Garage Door Bearings & Bearing Plates 101
Garage doors that use torsion springs also have bearings and bearing plates that sometimes need to be replaced. The center bushing or bearing is found inside the stationary cone of your torsion spring and keeps the torsion bar centered in the middle of the spring. It also prevents the torsion bar from rubbing the center bracket during operation, which can cause a groove to be cut in the torsion shaft and create an unsightly black streak down the middle of the garage door.
The Nylon Center Bushing is the industry standard from most garage door manufacturers, with a life expectancy of 10,000 cycles and a weight capacity of 75 pounds. When you replace your torsion springs, we highly recommend upgrading to the Long Life Steel Center Bearing. Also called a radial flange bearing, the Long Life Steel Center Bearing is also used in the end bearing plates. This bearing has a 45,000 cycle rating and a weight capacity of 400 pounds.
The Center Bearing Bracket, or spring anchor plate, has a built-in center bearing and is made with strong 12-gauge steel. This is usually mounted to the header above your garage door panels. The Center Bearing Bracket offered by DIY Garage Door Parts represents a major upgrade from industry-standard center brackets.
If you have older Crawford springs or Overhead Door torsion springs, the holes in their center brackets don’t line up with today’s torsion springs, so it’s a good idea to upgrade to the more modern Center Bearing Bracket. This bracket also prevents the torsion bar from falling out as you change springs, and the torsion bar won’t seize up on the torsion shaft like a bracket with a fixed bearing would.
End Bearing Plates keep your garage door working smoothly. The most common cause of end bearing plate failure is poor installation. They’re not designed to have any tilt, so they need to be mounted straight up and down. Also, a carriage bolt should be used in the back of the end bearing plate, or a lag should be used to mount into a wood framework. Both mounting types are done to avoid flexing from side to side, which tends to happen with a single torsion spring setup. A two-spring setup eliminates this problem. Our End Bearing Bracket Plates have long-life steel bearing with a 12-gauge steel plate for maximum life.
Watch our how-to video to learn more about replacing end bearing plates, and call us at 1-866-813-7899 if you have any questions.
Garage Door Cable Drums 101
Garage door cable drums are found on the ends of the torsion shaft and look like metal wheels or hubs. Most commonly made from cast aluminum, cable drums help the garage door remain balanced and level as cables wrap around the drums. Residential and light commercial garage doors use drums with a four-inch diameter, while heavier doors use five-inch drums.
Torque Force 400-96 cable drums are four inches in diameter and are most commonly used for residential garage doors up to eight feet high. These drums have a weight capacity of 265 pounds per drum and can handle cables up to 1/8-inch thick. When you notice wear in the grooves that separate the cables, or cracks or chips in your old drums, it’s time to replace them. Torque Force 400-96 drums make excellent replacements for worn out or cracked OMI 8, APCO 400-8, DNS 4X, and Overhead TD-1A drums.
Torque Force 400-144 cable drums are four inches in diameter. With a weight capacity of 375 pounds, they can be used on heavier garage doors up to 12 feet high. A drum can sometimes slip, causing one side to be higher than the other so the door won’t seal on the ground. However, because the Torque Force 400-144 drum is wider, it provides more surface area for gripping the torsion bar and reduces the risk of a slip.
DIY Garage Door Parts Tip
Make your garage door extremely quiet by upgrading to the Torque Force 400-144 cable drum. Its wider grooves hold thicker cables and allow for more separation between the cables. This prevents any rubbing, as well as the noise that is commonly heard during the last two feet of opening. Because the Torque Force 400-144 and Torque Force 400-96 are both four inches in diameter, there will be no change to your spring configuration or size. To silence your garage door, even more, add a set of 3/32-inch torsion cables.
If you have any questions about choosing the right garage door cable drum, or you need help understanding the proper way to replace your drums, call us at 1-866-813-7899.
Garage Door Panel Hinges 101
Hinges are critical to the structural integrity of your garage door. Much like the ligaments of your body hold the bones together, hinges hold your garage door together. To ensure proper function and prevent any damage to your panels, garage door hinges should be inspected for stress fractures and cracks every six months. If you notice a popping or snapping sound as your garage door opens or closes, this is usually a sign that your hinges need to be replaced.
