Folding Ladder wont Fold

[David S]

I have an old 4 rung aluminum folding ladder in the extended position and wont close. it will have 3 steps in the water hung over my O'day 22 transom. How do I loosen the tight rivets at the pivot points and SS corroded screws in aluminum steps?
David S

 

[justsomeguy]

Start with some penetrating oil?

 

[Bob McL]

Since it obviously worked at one time, the rivets should not need to be loosened. It's corrosion. And the best way to get it back to working order is as "justsomeguy" suggests and keep trying to operate the hinge area. It may take some time, but it will slowly work loose.

 

[David S]

Thanks justaguy, I used PB blaster on the screws, then with breaker bar and phillips screw driver and with much effort got them turned about 1 turn, still wont budge or collapse the ladder. Got a wrecking bar between the scissor bars and took about half hour to pry half closed position, then I had to lay it on the floor and stand on it get to extend.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Patience, and RTFM or the label on the can! Even PB Blaster doesn't work immediately, it takes some time, to, er, penetrate.

 

[caguy]

I would try some CLR.

 

[dscribner]

For a more permanent fix, you might try replacing pivot pins (rivets or screws) with a nylon or bronze flange bushing and SS screws. Probably a $15 fix and you'd need to drill out the holes. SS is actually more corrosive to aluminum than plain ol' carbon steel. Different alloys may differ on that. But we use it because it doesn't rust like CS. Well, not as badly, anyway.

 

[kenn]

For a more permanent fix, you might try replacing pivot pins (rivets or screws) with a nylon or bronze flange bushing and SS screws. Probably a $15 fix and you'd need to drill out the holes.

Yeah, this. If the ladder bending is that hard, I'd want to take those joints apart and see exactly what's going on. Then you can re-fasten, hopefully with something that will last longer and not corrode. Nylon washers and aluminum pop-rivets, maybe.

We have a SS folding ladder on our small boat, with SS screws and SS nylok nuts as pivots. It cost $150 but it's still looking and working like new after 4 years.

 

[David S]

Fplding Ladder Now Folds

I put PB Blaster on the 8 screws on under side of the steps and the can was promptly empty, thinking the screws were too tight, I loosened them half a turn or so, it still would not fold. All I had left of lubricants was a little can of 3 in 1 oil, and I put a few drops on every pivot point. The next morning I could fold it about a qtr of the way closed, as I described earlier w/ wrecking bar and large screw driver and pride the scissor bars open and had to stand on it to extend it. Next day I bought a new can of PB and sprayed all pivot points, after 4 days I am able to fold and extend it by hand w/ very little effort. I give the 3 in 1 oil credit for starting the process of loosening the pivot points at the riveted joints. Now that it folds up about the size my deep cell battery, I can store it on board, unfold it, first hang it over the transom, then secondly dive overboard, in that sequence, Oh yeh, the first first, anchor the boat.

Happy sailing and swimming ya'l, David S