How to Handle Stiff Container Doors?
Is your shipping container door stuck or hard to open and close? A few years after you’ve purchased your shipping container, your shipping container doors could get stuck and become hard to swing open. You might hear that unpleasant creaking. There can be a few reasons why they’re stuck:
- Cargo shifting in transit could have misaligned the door frame.
- It could be because corrosion has crawled onto the door hinges and seized the hinge pins.
- The door gasket has been damaged.
- Water or moisture could be trapped between the doors if your cargo is refrigerated.
However, there are some solutions to this problem.
HOW TO HANDLE STIFF CONTAINER DOORS
Before anything else, make sure your shipping container is level or positioned on a flat surface. This ensures that the shipping container frame does not rack, especially if your shipping container is full and heavy. We at UsedConex, always check with our customers before delivery to ensure that the ground where they plan to position their shipping containers is level.
LUBRICATE
Generously lubricate the shipping container door hinges, latches, locking bar brackets, and locking bar guides. All these parts are connected steel-to-steel, which will tighten over time without proper lubrication.
WD-40 is the most recommended lubricant by manufacturers.
APPLY GREASE
After lubricating the tight spots, generously apply grease onto the locking bar cams welded to the shipping container under the locking bar cam retainers.
CORRECT MISALIGNED SHIPPING CONTAINER DOOR
First, rearrange the contents. Move the heaviest objects and ensure fair distribution of the contents’ weight. Second, using a bubble level, identify the side of the shipping container that is lower toward the ground. Put a wedge under that side to make both sides of the shipping container are even.
MAINTAIN YOUR SHIPPING CONTAINER
Try opening and closing the shipping container doors. It should be easier to open and close the doors now. Shipping containers will serve you well as long as you maintain them properly. Remember to regularly lubricate their door hinges and frequently check the ground underneath your shipping container. It might not be level over time because of the shipping container weight.
Inspect your shipping container regularly to ensure its proper maintenance.
