I frequently get requests to fix pocket doors that have come out of the track and are difficult to operate. I used to be reluctant to take this kind of job; I could replace the wheels on top of the door, but I couldn't guarantee that would take care of the problem. So I developed a method that resolved this both for me and for my clients. Without breaking into the wall, I remove and replace the old track with a high-quality track and hangers from Johnson Hardware (model 100PD, which costs me around $24; www.johnsonhardware.com). Not only does the Johnson hardware roll a lot more smoothly than the typical cheap original hardware, but it's designed so the wheels can't come off the track.

To remove the old track, I take out as many of the attachment screws as I can get to by reaching inside the opening. I bend down that section of the track and cut it off with metal snips. I then use a short combination crowbar and nail puller to remove the remaining track. I cut off the end of the bar so it will fit into a 1-inch-diameter iron pipe, which gives me an extension handle to get back into the recess. The track rips off easily, but it's hardly ever easy to get all the screws out, so I leave them in place.

Cutting the end off a small crowbar/nail puller and fitting it into the end of an iron pipe provides a tool for reaching into tight spaces.
Cutting the end off a small crowbar/nail puller and fitting it into the end of an iron pipe provides a tool for reaching into tight spaces.
A grinder makes quick work of forming an attachment tab on the end of the pocket-door track.
A grinder makes quick work of forming an attachment tab on the end of the pocket-door track.

Before installing the new track, I have to make a few modifications. Using a grinder to notch the metal, I create a tab at one end for attaching to the stud at the rear of the pocket. I drill a 3/16-inch screw hole in the tab, then bend it over. Also, to accommodate the protruding screwheads that were left in place when the old track came out, I glue flat washers to the new track at each screw hole, and one above the tab at the far end. These act as spacers so the track clears the old screws. Adhesive caulk works fine to keep them in position.

Next, I position the track with one hand and drive a screw through the hole closest to the pocket opening. This keeps the track in place while I use extension bits — up to three — to reach the screw on the tab. I also drive a couple more screws at a slight angle up through the track in the pocket, and the rest of the screws into the doorway overhead.

Washers caulked to the top of the new track provide clearance over screwheads from the previous track.
Washers caulked to the top of the new track provide clearance over screwheads from the previous track.
Here, the new track is in place, with the tab at the end secured to the stud at the back of the recess.
Here, the new track is in place, with the tab at the end secured to the stud at the back of the recess.

Now all I need to do is install the hanger brackets on top of the door and make final adjustments. A job like this takes only a couple of hours, and can be billed at around $200, including materials, when working with a hollow-core door.