Cantilever gates
- Thread starter G M
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CraigFL
Well-known member
Not mine... but it's really just a truss built from angles/shapes with a wood facing.
Looks like a standard cantalever design. The gate is usually about 1.5 times bigger than the opening. The .5 part is what is supporting the gate when it is closed. There is usually 2 large posts with upper and lower rollers mounted to them that the gate slides thru and sometimes a 3rd lower roller and post if the gate is really long.
bahamasair
Well-known member
I make and install cantilevers all the time. Mine are aluminum tho. I use a set of trucks with 4 vertical wheels and 2 horizontal wheels on each set of trucks. Then I use a bottom track that has a square with a slot cut out for the trucks to roll in. The counter balance should be 1/3 the length of the gate in general unless you are making something really heavy. If you are making up the gate from scratch like the 1 in the pic you can use regular v groove sealed wheels. If you use 5" or 6" wheels they are rated at 3000lbs each if I remember right. Ill post a pic of my track later as my description *****.
I am looking at either a 14 or 16' opening and I was planning on the total length at either 20 or 22' That almost gives the 1/3 rule. I was planning on putting the two posts 5-6' apart. Does the size of the gate fall in to place in the calcuation of how far the posts are to be apart?
Here is a picture of what you are explaining I think.
Here is a picture of what you are explaining I think.
bahamasair
Well-known member
That pic is very close to how we do it. You will be fine with the 5-6" counter balance. and just match the distance of the posts to the counter balance. 6' for a 16' gate is what we use. You can get away with 5' but it wont roll as easily and will wear the rollers alot quicker. We mount our brackets to 4x4 aluminum posts so we can adjust the height of the gate to allow for sag. We leave the posts the same height as the gates to allow us to mount another set of rollers that fit in a 2x2 channel to keep the gate upright. Let me run outside and take a pic of one of mine now
This is the bottom track and bracket
This is the top guide rollers in the 2x2 channel
This is the bottom track and bracket
This is the top guide rollers in the 2x2 channel
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Thanks for the hints. I have about 4" v groove wheels only 4 of them though, I can add more if needed. I am using 1 1/2" square steel tubing. I have all the supplies, just making triple sure of things before I go and cut the steel. Here are all the pics I have saved just in case anyone else ever wants to build something like this.
RickP330
Well-known member
I might also consdier a support for the far ends of the door when open and closed. Maybe kind of a ramp thing so when the door slides into the open or closed position it will lift the un-supported end and take the load off of the wheels. Just a thought.
Rick
Rick