Why Garage Doors Come Off Track
Most of the off-track doors we see started with a broken lifting cable. There is one cable on each side, running from a bracket at the bottom corner of the door up to the spring shaft. It most often snaps at the bottom end.
Sometimes the cable is intact but has slipped off the bottom bracket. Either way that side of the door loses its support, the door twists, and the rollers on that side come out of the track. That is why an off-track door usually sits crooked.
What Not to Touch
Do not touch the springs, and do not touch the bottom brackets where the cables attach. DASMA, the door makers association, lists springs, cables, bottom brackets and their mounting hardware as parts under high tension that only a trained technician should remove, repair or adjust.
What to Do Before the Technician Arrives
Leave the door in the position it is in. If it is crooked, do not try to straighten it or push it back up.
If you can, put something tall and sturdy under the door, such as a chair, to help hold it where it is.
Do not run the opener against it. If you are not sure the door is off track, the troubleshooter goes through the common symptoms.
What the Repair Involves
The job takes one to two hours, depending on how badly the door came off.
In most cases we replace the cables. Putting the existing ones back is also an option. Before we leave, we check what made the door come off so it does not happen again, and we re-balance the door.
Can Bent Track Be Straightened?
Almost always. Track that got bent when the door came off can usually be straightened and re-aligned. Only in some cases does a section have to be replaced, and we tell you which before any work starts.
Door Off Its Track?
See off-track repair or cable repair, or book a visit online. The estimate is free.
Common Questions
Why did my garage door come off the track?
Most often a lifting cable snapped, usually at the bottom end. Sometimes the cable slips off the bottom bracket. Either way one side loses support and the door twists out of the track.
Why does my garage door keep coming off track?
Putting the rollers back fixes the symptom. If the cable or the bottom bracket that let the door twist is not fixed, it comes off again. On every off-track repair we check what caused it and re-balance the door.
Can I fix a garage door that came off track myself?
Leave it where it is. The springs and the bottom brackets where the cables attach are under high tension, and DASMA says only a trained technician should work on them.
How long does off-track garage door repair take?
One to two hours, depending on how badly the door came off.
Does bent garage door track need to be replaced?
Almost always it can be straightened. Only some cases need a new section.