Lower Garage Door tracks by 2 1/2".

[joefrench]

I recently had a 30' x 40' with 12' walls post frame building put in for a garage. Since then, I've added walls and insulation to one half followed by adding a ceiling. Unfortunately, clearance for the overhead door was not taken into consideration when adding the ceiling. Now the door only goes up a couple of feet before running into the ceiling. Being that the ceiling was installed using 2x4's laying flat and the steel for the ceiling having ~3/4" ribs, I'm figuring ~2 1/4" minimum needed to lower it enough for the door to clear.

Is it possible to lower the track just by shifting the track down? My father-in-law thinks it's doable and he almost has me convinced. I figured it'd be best to check with others though. If anything needs to be done with the torsion bar & spring...I'll hire a professional. I have no intention of adding a door opener but, if I ever do, it'll be a wall mount version.

 

[Gutman]

I'm watching to see what the pros say.

Without seeing the entire setup, it looks like your vertical track starts to veer from vertical before it reaches the radiused track. Not sure if there are different radiused tracks, or whether that 'lean' could be increased, but that might make it an option also.

If the door were fully horizontal, is there sufficient clearance between the door and the ceiling with your current setup or is the standoff from the roller brackets too much. Reducing the length/height of that bracket might buy you enough to make the curve.

Or could the location of the top roller brackets and the cross beam be swapped?

OBTW, I'll bet that ceiling looks sharp with the metal panels.

 

[strength_and_power]

If you cut the required material off the bottom and lower everything, horizontal tracks, spring etc, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Will the top of the door still be in contact with the top plate for sealing purposes if you do this?

 

[MovingAlong]

Not a pro...

But if warranty and code are not issues, I'd cut the cross piece back 4", reattach and then slide the roller bracket to the top.

 

[mike93lx]

Did you install the door or have a pro do it? If the latter, I'd bring them back.

 

[joefrench]

Gutman - Yes, the top of the track starts to angle out. I'll have to double check some things to see if it'd clear if it's laid out fully horizontal. We checked some things on the other overhead door and it appeared there'd be room. I think moving the roller alone would cause some issues with the door due to the angle mentioned above. May be negligible though.

strength_and_power - We were discussing cutting the angled track between the radius and the vertical section (not shown, need to get better pictures when I get a chance. I can't imagine the top of the door would change if the angle and orientation are maintained.

MovingAlong - Same as my reply to strength_and_power but definitely worth considering. Does the change in distance between that set of rollers and the next cause a potential problem?

mike93lx - Professionally installed. Was part of the build of the whole building. The company that did it is about an hour away so was trying to avoid that. Asked a local company, sent him some pictures that he'd requested and never heard back. If I can't convince myself that there is a simple DIY solution, I'll contact either the actual installation company or try another more local one.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[jstroede]

Can you show the door closed?

You may be able to get away without doing anything with the track. Is that a 2" thick door? You really probably don't need a strut since you aren't using a trolley opener and have no windows. You need to get the roller as close to the top of the door as possible. It may depend on the geometry of the top fixtures when the door is closed and how much farther the top fixture would have to be set when it is raised to the top of the door.

Worst case you can move the strut back down below the top fixture, but you might have to get creative mounting it in the center of the door as there is probably no backer plate there.

edit- Now that I looked at the top picture again, there must be a LOT of angle built into that high lift insert. Even set down that far, the top fixture is extended almost all the way out. Pictures of the door when closed would help. Also is there anything installed on the front of the door?

John

 

[PCustoms]

@joefrench

Look up quick turn or low headroom rollers




Edit: under $50, swap out the top bracket and roller(s) and done

 

[jstroede]

@joefrench

Look up quick turn or low headroom rollers




Edit: under $50, swap out the top bracket and roller(s) and done

Those are not meant for use in a high lift application. They have their place, but not really here.

 

[NUTTSGT]

It looks like your door go up before starting to turn/angle, high lift tracks ? I think I would do as posted in #3.

 

[PCustoms]

Those are not meant for use in a high lift application. They have their place, but not really here.

Didn't catch it was a high lift.

