Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
What do you do if the tracks on your garage door need repairing? A garage door can become a dangerous thing should it slip off the tracks and fall down on a person or pet, causing serious injury or even death. Below are some tips for repairing the tracks on your garage door to prevent anything serious from happening.
Repairing your garage door can be very costly; below are some tips to help you troubleshoot garage door repairs and aid you in keeping your garage door running smoothly on its tracks.
When the tracks on your garage door become bent, it makes it difficult to open and close the door.
Step One
The first thing you are going to need to do is open the garage door just past where the seam for the vertical and horizontal track is. Here is where the two tracks connect to the “flag bracket” which aids in the maintaining the pressure of the springs.
Step Two
Next get a set of vise grips and clamp them to the front horizontal tract that is precisely below the bottom roller of the door. Ensure that the handles of the vice grips point at the middle of the door. Now you will need a second set of vise grips to place beneath the roller on the reverse side of the door.
Step Three
If the damage is to the bracket and not the actual track, take a claw hammer and use the claw to grab it and bend the bracket back in place. Move the hammer to the left and right until the bracket is straight.
Step Four
If it is the track that is bent, you are going to need to remove the bolts that secure the track to the wall in order to take it off the wall. Ensure you do not to take the track brackets of flag brackets off of the wall.
Step Five
Now that you have the bent track off the wall, you will need a pair of pliers or the hammer to bend it back into shape. However, it may be bent beyond repair which will mean you must go out and purchase a new one. You can find replacement garage door tracks at most home improvement stores.
Step Six
Now you are going to either re-attach the track that you bent back into place, or the new one you just bought. You will want to attach the track to the wall and flag brackets ensuring that the straightest side is facing the wall. The track will have a straight and a curved side. Ensure that all bolts are flush with the track and the bolt threads stick out the back of the track so that you can screw the nuts on tightly.
You should only tighten these nuts by hand.
Step Seven
Now for the final step—hold the garage door open as you let loose the vise grips that were holding the track still; slowly letting the door down, as you direct the rollers along the vertical track. Push the track against the wall, until the front of the door is 1/8 inch from the door stop. Tighten all bolts with a socket wrench.
Now that you know how to repair the tracks on your garage door by yourself, always remember if the job is too big to call on a professional garage door specialist. You would not want to risk the health and safety of yourself or a loved one by doing a job yourself that could be done safely and efficiently by a professional.
Source: Homesteady
