Zip Dee lubrication and lock issue

[gowansg]

Has anyone oiled the springs on their awning? I am having a problem with unrolling my main awning (1988) and The factory said to oil the spring.
There doesn't seem to be any openings to shoot oil to the springs unless I drill a hole through the lock plate and end plate. Are there rivers on the front of that tube ? (Mine may be covered by fabric.)

Is there a way to get the end that contains the locking lever off without destroying it ?

[thiel]

I think you want a dry lube so you are not getting lots of fine dust clinging to the springs.

Mostly I just spray dry silicone up the end of the bars and at all the rub points. I find that keeps things loose.

[Wrangler]

Originally Posted by thiel

I think you want a dry lube so you are not getting lots of fine dust clinging to the springs.

Mostly I just spray dry silicone up the end of the bars and at all the rub points. I find that keeps things loose.

I just did the same with mine. It operates much better now.

[Bill M.]

The problem on the zip dee awnings I have worked on (3 of them) has been the bearing on the lock end has seized and there is no way to lube it without taking it apart. To remove the locking end you have to slide the fabric back about 1” and drill out the pop rivets that hold the part in the tube. Then it just pulls out of the tube. No problem. Then dissemble the mechanism. I had to drive the shaft out of the bearing on mine. Then clean it well, file off any burrs, and reassemble with lubrication. The first two I did I just replaced the whole locking end by ordering from Zip dee. The last one, this spring, I called Zipdee and they refused to sell the part directly and told me to “get it from a dealer”. None of the dealers I tried had it in stock. So I drove the old one apart and fixed it. Worked fine. The problem seems to be that Al corrosion takes up more room than Al and the bearing just swells shut as the aluminum ages. I do not think working on the spring end will be productive unless the spring is actually broken. If there is spring tension but it does not roll all the way up I suspect the locking end roller.

As a check, take the cross bolt out of the shaft on the end of the roller with the lock. Then see if you can turn the shaft with your fingers. It should turn freely with no resistance. I bet you can not turn it at all.

[gowansg]

I think that is the answer I need. Getting the fabric to reveal the rivets should be interesting.

[DaveP]

Following.

[Al and Missy]

In case anyone doesn't know, I think the spring needs to be unwound before doing any disassembly. The ZipDee website has procedures for these actions.


Al

[jimfa440]

following

[Rob Cope]

I find it hard to believe the manufacturer has not provided at time of manufacture a lifetime lubricant, or at least a way to access the moving mechanisms. This is not rocket science.

[Bill M.]

The spring does not need to be unwound to remove the lock end mechanism. Just take the awning arm loose at that end and let the end of the roller set on a table or ladder. The bearing surface in question is located so there is no way to get to it without removing the whole part and there are no lube holes.

If you ness with the spring end that is an entirely different matter and you do have to deal with the spring tension. And it takes 2 people.

[gowansg]

[QUOTE=Bill M.;2146464]The problem on the zip dee awnings I have worked on (3 of them) has been the bearing on the lock end has seized and there is no way to lube it without taking it apart. To remove the locking end you have to slide the fabric back about 1” and drill out the pop rivets that hold the part in the tube. Then it just pulls out of the tube. No problem. Then dissemble the mechanism. I had to drive the shaft out of the bearing on mine. Then clean it well, file off any burrs, and reassemble with lubrication. The first two I did I just replaced the whole locking end by ordering from Zip dee. The last one, this spring, I called Zipdee and they refused to sell the part directly and told me to “get it from a dealer”. None of the dealers I tried had it in stock. So I drove the old one apart and fixed it. Worked fine. The problem seems to be that Al corrosion takes up more room than Al and the bearing just swells shut as the aluminum ages. I do not think working on the spring end will be productive unless the spring is actually broken. If there is spring tension but it does not roll all the way up I suspect the locking end roller.

As a check, take the cross bolt out of the shaft on the end of the roller with the lock. Then see if you can turn the shaft with your fingers. It should turn freely with no resistance. I bet you can not turn it at all.[/QUOTE

Still no luck. I can't get to the rivets because it won't roll out more than about 1/3 turn turn no more. Plus the fabric is too tight to get access to rivets. My only conclusion is the lock must be broken. A friend suggested I pry off the cap that has the locking lever. I'm thinking that it won't just come off. The parts diagram seems to show the locking lever with a short cable (?) .Any suggestions on how to proceed with the lock engaging ?

[Gleverett]

There is a You-Tube video on cleaning the hardware. It says use Sliicone spray for lube.

[Bill M.]

I would try taking out the cross shaft bolt and pulling the support arm off the lock side. Then it should unroll whether it is locked or not. You probably should have a helper to hold the arm up and help get the roller back in the arm if things go south. You will at least be able to tell if your problem is at the lock end.

I rolled one of my small awnings up wet once and left it for a few months. The fabric "stuck together" and I had to pull real hard to unroll it. You might try gently turning the roll tube with a pair of channel locks to see if it is indeed locked or just stuck.

[gowansg]

Originally Posted by gowansg

Has anyone oiled the springs on their awning? I am having a problem with unrolling my main awning (1988) and The factory said to oil the spring.
There doesn't seem to be any openings to shoot oil to the springs unless I drill a hole through the lock plate and end plate. Are there rivers on the front of that tube ? (Mine may be covered by fabric.)

Is there a way to get the end that contains the locking lever off without destroying it ?

they

I solved the problem.

The wooden dowel that is inside the spring had swollen with the humidity, I assume, and it would no longer pivot at the fixed end. I had to slide the awning off the top track and unroll it. Nothing was broken anywhere but that awning wasn't coming down any other way. Zip Dee had no answer that was useful. I also discovered that the spring was in the back. There is no way to oil the spring other than taking it all apart.I
I have yet to slide it back on the track but have a plan.

[Bill M.]

Wooden dowel in spring? Interesting. The spring end I took apart to replace a broken spring had a steel shaft. No wood. 1987 trailer.