Possible to lengthen garage door opener?

[richiewrench]

Do any of you guys know if it is possible to lengthen a chain type garage door opener? I have a 16 ft. sliding door that rolls super easy. I would like to buy a cheap door opener and extend it. I figure a chain type would be easiest. I assume the issue is going to be the limit switches. I've google the mech of the limit switches and it looks like a plastic threaded rod that moves a plate back and forth to the switches. It appears the threads are fairly course. Would it work to just make a finer thread rod to lengthen the stroke? Anyone know of someone doing this?

Rich

 

[ChevyEFI]

Some makers sell a lengthening kit outright.

Buy a cheap opener for which a lengthening kit can be bought.

 

[04fivefour]

or a gate opener?

 

[marinusdees]

It is possible, but if you have to ask, don't try it..

 

[finn]

I bought a cheap genie from MENARDS and an extension kit. It looks like a couple of kits would fit together for even more lift .

 

[Sureshot]

You likely won't get enough extra travel to make 16'. You could drive a second sprocket with the opener to amplify the travel. Another possible way is to use a form of mechanical leverage to amplify your movements.

Your idea of finer threads has merit. Lots of naysayers to ignore. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[finn]

If I remember correctly the kit consists of a chunk of rail, some chain, and a master link.

Chain sag could be an issue

 

[DeliveryGuy]

Liftmaster makes a light commercial operator, the ATS, that is essentially (exactly) a residential machine with some reinforced bits. I believe they have a maximum travel of 14ft. I've never looked inside one, but I think the limit assembly is the same as the residential machines.

You could jury rig an external limit contact to the rail of your modified operator, with magnetic contacts like the Genie machines (like the alarm contacts on your house). If you have a solid "T" rail operator, you could buy a used junk one, weld the rails together, and lengthen the chain. Now I want to try it with the junk machines we have laying around at work.

 

[kbs2244]

I did a sliding door with a chain type that had a tube for a rail.
Replaced the rail with some EMT.
But that only got me 10 feet.
(EMT comes in 10 foot lengths.)
For 16 feet you would need to check around for some tube with the same OD as the unit.
So the saddle will be able to slide the whole way.
Then it is just a matter of more chain and adjusting the switches.
This one had little stops that rode on the chain.
Pretty easy.

 

[AndyL]

16' - You really need to go to a commercial opener...

No residential opener will work on a 16' door without a massive jerry-rig process, so why fartass around with that when really - just buy a Liftmaster MJ5011 and be done with it...

 

[finn]

16' - You really need to go to a commercial opener...

No residential opener will work on a 16' door without a massive jerry-rig process, so why fartass around with that when really - just buy a Liftmaster MJ5011 and be done with it...

The question is whether it can be done or will it work.

Everyone knows that a commercial opener will work, but that's not what he asked.

 

[AndyL]

You can make anything work if you want to be insane enough to re-engineer the whole thing - but at that point you might as well have just started fresh and created your own to begin with...

It's not just a matter of adding length - it's a matter of doing it safely... So just do it right to start with; half-assing a solution for this problem makes no sense since there's off the shelf - not insanely priced components to do it correctly.

 

[neblinc]

Can you just attach it to the middle of the door? or am I over simplifying this?

Randy

 

[dirttracker18]

No you cannot.

I have done what you are asking but with a 12' door. I had the extension kits to go to a 10' door. It essentially replaces the chain with a longer one and takes out a 2' piece and replaces it with a 4' piece.

I added this all together by putting the 4' section on then welding in the 2' piece. I then took the chain apart and added in the needed chain.

The trouble is the limit switches. Maxed out my door does not fully open, and 18" short. Not an issue as I rarely need the entire 12'. If i do I release the opener and push the door up the remaining foot or so.

You can do the same but will be about 5' short with the limiting switch.

I would suggest a jack shaft style opener with the correct amount of lift, or do what I did if you don't need the entire door all the time.

 

[rancherbill]

I've google the mech of the limit switches and it looks like a plastic threaded rod that moves a plate back and forth to the switches.

You have been looking at the direct drive (or whatever they are called in the US). Look at a chain drive.