Garage door panel hinges are numbered based on where they are used on your door. The hinges that hold the rollers, or end hinges, between the bottom panel of the door and the next highest panel, should have number one. The hinge above that should have the number two, and so on. Installing garage door panel hinges according to the appropriate number ensures correct spacing, so the door fits properly between the track and the wood framework around your garage door opening.
If you use the wrong hinges, you can create several problems. You’re likely to end up with gaps on the side of the garage door, and the garage door can start to rub against the wood door jams. The wrong garage door panel hinge will also prevent the door from opening and closing smoothly, causing rollers to bind in the tracks, damaging your panels and opener over time.
Most garage doors come from the manufacturer with 18-gauge hinges. These thin hinges not only run the risk of breaking, but they compromise the strength of your garage door. DIY Garage Door Parts recommends upgrading to heavy-duty garage door hinges – at least 14-gauge hinges – to add strength to your garage door and extend its life. Heavy duty hinges don’t flex as much as thinner hinges from the factory, so your garage door will operate smoothly and silently. Just make sure you keep your hinges lubricated at the pivot points with a quality garage door lubricant like Denco Gel Lube.
To learn more about replacing your garage door panel hinges and make sure you’re ordering the correct hinges, call us at 1-866-813-7899.
Garage Door Lubrication 101
The biggest moving part of your house is most likely your garage door. Just like your engine needs to be lubricated with motor oil that’s changed every 3,000 miles, your garage door needs to be lubricated at least once per year, depending on how frequently the door is used. Garage door lubrication keeps the door running quietly and smoothly and helps to minimize strain on the various moving and working parts of the door caused by binding and dragging.
Simply put, regular garage door lubrication will help you save money and get the most value from your garage door investment by extending the life of your door and avoiding unnecessary repairs.
Some people will suggest using engine oil to lubricate your garage door, but we recommend Denco Gel Lubricant, which was made specifically for garage door lubrication. It can be used on hinges, rollers (with open bearings), springs, and screw drive openers without making a mess or attracting debris.
Denco Pro 44 Multi-Purpose Spray Lubricant is another great option. Containing no harmful solvents or silicone, Denco Pro 44 is the ultimate synthetic anti-rust lubricant, permanently eliminating squeaks and rattles with no running or dripping.
While it’s important to keep the roller tracks of your garage door clean, don’t ever lubricate the tracks themselves. This can cause your garage door to become unbalanced and possibly slip.
Garage door lubrication can be done quickly, easily, and inexpensively – a simple process that can save you a lot of money on repairs and replacement parts. Watch our videos on Denco Gel Lube and How to Lubricate Your Garage Door Rollers, and call us at 1-866-813-7899 if you have any questions.
Garage Door Opener Parts 101
Your garage door opener is like a vehicle or a major home appliance. With regular maintenance and proper care, it should last a long time. Repairs may be necessary, and parts may need to be replaced, but as long as you use quality garage door opener parts, the opener should operate just fine.
Garage door repair companies, especially small, fly-by-night operations, often use the cheapest parts on the market so they can keep prices down without cutting too deeply into their profit margins. The beauty of being a do-it-yourselfer is that you have complete control of what garage door opener parts are being used, and you don’t have to pay for the most expensive part of the repair – the labor.
DIY Garage Door Parts only sells premium garage door opener parts that we would install in our own homes. Instead of replacing your entire garage door opener, we can provide you with the premium parts to extend the life of your opener, save you money and maximize your investment. Here are some of the garage door opener parts available.
V-Belts: Replaces belts that slip as they pull the fly wheel in older garage door openers.
Genie Chain Glide/Chain Drive Gear: Replaces older gears that tend to crack fairly easily.
Genie AC and DC Screw Drive Carriage Assembly: Replaces a carriage with a stripped trolley or coupler.
