Overhead garage door drags on one side?

Both sides of the door ride in tracks, with rollers set in the hinges. If one track has shifted, a roller has worn, or a cable has stretched, that side binds or hangs lower. The door then twists a little each time it moves, and the stress goes into the hinges and the panels.

Look at the picture the door gives you. A track that has drifted toward the door usually shows scuff marks on the panel edge. A cable that has gone slack lets one side sit lower, and the opener has to drag it up. Worn rollers with flat spots make a grinding or squeaking, mostly on the worst side. In winter, ice or a frozen bottom seal can hold one corner as well.

The reason to act early is that dragging pulls the door out of square. Once the door is twisted, a roller can pop out of the track, a hinge can crack, or a section can bend. A small adjustment now is a smaller job than a door off its track later. You can read why a door goes off its track for what that looks like.

Mostly a repair. Rollers, cables and tracks are replaceable parts. If a section has been twisted or cracked while dragging, a section replacement may be needed.

If the whole door has been twisting for a long time and is out of square, we will tell you whether replacing the door is the better use of your money.