Where is Slide Out Actuator Length Measured

Updated 02/20/2025 | Published 02/17/2025

Question:

I have a cardinal 30 ts,2007.need hydraulic cylinder for kitchen slide. Entry door side. Need clarification of terms. What is overall length? My tip to tip length is 66.5 . Cylinder is 30 +/-. Assume stroke is distance the rod travels. Overall length? Rod extended or contracted?

asked by: Kenneth W

Expert Reply:

Hey Kenneth, yes the stroke is the length it travels in and out. Overall length is when it's retracted. Is that where yours measured 66.5?

expert reply by: Jameson C

Kenneth

2/20/2025

I spoke with Dawn yesterday about it. The language is important to us diyers . I gleaned that the length must be retracted not extended but I didn't understand why so I measured the extended length. Port to port is important but I didn't figure that out until I was talking with Dawn. The adjective,hydraulic, with port would have been helpful. Anyhow, I have the cylinder coming which is the replacement for mine which is no longer available. I did have a? about the outboard attachment for the ram. My outboard ram has two jam nuts on the inside of the bracket and a large nut which is not tightened to the outboard bracket. Don't understand why the outboard nut is not tightened. It's probably 3-4" off the bracket. Is that the proper mounting.

Jameson C.

2/20/2025

@Kenneth Yeah that should be tight. I am not sure why it would be backed off like that unless it had just worked itself loose.

Kenneth

2/20/2025

@JamesonC well, it's been that way for 18 years so I guess I dodged a bullet. I've had no occasion to see it until this. My coach has underpinning with insulation. I did have some warranty work on that slide shortly after purchase by a local Forest River affiliated shop so they might have left it backed off.