The Broken Arrow

AGSCO Building Fix-IT

Replacement Track Door Roller Tip

Oh dear, opening these old steel AGSCO building doors is really getting to be an ordeal when replacement parts are no longer available! Both of our parents had these red color end AGSCO Quonset buildings erected back in the 50's and 60's, and they have passed the test of time. They are still standing and sheltering farm equipment, and having done so, well over 60 years. Trouble is, the door rollers only last so long and they need to be replaced. We used to be able to locate a roller made in Sterling, IL, but now that is no longer available. But in 2014, after hunting the internet, and ordering one for trying, we have found a suitable substitute that will do the job. So, we are posting the info on this page to help other AGSCO steel building users to fix their doors too. What we found that works, is the Battalion 4PE56 Door Track Hanger. It is made in China, not the good old USA type, but will do the trick to get your doors happily rolling freely again, for as long as rollers made in China will last. What you do if you want to replace the rollers for two doors, is order 4 of them. Google these keywords: "Battalion 4PE56 Hanger", and search for your best price with the shipping costs. We even seen them listed on eBay one time. What you will get is a 4 wheel roller with a hanger loop, a pin, a bracket for a wood door with carriage bolts. You can discard all the hardware except for the 4 wheel roller with hanger loop. The hanger loop is to wide, but if you grind off about 1/8" inch on both sides as shown in the pictures below and use the pin from the original hanger loop from the door, it will work with your AGSCO door.

This is what Battalion 4PE56 Door Track

Hanger looks like:

This (in red) is what you can discard or

put to some other use:

In the this image we show (marked in green) what to mark with a black marker to grind away so it will fit your AGSCO door, make the mark about 1/8" wide from the edge on both sides up a little ways from the round part of the pin loops, then put a grip hold on the hang loop in your shop vise and grind away the black area you drew on the hanger. You want to grind evenly on both sides, as this loop swivels, and you want your door to hang balanced on it. When done grinding, take a round file and file off the burrs. You may want to put a little paint on the hanger part you ground down, to help retard rust
Then get to the hard part and replace the rollers on your door. This is a two person job at least. That is where a good loader tractor comes in handy, besides some good help. Pick a day that is not very windy, as you don't want your doors getting kite like. You don't want to have to struggle with the wind to keep the door up right. You DO NOT have to completely remove your AGSCO door off and away from the track, unless you want to take it down for welding or other repair work. On ours, what worked is pull the door full open position first, then position the loader bucket to work height, having someone with a little muscle on the loader bucket up in the air to pull the door hanging pins out. Don't lose the pins, you will need them to re-hang the door. That person needs to also be able to reach the end of the track too from the bucket. Pliers, adjustable wrenches, claw hammer, screw driver, magnet (in case something is dropped in grass), might be handy tools to have with in the loader bucket. A good ladder can also be used to help get in and out of the bucket should you need to go back to the shop for some adjustments or parts. You'll need to leave the loader to help support the door should it tip, especially if you need to go to the shop for whatever reasons. Have someone on the ground you can trust to use a block of wood for a pivot and a long crowbar or pry bar to use as a lever to raise the door slightly at the roller end you are working on, to get the weight of the door off the pin, so the pin can be pulled. A needle nose pliers might be handy to pull the pin out, and put it back in later. Note: the person on the ground has to have a study hand lifting the door, and pay attention to directions, so the person up by the roller does not get pinched fingers. Tell the person on the ground if you need the door raised a half inch or about what amount, so they can try to avoid over raising the door and pinching your fingers. The person up by roller should use a pliers whenever possible. Pull the pin (likely need to remove a cotter pin first), then go to the other roller and do the same. The loader bucket should be close enough to almost touch the door should it tip. Then, move both old rollers inside the track, over to the open end (you may have to remove a stop bolt there) to remove old rollers from the track. Roll in your two new replacement rollers and roll them back into position over the door hanger loops. Get your person on the ground to carefully raise up the door again to the height of the hanger, so you can reinsert the hanging pin. Do the same for the second roller. Put your stop bolt back in at the end of the track which may also require a cotter pin. And you can be happy again with a freely rolling door for as long as the replacement from China lasts. We hope this page helps a few fellow AGSCO building owners out. That is why we posted it. If you wish to make a comment, you may Contact Us.
This website is maintained by:
The Broken Arrow

