How to Adjust Garage Door Cables for a Safe and Smooth Operation
Regular inspection and maintenance are required to keep your garage door in good working condition.
Preventive maintenance is essential for keeping your hardware running smoothly and fully functional.
So, always allow time to visually inspect your garage door to ensure that your hardware is operational
A close visual inspection of your hardware allows you to see any damages that you might not notice on a daily basis.
Aside from visual inspections and hardware cleaning, adjustments are also part of the maintenance process.
Friction and vibration can cause the mechanical door’s moving parts to become loose including the cables and springs.
The most underappreciated aspects of adjustment routines are the springs and cables.
When a cable or spring becomes saggy, it can cause your hardware to fall, causing the structure to collapse.
Cables can fray and deteriorate over time as a result of normal wear and tear.
So, here’s how to adjust garage door cable tension.
Preventive Maintenance Checks for Overhead Door Cable
To ensure that your hardware is opening and closing properly, make sure the cable is properly adjusted.
Misalignment of the cable’s tension can result in an unbalanced or uneven door panel.
So, keep track of your hardware by learning how to adjust garage door cable tension.
When the cables are properly tensioned, the mechanical door operates smoothly.
You can repair garage door cable tension on your own.
However, we strongly advise you to seek technical assistance because the cable’s tension could cause serious injuries.
If you decide to do it yourself, make sure you have the necessary skills and experience.
Identify the springs for adjustment
Moreover, you should know how to identify and which cable you’re going to adjust.
That’s because there are two types of springs that may be used in your hardware such as:
- Side-mounted extension springs
- Torsion springs.
Extension springs are mounted on the side that runs parallel to the panel’s tracks.
This type of spring is quite simple to adjust.
Torsion springs, on the other hand, are installed above the garage door and run parallel to the door’s top.
Unplug or disconnect the hardware from its opening device
The first step is to turn off the garage door opener.
This will allow you to manually open and close the door panel.
Aside from manually operating the hardware, this prevents any unintentional accidents, such as prompting the door to open.
Open the overhead door panel
Before we proceed, relieve the tension from the spring, by raising the mechanical door all the way.
When the door is already on top, secure the panel using the clamps or locking pliers.
When the garage door is in this state, the springs and wires are no longer under tension.
Remove any loose cable from the bracket
Daily wear and tear can cause the cable to become loose eventually.
Remove any loose cable because it may also compromise the other components of the hardware.
Or, you can also pull the cable through the bracket and tighten the hooked end further.
Then, attach the cable end to the farthest hole in the bracket.
However, if the cable is frayed or worn out, replace it accordingly.
Adjust the tension
Adjusting the springs equally requires moving the hook to a different hole at a time.
Move the spring hook to a lower hole in the door track to relieve tension.
By doing the step, it reduces the tension in the spring.
Connect the cable to another hole higher up on the door track.
This will allow you how to tighten the garage door springs and gradually increase the tension.
Simply hook the cable to a lower hole of the hanger to adjust the gap on the cable.
Test your overhead door
To see the results of your adjustments, test the mechanical door.
First, remove the clamps used to secure the door panel
Check that the retightened cable end that goes through the bracket is not loose.
Examine the newly repositioned bracket in the garage door frame.
There should be no saggy points, but enough tension to run the entire length of the cable.
Reconnect the opening device
After reconnecting the opening device, test your door by opening and closing the panel a few times.
There should be no unusual functions such as snagging or bumpy during the operation.
If you hear any unusual sounds coming from the cable, it is likely that the cable is not properly tightened.
If there are any unusual functions, you can repeat the process on how to adjust garage door cable tension.
Need Help to Adjust Your Overhead Door Springs and Cables?
San Jose Garage Door Doctor is a certified and highly skilled technician providing top-notch services.
Call us and we will come to your location to restore your hardware to working order.
Our San Jose specialist technician is always prepared and ready to take on the job.
Leave the garage door repairs and maintenance to us for seamless and fully functional hardware!
Frequently Asked Questions
Garage door cables play an important role in the overall operation of your garage door. If they are not adjusted properly, you may experience problems such as a difficult or noisy opening and closing of the door, or even damage to the door itself. In this blog post, we will show you how to adjust your garage door cables for a safe and smooth operation.
How do you fix the tension on a garage door cable?
There are two ways to adjust the tension on your garage door cables – using the adjustment screws on the side of the door, or by turning the pulleys.
To adjust the tension using the adjustment screws on the side of the door:
– Open the garage door and locate the two adjustment screws near the top of each side of the door.
– Insert a wrench into each adjustment screw and turn it clockwise to tighten the tension, or counterclockwise to loosen it.
– Check the operation of the door and make further adjustments as necessary.
To adjust the tension by turning the pulleys:
– Open the garage door and locate the two pulleys at the top of each side of the door.
– Insert a wrench into the center hole of each pulley and turn it clockwise to tighten the tension, or counterclockwise to loosen it.
– Check the operation of the door and make further adjustments as necessary.
How do I reset my garage door cable?
If your garage door cable has become slack, it can be reset by following these steps:
– Open the garage door and locate the end of the cable on the drum.
– Insert a wrench into the end of the cable and turn it clockwise to tighten it.
– Close the garage door and check the operation of the door.
– If necessary, repeat these steps until the cable is tight.
If your garage door cable has become damaged, it will need to be replaced. We recommend that you contact a professional garage door technician to replace your garage door cables.
Why are my garage door cables loose?
There are a few reasons why your garage door cables may become loose, including:
– A lack of lubrication on the cable or pulley.
– The cable is not properly attached to the drum.
– The spring is broken or has lost its tension.
If you have determined that the problem lies with the garage door cables, please follow the steps in this blog post to adjust the tension. If the cables cannot be adjusted properly, they will need to be replaced.
