The garage door tracking system is used to safely and efficiently move the garage door up onto the garage ceiling. These tracks are usually made out of steel or metal and can be found in a variety of heights.
In this article, we break down two main topics surrounding garage door tracks. This includes
- Reasons Garage Doors Go Off Their Tracks
- How to Fix Issues With Garage Door Tracks
PART I:
Three Reasons Garage Doors Go Off Their Tracks
If your door has received a strong impact from a car, motorbike or weather, the vibration can shake up the whole mechanism. You may simply see the dent or damage at the bottom of the door and not realize the tracks and springs are damaged too. The main cause of this, other than an accident, is if the driver backs out of the garage too quickly and doesn’t wait for it to be completely open.
If you garage door mechanism is more than 10 years old, the lift cable could be weak and break. The door has one lift cable on either side and these wind around a drum. If the alignment is interfered with, it won’t line up properly and could snap. This means the other side holds all the weight of the door which can damage the tracks.
If the bolts that hold the tracks get loose, the tracks can become misaligned. The door may wobble and shake when it is opening and could fall on children, pets or you without warning. One way to avoid this is to make sure the tracks are made of high-quality steel. The strongest tracks are made from 14-gauge steel and are usually reinforced with L-shaped braces to help prevent bending.
Annual Inspections by a Technician
Automatic garage doors are extremely convenient but need regular maintenance to work properly. Since you may that it for granted until it breaks, it’s a good idea to have it regularly checked by a professional repair technician at least once a year. This will ensure the track, springs, lift cable and motor are in good running order and help you avoid costly repairs.
PART II:
How to Fix a Garage Door That’s Come Off the Tracks
If you ever find yourself noticing that your garage door isn’t moving as fast as it can or it simply won’t move from its position, you may have an issue with the tracking system, particularly with rollers coming off the tracks. Therefore, the following includes the proper steps you need to take to get your garage door tracking system back in working order.
Remove the Garage Door Track System and Go Manual
You should never force down the garage door as this can cause severe damage to your garage door tracks. Instead, pull down the red cord in order to allow the door to go into manual mode. This will allow you to use the door annually rather than through the tracking system.
Find the Culprit
Look up, and begin to slowly move the garage door up and down until you see the wheel that is off the tracks. It’s okay, some off-track wheels might be obvious, and some will not be. If you are not sure, then don’t begin to work on just any wheel, instead, seek the services of a Precision Torrance company to help you determine the correct off-track wheel.
Time to Get to Work on the Tracks
Once you have found the troubled wheel, you must then utilize a pair of lock pliers. Use these lock pliers to lock the tracking system in place. Use another pair of pliers to then pull on the tracks and get the wheels back on correctly. Finally, use a rubber mallet to then slowly get the wheel perfectly into the tracks.
Always Test
Before you think the job is done, you should run a few tests. Using it in manual mode, move the door up and down and see if everything remains in place. Once you are satisfied with the results, you may then place it back on automatic. Be sure to test that as well after you’ve reconnected.
Unable to Fix Your Garage Door Tracks? Call Precision Torrance
If you are having issues with your garage door tracks, call Precision Garage Door for a certified garage door repair technician for an inspection. Our trusted team at garage door Torrance can assist with same day service and 24/7 care.
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