Liftmaster Gear and Sprocket Assembly: The easiest way to replace the gears is in a Liftmaster, AccessMaster, Chamberlain, or Craftsman belt drive opener. This is available for both chain drive and belt drive openers.
Linear Helical and Worm Gears: Includes related fasteners, gears, and lube.
Control Boards for Genie Sequencer and Linear: Find out if you just have a bad board before you pay for a new garage door opener.
Limit Switch: Switches are available for Genie AC Screw Drive and Liftmaster chain, screw, and belt drive.
Chamberlain Liftmaster Replacement Evercharge Battery Back Up: A replacement battery is needed when the opener beeps every 15-20 seconds.
Operator Brackets: Made from heavy 10 gauge hot dipped galvanized steel and including clevis and cotter pins, our operator brackets add strength to the top panel of your garage door.
Watch our How-To and Product Features Discussion Videos to learn more about our premium garage door opener parts, and call us at 1-866-813-7899 if you have any questions.
Garage Door Photo Eyes 101
If you have small children or pets, a photo eye – also known as a laser eye or sensor eye – is an essential safety feature for your automatic garage door. The photo eye commonly has a sensor on either side of the garage door, although some newer photo eyes are mounted overhead.
One sensor sends an invisible beam or laser toward the other. If that beam is broken or obstructed while the door is closing, the photo eye will sense an obstruction, and the garage door will stop and automatically reopen. A photo eye can not only prevent serious injury to children and pets, but it can also prevent serious damage to a car, outdoor power equipment, or anything else that might be accidentally left in the path of your garage door.
Photo eye sensors are delicate pieces of equipment that can be easily damaged or knocked out of place by a rake, a lawnmower, a curious child, a toy, or an animal. If your garage door isn’t working properly, adjust your photo eye sensors to make sure they’re aligned. If you have a bad photo eye or damaged sensors, DIY Garage Door Parts offers a number of replacement photo eye parts, including:
- Liftmaster Operators Safety Sensor Kits and mounting brackets (the new kit is Liftmaster, Chamberlain, Sears, and Craftsman Openers with mounting brackets that clip to the track)
- Linear Safety Beams
- DigicodeUniversal Replacement Laser Eyes (compatible with Stanley, Liftmaster, Chamberlain, Craftsman, Linear, Moore-O-Matic, and Genie Openers)
- Genie Operator Series II Photocells (mounted overhead with durable, built-in mounting brackets)
- Challenger Sensor Eyes for all Challenger models (mounting brackets included)
Replacing your photo eye is a simple and affordable repair for your automatic garage door. Check out our videos about Product Feature Discussion videos and call us at 1-866-813-7899 if you have any questions.
Garage Door Opener Parts 101
Garage door remotes have become as important to get into the garage as TV remotes are for watching TV. Can you imagine trying to open the garage door or watching TV without your remote? Neither can we.
Traditional garage door remotes or transmitters have dip switches that need to be set to match the position of the dip switches in your receiver, which typically connects to older-style garage door openers on the side or back of the motorhead with three screw terminals. If you lose a remote, you’ll want to change your dip switch settings right away because a remote offers easy access to your house, much like the keys to your front door.
Many of the more modern remotes have “learn” buttons that simplify the process of programming your remote to your garage door opener. You can also use your remote to set your opener to vacation mode, which disables the unit. This is a valuable security feature that prevents an intruder from trying programming a universal remote to your opener while you’re gone. This also prevents your garage door from opening accidentally if a neighbor shares the same frequency.
If none of your remotes are working, that’s a sign of a bad receiver. If only one of your remotes is working, that means you probably have a bad remote or transmitter. DIY Garage Door Parts stocks garage door remotes and receivers that are compatible with virtually any automatic opener, including remotes that can be programmed to open as many as three different garage doors.
Having an operational garage door remote is something that many of us take for granted – until we’re stuck outside in a thunderstorm because it’s not working. If you lost or broke a garage door remote, we can ship a replacement the same day or the next day.
Check out our Product Feature Discussion videos that explain many of our most popular garage door openers, and call us at 1-866-813-7899 if you have any questions.
