Everything about Garage Door Rollers

Replacing Garage Door Rollers: Methods and Safety Tips

Garage door rollers are an essential component of your garage door system and function. These small but crucial parts allow your garage door to move smoothly up and down the vertical and horizontal tracks. Without the rollers, your garage door would be impossible to open or close, leaving your vehicle and other belongings inside your garage vulnerable to theft and damage.

Garage door rollers are composed of a shaft, a bearing, and a wheel. The wheel can be made of metal or silicone. Silicon rollers are preferred since they reduce the garage door noise. 

Over time, these components can wear out, leading to a variety of problems such as noisy operation, jerky movements, or even a garage door that refuses to open or close when rollers are not aligned and if not located right, most chances for off track garage door.

To avoid these problems, it is essential to lubricate your garage door rollers and hinges every six to 8 months. This will help to keep them in good condition and ensure that your garage door operates smoothly. However, even with proper maintenance, garage door rollers will eventually need to be replaced.

There are several ways to replace garage door rollers, but it’s important to note that some methods can be dangerous and should only be attempted by a professional garage door technician. Let’s take a closer look at the three most common methods of replacing garage door rollers.

Method 1: Replace Rollers on Each Hinge

This method involves removing each hinge that holds the roller in place and replacing the old roller with a new one. While this method is relatively straightforward for the top and middle rollers, the bottom rollers pose a significant challenge.

The bottom garage door brackets that hold the bottom rollers are connected to the garage door spring system by a metal cable with all the tension of the spring. To replace the bottom rollers, the tension of the cable must be released by unwinding the spring. This can be extremely dangerous and should only be attempted by an experienced garage door repair company.

Method 2: Bend Vertical Track

The second method involves bending the vertical track just under the radius to remove the old roller and replace it with a new one. This method works well for all rollers except the top one. To replace the top roller, the entire garage door bracket must be removed from the garage door and replaced with a new one.

After all the rollers have been replaced, the vertical track can be bent back into its original shape. This method is relatively safe and can be done by a competent DIYer or a professional garage door technician.

Method 3: Remove Vertical Track

The third method involves removing the vertical garage door track altogether. This method is the most time-consuming but also the safest. Removing the vertical track allows you to replace the old rollers with new ones easily and safely.

As with method 2, the top roller requires the removal of the entire bracket from the garage door to be replaced with a new one. This method is best left to a residential garage door repair technician.

At Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation we offer Fort Lauderdale Emergency garage door repair if the garage door is off track.  

Conclusion

Garage door rollers play a critical role in the smooth operation of your garage door. They should be lubricated every six-eight months to keep them in good condition, but eventually, they will need to be replaced. In some scenarios, the damaged rollers will cause overweight and garage door broken springs.  In extreme cases the garage door can go off track and fall, and a new garage door installation is needed. While some methods of replacing garage door rollers can be done by a competent DIYer, others are best left to a professional garage door technician.

If you’re experiencing problems with your garage door rollers or any other component of your garage door system, don’t hesitate to call Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation, we specialize in garage door rollers and have replaced thousands of rollers in the Fort Lauderdale area and surrounding. 

The professional garage door companies have the experience, tools, and knowledge to diagnose and repair any problems quickly and safely, ensuring that your garage door is back to working order in no time.