How to Fix Garage Door Cables
Introduction
The cables are one of the most important parts of your garage door system, together with the panels, tracks, and springs. The cable comes from the bottom to the middle part of your overhead door, running along the length of each sectional track. A steel tube through which wires run is called a tensioner pulley, and it prevents the wire from slackening while also allowing for some degree of adjustment should a garage door get out of alignment.
Unfortunately, if you own an old or cheap-quality garage door, the chances are that one or more than cable broke already before. Broken cables can result in broken spring(s), damaged sections, or even breakage on other components such as hinges, panel tracks, and, more rarely – electric eyes (optical sensors). For this reason, today, I am going to discuss how to fix garage door cables. So let us get started.
Issues Regarding Garage Door Cables
Cables may need to be tightened or adjusted after the garage door is moved.
If your garage door seems to make an unusual noise, it could indicate something is wrong with one of its cables.
The main purpose of garage door cables is to move the torsion spring back and forth while winding up into spools. Cables are usually made up of steel; any cable can wear down over time, depending on weather conditions in your area and how much use you give your garage doors. This will cause stretching within the cable, which may lead to kinks or fraying. Here are some signs that indicate you might need to have some adjustments done on your cables:
If there is too much slack in the garage door cable, the door will probably move up and down unevenly. You can measure the amount of slack with a tape measure by seeing how much space there is between your garage door’s top and bottom sections. There should be less than one inch of space for every foot that the garage door moves along its track.
If there is more than one inch between these two areas, you may need to have your cables tightened or adjusted. This problem could be caused by wear and tear and broken parts within your system, making adjustments impossible. Professional assistance from either a locksmith or a garage door company is recommended to check all components and fix them accordingly if they cannot be adjusted.
Step-wise Guide on How to Fix Garage Door Cables
Step 1:
Garage door cables and springs are fixed to each other in several ways. It all depends on your type of garage door if you can fix them yourself or not.
Step 2:
Determine which cable is the problem. If the springs are broken, flip open your spring eyes by hand and inspect for any broken strands that have come off the coils. You may need pliers to grip the wires so they do not slip through your fingers while inspecting them. Holes, rusty spots, or frayed wires indicate that you should replace these cables immediately. Otherwise, there will be no stopping those springs from snapping apart once more if used with faulty cables.
Step 3:
Replace broken rope with new ones. Once you are confident that your springs are as good as new, it is time to fix the cables. If you have broken cable strands or frayed wires, replace them immediately with a professional repairman’s help so that there is no risk of them snapping again when under load.
Step 4:
Use steel pliers and cut off any metal parts sticking out from the wire-like sharp ends etc.… This will ensure they don’t cut through your hands. With these kinds of jobs, one really needs some work gloves to protect their hand from those sharp edges.
Step 5:
Attach metal jumpers or threaded nuts to each end of the eyelets. This will ensure that your spring eyes are tight and cannot move around when under load. Make sure you screw these jumpers in all the way so there is no risk of them coming loose again during another door opening/shutting process. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something like this, then it would be better to hire someone who can do it instead of risking further damage by doing it yourself.
Step 6:
Cut off the frayed cable strands from both ends and clean up any rust on the wire. This is always a good time to replace those damaged cables with new ones if needed.
Step 7:
Now remove all broken cable strands by sliding them off the rope with a pair of pliers; if possible otherwise, pull at them to remove them.
Step 8:
Now, you need to connect the spring eyes back to each other. This is done by folding over the cables near their end and then looping them through for a snug fit. Over time these cable ends can become loose if not kept tight, so always remember to check up on those cables now and then, or there will be another door opening/closing problem waiting for you. If the loops are way too big, use some pliers to tighten them up, as they won’t hold that way properly. These should be fastened in place well enough once you have gone around all of them with this process so that they don’t come apart again when put under load.
You Can Check It Out To Install Push Pull Throttle Cables
Precautions While Performing How to Fix Garage Door Cables
- DO NOT fix the cables if it is completely broken or cut into two pieces, rather, replace them entirely; otherwise, there is a possibility of your safety from being injured.
- Ensure that you are well aware of the cables’ position before fixing and repairing them without any mistakes. Otherwise, you may create more problems than expected to be fixed in the future.
- It is important to do all these repairs alone because if other people help in this process, then there are high chances that they may harm themselves without proper training or precautions for repairing such things. Plus, repairing with all necessary precautionary measures can save your money from unnecessary expenses on an injury during repair works due to lack of experience or proper training.
- DO NOT use metal wire, nails, or screws to fix the cables because these materials may damage the outer covering of your garage door in the future. Even if they are not covered under warranty, you will have to spend money on them in case of damage.
- It is crucial that while installing new cables, make sure that it fits well with the inner surface of your garage door so that there can be no future issues after repairing by cutting into wrong sizes and positions due to a lack of knowledge about it.
As long as you follow all these precautionary measures during fixing, this process is safe for both your personal safety and the garage door, too, without any issue at all.
Conclusion
So that was all about “How to Fix Garage Door Cables,” and we advise you to follow these steps to not create any issue for your garage door or yourself while repairing its cables. Ensure that you also do not forget to change the parts if they are worn or damaged because these things can cause problems in the future and lead to more damage than expected. Thank You and have a nice day!
You may read also – How to Tighten Garage Door Chain
Angela Ervin
Angela is the executive editor of DIY quickly. She began her career as an interior designer before applying her strategic and creative passion to lifestyle and home. She has close to 15 years of experience in creative writing and online content strategy for housekeeping, home decorations as well as other niche efforts. She loves her job and has the privilege of working with an extraordinary team. She lives with her husband, two sons, and daughter in Petersburg. When she's not busy working she spent time with her family.
