Clean it, cap it, or replace the track?
Look along the bottom track with a torch and tick what you see. The checker says what it needs and whether the rollers are the cause.
How this works
The raised rib of a sliding door track takes the whole weight of the panel on two small wheels. When a wheel stops turning it skids, and the signs are in order: grey dust, then flat spots, then a groove. Salt and standing water add pitting; a knock adds a bent lip.
The verdict follows what the trade does: grit is cleaned, a worn rib is capped, a cracked track is replaced — and because a bad track is nearly always a roller problem first, the rollers are replaced at the same time or the new surface wears the same way.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is a guide, not a diagnosis — door makers differ, so check your manufacturer where it says to, and the technician confirms what has actually worn when they see the door.
Questions people ask
- What is a sliding door track cap?
- A stainless steel (sometimes nylon) cover that snaps over the worn rib of the existing track and gives the rollers a new, smooth, rust-proof surface. It is the standard fix for a grooved, pitted or flat-spotted track where the frame is sound.
- Can a worn sliding door track be repaired without a new door?
- Usually. A grooved or pitted track is capped; a locally bent one is straightened and capped; only a cracked or badly crushed track is replaced, and even then the door stays.
- Why is there grey dust along my sliding door track?
- It is aluminum ground off the track by a roller wheel that has stopped turning and started skidding. The rollers need replacing before they wear a groove — and if they already have, the track needs capping too.
- Should I grease the track?
- No. Grease and oil hold the grit that is wearing the track and the rollers. Vacuum and wipe it instead.
Other free tools
Rather have someone look at it?
Phones answered around the clock. Free estimate — the price is agreed before work starts.