Garage door cable repair
Garage door closes with a gap on one side?
A door that lands lopsided is usually lifted unevenly, most often from a slipped or stretched cable, a weak spring or a roller catching in the track. It can get worse, so have it looked at before it jams.
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Is this what you're seeing?
The bottom of the door is higher on one side, leaving a wedge of daylight.
The door looks level when open but crooked once it closes.
One side hangs lower when the door stops partway.
The opener seems to strain, or the door shudders on the way down.
The gap changed over a few days, or got worse after a bump.
What's going on
A garage door is lifted from both sides at once. The torsion shaft turns the drums, and the cables on the left and right wind equally. If one cable winds slightly more, slips on its drum, or stretches, one corner leaves the floor first and lands last, leaving a wedge of light on that side.
The usual suspects are a cable that has jumped a groove on the drum, a cable with a loose set screw at the drum, a cable beginning to stretch or fray, or a roller or hinge catching in one track. A single weak spring is less common with a two-spring door, but the pair can lose strength at slightly different rates. The track can be a factor too: if one side is a little out of plumb, the door seats crooked.
Because this changes slowly, it is easy to ignore. The risk is the next step. A door that closes lopsided is putting more weight on the high side cable and bracket. That is how a cable lets go or the roller pops out. We would rather see it while the door still runs.
What to do right now
Do
Look at both bottom corners with the door closed and photograph the gap.
Check that nothing is stuck in either track, and that the bottom seal is not caught or torn.
Watch the door run once with someone clear of the opening, and note which side leads.
Leave the opener unplugged if the door tilts when it moves.
Don't
Do not try to even it out by loosening or tightening the cable or the drum.
Do not pull the emergency release to test it if the door is partly open.
Do not stand beneath or reach into the track while it moves.
Do not turn up the opener force to push through the lean.
How we fix it
This is garage door cable repair. We compare both cables and drums, re-seat or replace what is worn, check the spring balance and track alignment, and set the door level so it seats evenly along the floor.
Repair or replace?
Uneven closing is normally a repair, often involving cable work. If you find the door is also sagging or the section has bent from the uneven load, panel replacement may be part of the work.
An older door whose parts are all worn can be a place to compare repair against a new door. We will lay both out plainly.
Related questions
Garage door won't close all the way? Common causes
Garage door won't close all the way? Usually it's the safety sensors, the opener's close-limit setting, or a track obstruction. Here are the fixes.
Read full answerWhat are the signs my garage door needs repair?
The signs a garage door needs repair: new noises, a sagging door, slow or jerky movement, and a door that will not stay put halfway up.
Read full answerWhy is my garage door off track?
A garage door goes off track from a broken cable, worn rollers, an obstruction, or a car bump. Here are the causes, the risks, and repair costs.
Read full answerRelated services
Parts mentioned
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