You say your door rolls easily, so the extra length will not tax the motor. If you have a 16 foot door, buy a 7' door opener and add 18' of chain. The only thing you will have to do is provide some intermediate support for the chain - that's a long way.

 

[Sureshot]

You have been looking at the direct drive (or whatever they are called in the US). Look at a chain drive.

You say your door rolls easily, so the extra length will not tax the motor. If you have a 16 foot door, buy a 7' door opener and add 18' of chain. The only thing you will have to do is provide some intermediate support for the chain - that's a long way.

I have seen the chain drive with this also.

I did something like Dirttracker on one garage. I had 10' doors but the opener extension was max 8' so I mounted the opener back from the wall far enough to get the door all the way open. I extended the pull bar to reach the door. If I needed the full opening I had to disconnect the pull bar and lift it by hand. It worked for that situation as I rarely needed the extra opening but it was great when I did need it.



If you can change or modify the drive sprocket on the chain opener you will get more travel with the same turns of the opener. Double the teeth will give you double the travel. You may not need that many and likely the closer to factory the better to prevent the opener from kicking out on a safety switch.

 

[finn]

Some makers sell a lengthening kit outright.

Most kits only add about a foot of additional lift. I added a 1' extension kit so my $97 opener lifts my 9' door 8'. I was pondering the same thing. Would a second kit give me an additional foot or will the limit switches be out of travel?

That particular stall is used for storage of my hot rod and isn't frequently accessed. I decided that the somewhat restricted opening was acceptable since I could disconnect the opener if I ever needed full height access.

It helped that I already had the new in the box opener that I was tripping over.

I have a jackshaft opener on my daily use door and will buy another for the bay allocated for a lift (need a clear ceiling overhead)

 

[dirttracker18]

Let me clarify my post with this;

I had the extension parts on hand for a previous 10' door. I would not go and and buy the extra pieces and do this due to the added cost and time/labor to make it half assed work. Had I not had the extra parts, I would have purchased a jack shaft opener.

 

[AndyL]

Most kits only add about a foot of additional lift. I added a 1' extension kit so my $97 opener lifts my 9' door 8'. I was pondering the same thing. Would a second kit give me an additional foot or will the limit switches be out of travel?

Extension kits don't stack... Generally you buy the one for the door size you need and install it.

Generally the longest you'll find these days is 10' - travel wise, limits have about 12' of useable thread in the mechanical openers...

Not 100% sure on some of the newer DC drives that don't use mechanical limits and what their limits will take, I know the two main brands have run timers - limiting the length of time a door opener will run without hitting a limit...

 

[xtremek]

I bought a used Stanley unit that was designed for a 7' door for my 10' door. I bought some chain and two master links. The Stanley uses a tube for the shuttle to ride up and down. Picked up some steel tubing and welded on the extension. Moved the limit switches to their max and it opens 9 1/2' good enough for me.

 

[kbs2244]

The OP said it is a sliding door.
He is not lifting anything.
He will be turning the opener 90 degrees so the chain just pulls the door right to left.

 

[neblinc]

Can you just attach it to the middle of the door? or am I over simplifying this?

Randy

That is what I understood, a sliding door.

Randy

 

[nehog]

About the best you can do is 10 foot total. This is because of the way the limit switches are setup inside the unit. If you can figure out a way to use a pulley system to limit the length you may be able to make it work.

 

[hippie2cams]

I can't believe noone read the OP's first post about a sliding door, you don't have to pick up a sliding door, they move side to side, but you need room for the whole distance for the door to fully open that shouldn't be a problem just look at a couple of fence gate sliders and you should be able to come up with a solution that meets your needs

 

[Zeke]

You could get the opener to drive a pulley system and double the travel length. Set it up to 1/2 : 1 ratio. I can't find a schematic but you drive a single pulley with the opener. One end of the cable is fixed at the base of the opener and the other is on the door. As the opener travels the door opens at 2wice the speed and 2wice the distance. This will work in one direction only until you spring load or weight the door to pull it back.

I'm sure if you noodle on this enough you could make the block and cable pull the door both ways.