How Do You Put Rollers on a Dishwasher Rack?

They may raise the value of your home. That is what some people claim but if they do, it won’t be by very much. Then if your dishwasher is broken, that appliance will probably lower the value of your home. Regardless of their condition and if they add value or not, dishwashers are very handy appliances to have in your kitchen.

One of the most common issues you will have when you own a dishwasher will be the rollers. They get a lot of work guiding the racks to and from the interior of the dishwasher. There will be a day when you will have to replace those rollers and keep your dishwasher working at optimum levels.

The Design of the Rollers and Racks

The design is fairly simple. The bottom rack can easily be pulled from the dishwasher without worry because there are no stops on that bottom-level roller system. Even with the rack full, you can pull it out and move it out of the way when you need to reach the bottom of the appliance.

The top rack is another story. It does have stops on the rollers to make sure no one absent-mindedly pulls the top rack out like they would the bottom rack. If the top rack is full and there were no stops, you would have a lot of broken dishes or a mess to clean up.

You have to remove the stops to pull the top rack out in order to get to the rollers and work on them.

How to Put New Rollers on Your Dishwasher

This task is like many tasks for all kitchen appliances. It is straightforward and simple to do if you know what you are doing. The most difficult aspect will be positioning yourself so you can gain access to the screws you need to loosen.

Step one: Loosen the end caps or stops on the top rack. You may have to insert a quarter to pry the caps off. A stubby flathead screwdriver may also work. Then twist the screwdriver or quarter to open the tab slightly.

Next twist the end cap towards the middle of the dishwasher and pull the tab off. Then pull off the end caps.

Step two: Pull the top rack out of the dishwasher and set it aside. Then move to the bottom rack and remove it as well. Make sure both racks are out of the way and in a safe spot.

Step three: Get the appropriate screwdriver to loosen the screws. Some models will use Phillip head screws and other models may use a flathead or a Robertson head screwdriver.

If you are lucky, you may have a simple twist-off roller system and all you will need is your fingers and some firm pressure to remove them. Remove the screws and put them in a safe spot so they won’t get lost.

Repeat this process for all the rollers you intend to remove and replace.

Step Four: Reverse step three and place the new rollers in the place of the old ones. Take your time as these are not made of stone and can easily be bent if you put too much pressure on them.

Step Five: Make sure all rollers and tracks are aligned and that the top and bottom racks move smoothly. Do a little test to make sure before you put the stops back on the top set of rollers.

Step Six: Finally, put the stops back in place, and you are done.

Nothing to it and all it takes is a little time and a little handyman skill to get this job done.

Why Do You Need to Replace the Rollers?

Dishwasher rollers wear out. When they do, the top rack may come out of alignment, and you won’t be able to close your dishwasher’s door. One source for this problem is that the ball bearings inside the rollers were damaged in some way.

If you are not sure how to remove any part, you should refer to your owner’s manual. Each manual should have troubleshooting instructions for simple repairs like this one. Make sure to keep your manual in a spot you are sure to find it when you really need it.

Some Final Words

One of the aspects of repairing your own kitchen appliances like roller repair is that you can build up some self-confidence when you do the job right. You do not have to be a professional appliance repairman to keep your appliances in top working order.