How to fix sliding closet door off track

• Working Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Skill Level: Kid-friendly

Sliding and bifold doors are great space-savers for tight closets or small hallway bathroom thresholds. However, a problem with these doors is they sometimes get knocked off their track and require adjusting. Below, we show you what you need to know for bifold door repairs in just a few steps. You'll be surprised at how easy it is!

Most sliding closet doors hang by rollers from a track above. Bifold doors are anchored at the bottom and top of one side. On the opposite side, a guide pin slides through a top channel. Parts for these doors are readily available at home centers, hardware stores, or online.

If you have a sliding closet door that glides on a bottom track, clean the track with a damp cloth to ensure smooth gliding. Lubricate the rollers but not the track, because lubricant will act as a magnet for dust. Remove a door by lifting and tilting the bottom out. If a roller is stuck, unscrew and remove it. If cleaning does not solve the problem, replace the roller unit.

1. Bifold doors should be parallel with the frame and each other when there are double bifolds in an opening. A bifold should close snugly but not too tightly. To adjust the door's position at the bottom, lift it at the bottom and move the pin to another place on the bracket.

   Editor's tip: Bifold doors are light (some are louvered, and some are hollow-core), so the hardware isn't heavy-duty. A top pin, which is spring-loaded so you can lift the door up and out, inserts into a bracket that can be moved to the left or right. The bottom pin rests in a bracket with several setting points for easy adjustment. The top roller slides through a track.

2. To adjust the top position, partially open the door. Next, loosen the bracket's screw, slide the door over, and tighten the screw.

3. To adjust a bifold's height, use an adjustable wrench, a pair of pliers, or the wrench that comes with the hardware. Twist the nut surrounding the pin to raise or lower the door.

   If the bracket is too low (or sunk below carpeting), remove the door and the bracket. Cut a shim to fit under the bracket and reinstall the bracket.

4. Repair parts are easily installed; some simply push into holes, while others attach with a screw or two. A replacement part may not properly anchor if a pin or roller hole is enlarged or the door is cracked. Buy a repair part with a flange that can be screwed to either side of the hole. If the door is badly damaged, replace it.

5. Clean the Rollers

   If you have a sliding closet door that glides on a bottom track, clean the track with a damp cloth to ensure smooth gliding. Lubricate the rollers but not the track because lubricant will act as a magnet for dust. Next, remove a door by lifting and tilting the bottom out. If a roller is stuck, unscrew and remove it. If cleaning does not solve the problem, replace the roller unit.

6. To adjust the height of a hanging slider, loosen the adjusting screws on a roller bracket, move the door up or down, and retighten the screws. If your roller bracket is not adjustable, buy replacement brackets.

   The doors slide through a bottom guide on the floor. If the guide is out of alignment, adjust the guide and drive longer screws. If the guide is not high enough to capture the doors, place a small shim under the guide.

7. If you wish to remove a hanging closet door, remove the guide. Look for access slots on the track. Slide the rollers to the slots, lift the door, and tilt the bottom out.

1. Inspect all the screws on your sliding door’s hardware to ensure none have come loose. Tighten as needed. If any of the screws look old or worse-for-wear, replace them.

2. Have you recently had new flooring installed? Your closet door may have come off its tracks due to the friction of rubbing against the new flooring. 

   There are screws on the back of the door that adjust the height of the rollers; turn them to the right to raise the rollers so the door can move freely without scraping the floor. For pocket doors, you should use a wrench to tighten any nuts that have come loose, which are likely causing one side of the door to drop closer to the ground.

3. 

   Photo: Serenethos/iStock/Getty Images

   The closet door’s hardware set up varies by type. Sliding bypass doors hang off rollers in the top jamb of the door’s frame, with a hinged guide on the floor that holds the door in its place. Pocket doors usually have guides where the door “folds” into the wall. Bifold doors, which create an accordion-fold look, typically have guides that pivot on pins. The pins are placed in both the top and the bottom of a door panel, with the guide located on the opposite top corner of the second panel. This guide sits on a track to stop this panel from swinging in or out. 

   Once you find the guide in your closet door, remove the screws in the guide, and then the guide itself so you can easily remove the door for further inspection and repair.

4. Now that you’ve dismantled the hardware keeping the door in place, it’s time to remove the doors. Place a large blanket or rug on the floor nearby where the door can lay while you continue the repair. Lift the door off of its track by lifting it up at a 30-degree angle, raising the wheels out of the track with the bottom closest to you. Then, gingerly place it on the rug or blanket while you troubleshoot the situation.

5. The solution for the off-track door could be as simple as a quick cleaning session. When dirt and debris is trapped in the closet track, it can build up and cause the door to become off-kilter, with stuck objects throwing it off its track. 

   Grab a toothbrush or other small brush and scrub out any caked-on grime, and then vacuum the area to clean it up. Finish by spraying the track with WD-40 or a silicone lubricant. It’s a good idea to repeat this task seasonally to prevent build-up.

6. With the door off the track, you can give it a once-over to see if there’s anything amiss. Look for any bends in the track which could be causing the door to slide uneasily and ultimately allow it to jump off the track. 

   If you notice a bend, place a piece of wood inside the track and use a mallet to tap the track back into alignment while standing on the piece of wood to keep it steady. If this doesn’t work because the bend is too extreme, consult a closet maker or installation professional; you may need ro replace the track entirely.

7. Remove any tack nails on the bottom of the door with a hammer. Now you can use sandpaper to sand the bottom of the door, which should remove the tension between the door and the track that’s preventing it from moving properly. You can also attach a strip of wood to the bottom of the door to ensure that it’s level.

8. The doors will stick in the track if your roller wheels have flat spots. Replace any roller wheels that appear damaged or worn down.

9. 

   Photo: Mariakray/Adobe Stock

   The final step is to put the door back in as you took it out. For a bypass door, hold it at a 30-degree angle, with the bottom closest to you, and push the top roller into the top track. Straighten the door and then pull it down slightly to hook the door into the track. 

   Return all hardware to the guides to secure the door back into place. With a bifold door, you’ll need to place the door’s pivot pin into the top-right bracket, and then lift the door slightly to lower the bottom pin into its bracket.