WE 40...[/quote]

Oops, sorry, I thought we were talking about WD40  ;D
 
What material is the window slide made of? I'm assuming metal, but sometime they have a liner.  Also some windows have nylon bushings on the sides to help slide better, two problem with these, if they wear out, then you have metal on metal, does not slide well.  If they are now worn, sometimes using an oil-based product (I'm not part of the lubricant/not a lubricant debate), it makes matters worse.  I find they work better with silicone spray.
 
seilerbird said:
Here is some reading for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WD_40
Click to expand...

Sorry Seilerbird no offence intended as in the main I emphasise with your posts, but,

Wiki if used as reference material would still have people buying into sub prime as an investment opportunity as well as several other scams used over the years.

The best you can hope for from wiki is 50% possible reliable material but it is certainly made to seem plausible and 50% pure BS

As a FYI any students out there check with your tutor as most academic bodies will fail you or seriously deduct marks for using such a bad reference material source.

Obe
 
obelix67 said:
Sorry Seilerbird no offence intended as in the main I emphasise with your posts, but,

Wiki if used as reference material would still have people buying into sub prime as an investment opportunity as well as several other scams used over the years.

The best you can hope for from wiki is 50% possible reliable material but it is certainly made to seem plausible and 50% pure BS

As a FYI any students out there check with your tutor as most academic bodies will fail you or seriously deduct marks for using such a bad reference material source.

Obe
Click to expand...

Well I am offended. I feel that Wikipedia is an excellent resource. If you don't want to believe anything they write then be my guest. What makes you think your opinion is better than my opinion? Where is the proof in your opinions?
 
Now, now, children.  Let us not degenerate into a flame war!  Cite your technical references but let us not hear any personal accusations.

Any liquid can be said to "lubricate", even water.  Whether WD40 is a good lubricant is open to considerable debate, but surely there are much better lubricants available. Graphite-based lubes and dry silicone come readily to mind for window tracks.
 
seilerbird said:
Well I am offended. I feel that Wikipedia is an excellent resource. If you don't want to believe anything they write then be my guest. What makes you think your opinion is better than my opinion? Where is the proof in your opinions?
Click to expand...

that acadmeic's will fail you for using a reference material that is so flawed

if it was a good resource that would not be the case

the concept of wiki is excellent, the byproduct is that silly people add spurious information that makes it not very good as a resource, it is open to abuse and open to add wildly subjective opinions

PS like I said no offence intended

 
There are many far better lubricants than WD40, silicone, Teflon, graphite.  WD40 is good for loosening up  things and provide a little lube for a short time but does not last as a lubricant.
 
WD-40 is a lubricant, look at the back of the can under "directions".
"Lubricates: hinges, wheels, rollers,chains, gears", that's what the can says.
Also cleans, protects, penetrates and displaces moisture, that's what the can says.
Now back to the window, I got mine working like new by cleaning the tracks all around with AWESOME. I buy it at the 99cents Only store. I did one window at a time, soaked with AWESOME, rinsed, soaked and rinsed, let dry and the windows worked great. The dust and dirt build up really impairs the window operation on older units. S-bird, I know that you cleaned them already, but try again with the AWESOME. Do Not use the lube, it only attracts dirt, and that is the problem. You want the tracks clean and dry. RV Roamer, read the can. ;D
J
 
Like 34 says, the tracks need a good cleaning.  WD40 is a temporary lubricant, best off with a dry lube like the spray silicone. 

As to Wiki, it is created by anyone that posts, much good info, but not reliable.  Kind of like You Tube for news.

 
Having retired from serving in academia for eight years in '08, I only have my experience with Wiki to share. When it concerns the hard sciences, Wiki was seen as very accurate and very helpful to students. When the subjects were in the social sciences or subjective areas, use of Wiki for research was highly suspect.

It appeard to our science faculty and staff that those who write in the hard sciences are still working at dealing with data and fact in their Wiki pieces. Subjective opinion seemed to dominate the soft sciences. So, as usual, there is no uniform standard or benchmark for Wiki as Wiki is usually open for modification with few articals locked.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
 
InPursuit said:
sliding things (like windows) need their support frame and hardware to be square and plumb etc.
over time things will get out of whack.

you have a whack job in your future to un-whack those windows.
when was the last time you opened up all the pinch screws for the frame?
hopefully the windows could use some of that gasket caulk stuff while you have them open to investigate what went out of whack.

It's probably something simple and may even be obvious from the exterior...
like my broken pop rivet that loosened up the fixed pane on a slider window.

took longer to write this message than to fix that.
Click to expand...

Thank you for actually trying to answer my question. I don't understand what you are saying about opening up the pinch screws for the frame. I have never done that.
 
56kz2slow said:
What material is the window slide made of? I'm assuming metal, but sometime they have a liner.  Also some windows have nylon bushings on the sides to help slide better, two problem with these, if they wear out, then you have metal on metal, does not slide well.  If they are now worn, sometimes using an oil-based product (I'm not part of the lubricant/not a lubricant debate), it makes matters worse.  I find they work better with silicone spray.
Click to expand...

Thank you for actually trying to answer my question. The window slide is a felt type of material. They were almost impossible to move until I lubricated it with WD-40. Now they at least open and close. I cannot find any obvious problems, like metal on metal or worn out nylon bushings.
 
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