Good morning everyone, I have a question about readjusting the dresser drawers of my Malm wardrobe from IKEA. The drawers no longer close properly and sometimes get stuck, plus they are slightly misaligned. I would like to know the best way to adjust the drawers myself without damaging the runners. Are there specific adjustment screws or mechanisms I should be aware of? I would appreciate a detailed guide, as I want to avoid removing and reassembling the drawers if possible. Thanks in advance!
For precise adjustability, it is important to know the following: Malm drawer slides usually have two adjustment options—one for horizontal alignment and one for vertical alignment. The screws in the mounting plates on the side of the chest of drawers are the actual adjustment screws.
The correct procedure is: remove the drawer, slightly loosen the screws on the sides of the slides, move the slide to the desired position, and then retighten the screws. Vertical adjustment is often a bit more fiddly and may require a small movement of the entire slide.
Additionally, overtightening the screws can impair functionality or cause deformation. Therefore, work gently and carefully.
The correct procedure is: remove the drawer, slightly loosen the screws on the sides of the slides, move the slide to the desired position, and then retighten the screws. Vertical adjustment is often a bit more fiddly and may require a small movement of the entire slide.
Additionally, overtightening the screws can impair functionality or cause deformation. Therefore, work gently and carefully.
Joshbe schrieb:
The correct procedure is: remove the drawer, slightly loosen the screws on the sides of the rails, adjust the rail to the desired position, and then tighten the screws again. Thanks! Removing it sounds necessary after all, although I hoped it could be done without.
How exactly do I prevent the drawer from sticking when closing? Is it enough for the rails to be properly aligned, or should the drawer be slightly tilted up or down at the end?
And what should I do if the rail is a bit crooked at the front or back? Can I fix that, or is it better to remove and reinstall the rail?
Hello senon39, I understand your wish to adjust the drawers without removing them. I had similar experiences. Generally, it is usually better to take the drawers out, as this gives you a better overview and access to the adjustment screws.
In my experience, if the drawers stick, it is usually due to uneven adjustment of the front and rear sides of the runners. This causes the runners to become slightly angled, which leads to friction.
It helps to align the runners on both sides as parallel as possible to the cabinet. A small vertical offset is usually unnecessary and can even interfere with the mechanism. It is best to check this with a spirit level on the cabinet.
If the runner is crooked at the front or back, you can often make small corrections using the mounting rail screws. If this does not work, the runner may not be installed correctly or could be damaged.
In my experience, if the drawers stick, it is usually due to uneven adjustment of the front and rear sides of the runners. This causes the runners to become slightly angled, which leads to friction.
It helps to align the runners on both sides as parallel as possible to the cabinet. A small vertical offset is usually unnecessary and can even interfere with the mechanism. It is best to check this with a spirit level on the cabinet.
If the runner is crooked at the front or back, you can often make small corrections using the mounting rail screws. If this does not work, the runner may not be installed correctly or could be damaged.
FLONE41 schrieb:
It helps to align the rails as parallel as possible to the cabinet on both sides. That makes a lot of sense, thanks.
I will have a small spirit level ready.
I’m wondering if there is a standard measurement for the screw positions on the Malm drawers, or if you just have to find the ideal adjustment through trial and error. Are there any experiences or recommendations on this?
Basically, IKEA does not specify exact screw sizes for adjusting the drawers on the Malm dressers. The mechanism is designed so that the rails can be moved within a certain range.
The best method, as mentioned before, is to carefully loosen the screws and adjust the position while visually checking. It is crucial to ensure that the rails remain perfectly parallel, otherwise the smoothness of operation will be affected.
Another important point is the load. Fully loaded drawers exert greater forces, which can make small inaccuracies more noticeable.
In the long run, precise adjustment pays off.
The best method, as mentioned before, is to carefully loosen the screws and adjust the position while visually checking. It is crucial to ensure that the rails remain perfectly parallel, otherwise the smoothness of operation will be affected.
Another important point is the load. Fully loaded drawers exert greater forces, which can make small inaccuracies more noticeable.
In the long run, precise adjustment pays off.
It is understandable that fine-tuning Malm drawers can be frustrating for some. A small tip from my own experience: patience!
It is really worth checking both directions step by step. Sometimes it is a combination of minimal adjustments along both axes that solves the problem.
If you get stuck, feel free to reach out – we’ll find a solution together. Good luck!
senon39 schrieb:
How exactly do you adjust the drawer: horizontally, vertically, or rather in small diagonal movements?
It is really worth checking both directions step by step. Sometimes it is a combination of minimal adjustments along both axes that solves the problem.
If you get stuck, feel free to reach out – we’ll find a solution together. Good luck!
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