A sliding or rolling element attached to the car and counterweight frames that maintains constant contact with the guide rails.
Full Definition
Guide shoes keep the car and counterweight seated firmly against the rail faces throughout travel, preventing lateral oscillation and noise. Sliding guide shoes use a replaceable liner — typically polyamide or bronze — lubricated from a wick reservoir. Roller guide shoes use spring-loaded wheels and are preferred above 2.5 m/s because they introduce far less wear and virtually eliminate rail-induced vibration. Correct preload adjustment is critical: too loose causes shimmy; too tight accelerates liner wear. Covered by EN 81-20 §5.7.