AGSCO Building Fix-

IT

Replacement Track Door

Roller Tip

Oh dear, opening these old steel AGSCO building doors is really getting to be an ordeal when replacement parts are no longer available! Both of our parents had these red color end AGSCO Quonset buildings erected back in the 50's and 60's, and they have passed the test of time. They are still standing and sheltering farm equipment, and having done so, well over 60 years. Trouble is, the door rollers only last so long and they need to be replaced. We used to be able to locate a roller made in Sterling, IL, but now that is no longer available. But in 2014, after hunting the internet, and ordering one for trying, we have found a suitable substitute that will do the job. So, we are posting the info on this page to help other AGSCO steel building users to fix their doors too. What we found that works, is the Battalion 4PE56 Door Track Hanger. It is made in China, not the good old USA type, but will do the trick to get your doors happily rolling freely again, for as long as rollers made in China will last. What you do if you want to replace the rollers for two doors, is order 4 of them. Google these keywords: "Battalion 4PE56 Hanger", and search for your best price with the shipping costs. We even seen them listed on eBay one time. What you will get is a 4 wheel roller with a hanger loop, a pin, a bracket for a wood door with carriage bolts. You can discard all the hardware except for the 4 wheel roller with hanger loop. The hanger loop is to wide, but if you grind off about 1/8" inch on both sides as shown in the pictures below and use the pin from the original hanger loop from the door, it will work with your AGSCO door.

This is what Battalion 4PE56 Door

Track Hanger looks like:

This (in red) is what you can

discard or put to some other use:

In the this image we show (marked in green) what to mark with a black marker to grind away so it will fit your AGSCO door, make the mark about 1/8" wide from the edge on both sides up a little ways from the round part of the pin loops, then put a grip hold on the hang loop in your shop vise and grind away the black area you drew on the hanger. You want to grind evenly on both sides, as this loop swivels, and you want your door to hang balanced on it. When done grinding, take a round file and file off the burrs. You may want to put a little paint on the hanger part you ground down, to help retard rust
Then get to the hard part and replace the rollers on your door. This is a two person job at least. That is where a good loader tractor comes in handy, besides some good help. Pick a day that is not very windy, as you don't want your doors getting kite like. You don't want to have to struggle with the wind to keep the door up right. You DO NOT have to completely remove your AGSCO door off and away from the track, unless you want to take it down for welding or other repair work. On ours, what worked is pull the door full open position first, then position the loader bucket to work height, having someone with a little muscle on the loader bucket up in the air to pull the door hanging pins out. Don't lose the pins, you will need them to re-hang the door. That person needs to also be able to reach the end of the track too from the bucket. Pliers, adjustable wrenches, claw hammer, screw driver, magnet (in case something is dropped in grass), might be handy tools to have with in the loader bucket. A good ladder can also be used to help get in and out of the bucket should you need to go back to the shop for some adjustments or parts. You'll need to leave the loader to help support the door should it tip, especially if you need to go to the shop for whatever reasons. Have someone on the ground you can trust to use a block of wood for a pivot and a long crowbar or pry bar to use as a lever to raise the door slightly at the roller end you are working on, to get the weight of the door off the pin, so the pin can be pulled. A needle nose pliers might be handy to pull the pin out, and put it back in later. Note: the person on the ground has to have a study hand lifting the door, and pay attention to directions, so the person up by the roller does not get pinched fingers. Tell the person on the ground if you need the door raised a half inch or about what amount, so they can try to avoid over raising the door and pinching your fingers. The person up by roller should use a pliers whenever possible. Pull the pin (likely need to remove a cotter pin first), then go to the other roller and do the same. The loader bucket should be close enough to almost touch the door should it tip. Then, move both old rollers inside the track, over to the open end (you may have to remove a stop bolt there) to remove old rollers from the track. Roll in your two new replacement rollers and roll them back into position over the door hanger loops. Get your person on the ground to carefully raise up the door again to the height of the hanger, so you can reinsert the hanging pin. Do the same for the second roller. Put your stop bolt back in at the end of the track which may also require a cotter pin. And you can be happy again with a freely rolling door for as long as the replacement from China lasts. We hope this page helps a few fellow AGSCO building owners out. That is why we posted it. If you wish to make a comment, you may Contact Us.
This website is maintained by: