The door is hanging crooked, a roller popped out, or a cable is lying on the floor. Leave it where it is.
Quick answer: If the door has come out of its track or a cable is loose, stop using it and unplug the opener. An off-track re-seat with cable replacement usually runs $240 to $420. If a roller or drum also needs replacing, add $40 to $120 per part. The final price depends on what we find.
If a car is trapped in the garage, tell us when you call. There is more on the first few minutes in our write-up on an off-track garage door emergency.
Backing out with the door only part way up is the classic one. A bumper, a mower, or a snowblower can push the bottom section out and pop the rollers from the track. Even a light bump can bend the vertical track enough that the door binds a week later.
When one side loses its cable, that side of the door drops while the other side stays up. The door twists, and the rollers on the low side come out of the track. This often happens right after a broken spring, since the lost tension lets the cable go slack.
The tracks are held to the wall and ceiling with brackets and lag bolts. Years of vibration can loosen them. A track that leans out even a little gives the rollers room to slip free.
Rollers with worn bearings wobble, and cracked nylon wheels can split apart. A roller that no longer spins smoothly can climb out of the track instead of rolling through it.
If the door came down on a bin or a bike and the opener kept pushing, the door can buckle and jump the track. The auto-reverse and the safety sensors are there to stop the opener before that happens.
| What you see | Likely cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| One bottom corner higher than the other | Cable snapped or came off its drum | New cables on both sides, re-seat the door, level it |
| Rollers out of the track near the floor | Door was hit, or the track is bent | Straighten or replace the track section, new rollers where damaged |
| Door rubs and shudders in one spot | Loose bracket or a bent section of track | Tighten or replace brackets, align the track |
| Cable frayed at the bottom corner | Rust and wear at the bottom bracket | Replace both cables before one breaks |
| Loud bang, then the door tilted | Spring broke and the cable went slack | Spring repair plus cable and track check |
On a torsion spring door, a steel cable runs from each bottom corner of the door up to a drum on the spring bar. When the springs turn the bar, the drums wind the cables and lift the door evenly. If one cable frays, stretches, or unwinds from its drum, the lift goes lopsided.
Extension spring doors use cables and pulleys along each side instead. The idea is the same. Both sides need to pull the same amount at the same time.
Look at the cable near the bottom brackets now and then. Broken strands, rust, or a flat spot are signs it is wearing out. Salty meltwater from winter roads collects at the floor line, which is right where the cable ends sit. You can learn what a worn cable looks like and when to replace it before it breaks.
Many older doors run on steel rollers with open bearings. They rattle, rust, and wear flat over time. Nylon rollers with sealed bearings run quieter and smoother. When we re-seat a door, we look at every roller, since a damaged one is often what let the door slip. If most of them are worn, it is usually worth doing the whole set at once. A few simple signs tell you when rollers need replacing.
Off-track jobs can take a little longer than a spring job if there is hidden damage. Same-day service is often possible when parts are on hand.
Call or text and leave the door where it is. A photo of both bottom corners and the tracks helps us bring the right parts. We look it over and give you a free estimate before any work starts.
We ask people not to. An off-track door is often still under spring tension, and it can shift or drop while you work on it. Rollers forced back in with a hammer or pliers usually bend the track, which makes the repair bigger.
Cables wear where they wrap around the drum and where they attach at the bottom corners. Rust from winter meltwater weakens the strands near the floor. A spring that breaks can also throw a cable off its drum in the same moment.
Yes, in most cases. Both cables have the same age and the same wear. New cables on both sides also keep the door lifting level.
No. A door that is off on one side is twisting as it moves, and the other side can come out next. Unplug the opener and keep people and cars clear of the door until it is fixed.
Sometimes. It depends on your policy and whose car it was. We can write down what was damaged and what the repair costs so you have it for the claim.
Yes, light commercial. Tell us the door size and how the door is lifted when you call.
