Are there any overhead door experts/installers lurking here?

[GeddyT]

I have a question about my overhead door that's been bugging me for a long time. When I ordered the door, I ordered a high lift track to limit how much light the door would block when opened.

This is what they gave me:

I know nothing about garage doors, so I figured it's what I wanted and installed it. I wound the springs per instructions, aligned and leveled everything with lasers, and I've still never gotten it to both open and close without difficulty. If I over-wind the springs by a couple of turns, the door opens with only a little effort but then binds when the bottom of the door is just below the top of the opening and takes quite a bit of effort to break loose from this point to close. If I leave the springs wound per instructions, it takes quite a bit of effort to open and a LOT of effort to open it past that sticking point of just below fully open.

It's a Clopay steel door, fully insulated, glass up top, and quite heavy. Every other picture I've seen online shows a smooth radius for a high lift track, but mine has two pretty sharp angles that the door seems to catch on at certain points in its travel. Doing some research, Clopay calls this a "25 degree high lift" track, which is supposed to be for extra clearance for exterior windows and handles and whatnot, although my door has nothing protruding on the front.

I guess my questions are:
1.) Was I given the wrong track for what I'm trying to do?
2.) Am I just asking too much in expecting it to smoothly open and close with no binding points?
3.) Is it possible I'm just a crappy installer and a it's just a matter of minor tweaks to align things perfectly? I mean, it's not perfect, but I didn't worry about doing the install myself because I didn't think garage door tracks had tolerances in the thousandths...

I've had a jackshaft opener sitting in the box waiting to be installed for over six months now, but I'm afraid of burning the motor up based off of how much effort it takes to both open and close the door past those sticking points as it sits. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My back's been hurting lately, and it would be nice to open that door with a button instead of a deadlift...

 

[manwithtools]

Those are some small radii to move the weight of that door over. I'd ask the supplier for standard track radius's, just need taller vertical leg against the wall to make it high lift.

 

[matt_i]

I would also go for a standard single radius track and maybe some straight pieces to connect, depending on what you can buy as a kit vs. having to assemble the parts yourself.

Button head screws inside the track work well and you might have to make a couple of flat metal brackets with a 90 degree bend.

 

[thertel]

It looks to me that you installed the radius tracks on the wrong side and upside down. That more gentle radius with the small straight leg after it looks like it would work better connected to the vertical track on the opposite side with the very tight radius connected to the horizontal track.

 

[GeddyT]

It looks to me that you installed the radius tracks on the wrong side and upside down. That more gentle radius with the small straight leg after it looks like it would work better connected to the vertical track on the opposite side with the very tight radius connected to the horizontal track.

My jaw just hit the ground and I had to run out and look. Thought for sure you were onto something, but, nope. It's definitely installed how it was intended to be. All the carriage bolt holes and brackets are drilled to go exactly like they are. Were I to reverse the two middle pieces so the straight ends are down and the curved ends are up, I'd have to cut and drill brackets to splice them together with, and the door would probably be dragging on the ceiling when open.

Seems like the consensus is to replace with single radius track, and I'm going to look into this. Thanks for the responses, everyone.

 

[capterik]

that is not right, you never have a hard angle like that, you just need something like this ,not sure what they sold you. rails on the side should not be 90 degrees to the floor but angled back a little the higher it goes, and each panels wheels should have a bracket that stands off a bit further to compensate for the distance of the track sloping away, this way, as the door is raised it will move away from the wall and not bind, but when closed , the door will be tight all around. your door rollers look the same in every picture. you may want to call a professional,good luck

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Clopay or whomever you ordered the door from sold you incorrect hardware? It will not work correctly. The last picture shown is correct. Start making phone calls.

 

[GeddyT]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I have some calls to make and parts to order.