# Overhead garage door problem



## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Hello all, 

I have a pretty typical 4 panel sectional overhead garage door. The motor pulls from the center, the spring is a torsion type, there is one track on each side, and 5 rollers on each side. 

Maybe 3 or so months ago the rollers started eating themselves. I didn't notice any changes in the door setup, so I replaced the rollers (standard type). Now again the #1 (not the bottom, the next one up) and the #2 rollers have been destroyed. It looks like the tracks are twisting. 

The puzzling thing is this door is 25-30 years old, and I have replaced rollers over the years (I have lived in this house for 7 years). 

The springs and operator motor have been replaced. The culprits in my mind are the tracks or the hinges themselves. How would I diagnose the situation? 

Any suggestions are welcomed, I am at a loss as to what could be the problem. I feel like if I keep throwing new rollers at it, they will keep getting destroyed. Thanks.


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

Open your door and watch it from behind as it opens. See if it is opening evenly. It almost sounds like you have a spring that is not opening your door evenly.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

big, thanks, yes this makes sense. Maybe one of the springs has lost tension, is that what you are thinking?


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## Big Frank 25 (Feb 21, 2002)

Or broken.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

> It looks like the tracks are twisting.


 Are you saying that the horizontal track is twisting? If so you can add a set of hangers in the center of the track to make it more rigid. 

Are you using steel or nylon rollers? What do you mean by "eating themsleves"?

Where the horizontal track and vertical meet, are they even?


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

polarbear, 

The rollers are steel. What I mean by eating themselves is they are being destroyed by the roller separating from the shaft. It seems like there is too much force being applied to the rollers. This would explain the track twisting and the rollers failing. The surface of the wheels is OK, the roller shaft is not bent, but the roller shaft is separating from the wheel, like it is being pried out of the wheel (due to too much force).

So I need to diagnose why there is too much force. The lift motor is tight and secure on its mounting, and it hasn't moved from its mounting location. So now I am thinking one or both springs are out of adjustment or broken. 

Where the curved track meets both the vertical and horizontal tracks, is pretty smooth.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Not much can go wrong on an overhead door without being obvious. You didn't mention what size door, so I'm guessing 7' tall 16' wide? If your spring is broken, you will not be able to lift the door yourself. That door should have two. Being that old of a door, is it the old wood looking door? Those things are heavier than heck and will destroy the rollers made for a new door today. Send pics if you can. Sounds like a door weight issue.


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## WoW. (Aug 11, 2011)

Big Reds said:


> Not much can go wrong on an overhead door without being obvious. You didn't mention what size door, so I'm guessing 7' tall 16' wide? If your spring is broken, you will not be able to lift the door yourself. That door should have two. Being that old of a door, is it the old wood looking door? *Those things are heavier than heck and will destroy the rollers made for a new door today.* Send pics if you can. Sounds like a door weight issue.


 
Based on info presented, that makes perfect sense. Those old doors are nothing more than a project waiting to happen.


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

Hey WoW. I've replaced A LOT of those doors. Most times they rot out at the bottom and scares the dickens out of people when the cables rip loose from the bottom bracket. Sounds like a shotgun going off in the garage!


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

Disconnect the electric garage door opener and operate the door by hand. You should be able to see how much force it takes to open/shut the door. It should be easy if not you should be able to see what is not working right.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

slowpoke said:


> Disconnect the electric garage door opener and operate the door by hand. You should be able to see how much force it takes to open/shut the door. It should be easy if not you should be able to see what is not working right.


 X2! ...and always a good place/way to start when diagnosing a garage door problem. :help:

BTW - If you decide to hire it out make sure you let Polarbear know!


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

slowpoke said:


> Disconnect the electric garage door opener and operate the door by hand. You should be able to see how much force it takes to open/shut the door. It should be easy if not you should be able to see what is not working right.


First Look at the torsion springs. If they have a gap in them then one is broken. 

Please, If you want to test your door to make sure your springs are ballanced to the door use the opener to close the door and release the opener from the door while it is closed. If you have weak or a broken spring and release the door while it is open you maybe suprised how fast it will close and how heavy it is. 

Weak springs generally will not destroy rollers.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

When the door is in the horizontal tracks (open) and it twist the tracks it stresses the rollers and enables them to come apart. If the track is rigid the rollers cannot bend and wont come apart generally. 

Are your hangers at the end of the tracks and the track is twisting in the middle? You need to add a drop hanger(straight) and a support hanger(angled 45degrees) to the center of the track. The track is not meant to twist.

If you have a wood door lets find you some heavy duty rollers. If it is standard steel then replace with cheap rollers, but you must fix the twist.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

Burksee said:


> BTW - If you decide to hire it out make sure you let Polarbear know!


 Thanks Burksee. But I think the trip charge to Pennsylvania will be a bit much. As always I am happy to help out anyway I can.


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## WoW. (Aug 11, 2011)

POLARBEAR said:


> First Look at the torsion springs. If they have a gap in them then one is broken.
> 
> Please, If you want to test your door to make sure your springs are ballanced to the door use the opener to close the door and release the opener from the door while it is closed. If you have weak or a broken spring and release the door while it is open you maybe suprised how fast it will close and how heavy it is.
> 
> Weak springs generally will not destroy rollers.


 

That all said, if it is an old wooden door, the best way to go is start fresh with everything and be done with it.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Thanks for all the input guys. A repairman is here now. He is putting in new rollers (heavier duty than what I was getting at Home Depot), installing new cables (they were a little shredded), fixing a tweaked horizontal track and putting some tension in the springs. 

I'll ask him about putting in an additional support in the middle of the horizontal track. But the question becomes why has the door lasted as long as it has, without having the added support? 

The door is heavy, I think it is a Thermacore. I think it's quite possible the rollers I got from HD were not up to the task.


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## POLARBEAR (May 13, 2002)

Probably expensive? 

If the horizontal track can twist it will wear out the rollers. The system is designed to carry the load straight up and down. If the track twist it puts stress on the roller that they cannot handle. Hopefully it was not to bad and all is fixed.


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