Back Hang

A back hang is a fabricated steel bracket, usually made from angle iron, that attaches the far end of a garage door's horizontal track to the ceiling or roof structure above. The horizontal track carries the door rollers and the full weight of the door panels as the door travels to its open position. The back hang is what keeps that track in position at the correct height and slope.

Raynor describes the back hang as a "hanger fabricated from angle iron, which attaches the end of the horizontal tracks to roof construction or ceiling." The word "back" refers to its position at the back of the track, farthest from the door opening.

How back hangs are installed:

Most back hangs are L-shaped brackets or diagonal angle-iron straps. One leg bolts to the horizontal track. The other leg fastens to a ceiling joist, roof rafter, or a horizontal ledger board attached to the wall. The height of the back hang determines the slope of the horizontal track. Tracks slope about 1/4 inch down from front to back so gravity holds the door in the open position without it creeping closed.

For a standard 7-foot door in a typical garage, the back hang sits roughly 12-18 inches behind the door opening and mounts to the ceiling joists above.

What happens when back hangs fail:

A loose or missing back hang allows the horizontal track to droop. The door rollers then run on a downhill slope into the open position, which can cause the top section to lean away from the wall and bind in the track. The flag bracket at the front of the track handles the connection at the opening. The back hang handles the support at the opposite end.

Back hangs are sometimes overlooked during installation in garages with steel or concrete ceilings. In those cases, a supplemental steel ledger or header must be added to provide a fastening surface.