Not sure why it wouldn't work though

 

[RoadBeater]

Had a similar issue, cut 3" off the bottom of the curved track, reattached and lowered the horizontal track. Been working for 25 years that way.

 

[DennisK59]

Swap the wind brace location and upper rollers.

 

[joefrench]

Can you show the door closed?

You may be able to get away without doing anything with the track. Is that a 2" thick door? You really probably don't need a strut since you aren't using a trolley opener and have no windows. You need to get the roller as close to the top of the door as possible. It may depend on the geometry of the top fixtures when the door is closed and how much farther the top fixture would have to be set when it is raised to the top of the door.

Worst case you can move the strut back down below the top fixture, but you might have to get creative mounting it in the center of the door as there is probably no backer plate there.

edit- Now that I looked at the top picture again, there must be a LOT of angle built into that high lift insert. Even set down that far, the top fixture is extended almost all the way out. Pictures of the door when closed would help. Also is there anything installed on the front of the door?

John

Picture of the door closed should be below.
The door measures about 1 5/8”
Looking into your suggestion now.
Nothing installed in front of the door. I’m assuming you mean handles or some such.
The angle measures about 6.5*

@joefrench

Look up quick turn or low headroom rollers




Edit: under $50, swap out the top bracket and roller(s) and done

Those are not meant for use in a high lift application. They have their place, but not really here.

This is what I found when looking into this as a solution.

It looks like your door go up before starting to turn/angle, high lift tracks ? I think I would do as posted in #3.

Correct. I’ll look into that.

Had a similar issue, cut 3" off the bottom of the curved track, reattached and lowered the horizontal track. Been working for 25 years that way.

Okay. This gives me some more confidence with what my father-in-law was thinking. But he was saying take it off of the angled track that goes into the radius.

Swap the wind brace location and upper rollers.

I’m guessing the wind brace is the steel U-channel at the top? May give this a shot tonight as that seems like something I could try pretty easily single handed.

 

[joefrench]

Moving the rollers to the top did the trick. Plenty of clearance now. I’m guessing I’ll need to get some different brackets to get the door to seal better but, quite happy. Thank you for your help! Greatly appreciated!!

 

[MovingAlong]

Moving the rollers to the top did the trick. Plenty of clearance now. I’m guessing I’ll need to get some different brackets to get the door to seal better but, quite happy. Thank you for your help! Greatly appreciated!!

I'm guessing the top doesn't quite close far enough forward to seal? If so, maybe you could add a spacer between the door and the roller bracket to make up the difference?

 

[joefrench]

I'm guessing the top doesn't quite close far enough forward to seal? If so, maybe you could add a spacer between the door and the roller bracket to make up the difference?

Good call! A couple/few washers should do the trick. It’s only about an eighth of an inch difference.

 

[jstroede]

Moving the rollers to the top did the trick. Plenty of clearance now. I’m guessing I’ll need to get some different brackets to get the door to seal better but, quite happy. Thank you for your help! Greatly appreciated!!

Glad you got it worked out.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Sounds like you have it whipped.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Good call! A couple/few washers should do the trick. It’s only about an eighth of an inch difference.

Adjust the vertical tracks

 

[CraigStu]

Those are not meant for use in a high lift application. They have their place, but not really here.

Not to argue w/ you but just so I can learn something. Why would those not be able to be used in this high lift application?

 

[joefrench]

Adjust the vertical tracks

Makes sense! I'll give this a look tonight.

 

[firebirdparts]

You could lower the tracks a foot (but don't) and take it out of that top extension piece and never affect door fit, and never have to take the door down. You are in the easiest imaginable situation.

 

[jstroede]

Not to argue w/ you but just so I can learn something. Why would those not be able to be used in this high lift application?

so those are meant to attach to the top of the section, with two rollers in the radius. As the top section goes around it flattens out and maintains a lower distance above the horizontal tracks. In the high lift application, there is no radius (at the top of the door when it is closed), so you are not going to be able to attach it to the top of the door and have the two rollers be in the track. Also, they really need a trolley opener if you want the top section to be able to seal up well to the header.