Bigger radius for high lift door?

[catch22]

I was talking to a guy today about raising my 9 x 7 door up and he said he could get me new track and spring with cables for $125.00. He said by going to a bigger radius that will lift the door closer to the ceiling. I need to raise it about 18 inches, does this sound right to you guys?

Thanks Mike

 

[6806goats]

Mike, this is an area I am also considering. Maybe this will bump your post to the top again so others will answer.

 

[GTO]

It's called a high lift around here.My door is raised about 2' above my door opening ,which puts it around 10' high

 

[rwhite692]

$125 is about right, to have that done, if you don't want to do it yourself.

 

[6806goats]

Thanks for the link to your garage, Very cool.

 

[nova65ss]

They make a 32" radius horizontal track that is supposed to be the same as adding 2' of high lift to a standard door. Most doors come with either 12" or 15" radius track. The 32" radius still needs different springs, cables, and cable drums than a standard radius door.

 

[Steevo]

They make a 32" radius horizontal track that is supposed to be the same as adding 2' of high lift to a standard door. Most doors come with either 12" or 15" radius track. The 32" radius still needs different springs, cables, and cable drums than a standard radius door.

Forgive my ignorance, but I am following this thread because I will have a 6x8 on the side of my garage, with 12' ceiling, and want to have it go up near the ceiling when in the raised position. I am wondering about the "different springs, cables and drums", and why they have to be different for a door that follows a higher arc than a lower arc?
Doesn't the bottom of the door, where the cables attach still travel from floor to just above the door opening, and isn't the weight still the same?
I am obviously missing something important here.

 

[nova65ss]

Forgive my ignorance, but I am following this thread because I will have a 6x8 on the side of my garage, with 12' ceiling, and want to have it go up near the ceiling when in the raised position. I am wondering about the "different springs, cables and drums", and why they have to be different for a door that follows a higher arc than a lower arc?
Doesn't the bottom of the door, where the cables attach still travel from floor to just above the door opening, and isn't the weight still the same?
I am obviously missing something important here.

Basically a standard door when opening immediately turns into the horizontal track which starts taking weight off the door. A high lift or 32 r door goes up before it starts turning back so the spring rate changes. It also has more weight hanging when in the up position so it will tend to want to fall back down. You would think that just adding a little more tension would do the trick but not the case. If you add more tension it will also shoot up off the floor unless you change the drum. The drum is tapered which acts like gears in a transmission, it is much larger on the edges so it weakens it near the bottom but as it goes up the cables taper down onto the smaller portion giving it more strenght to hold it up near the top.

It is very hard to put into words but trust me this stuff will need to be done. I am sure it will work if you don't change them (cables have to be replaced no other option) but it will not be correct. If it is not correct it will be difficult getting the opener to work properly and function as long as it should.

 

[6806goats]

So the opener must be relocated close to the ceiling and not remain where it's at. Just a little more time I reckon. Are these parts available in common areas (Lowes...Home Depot) or special order from door companies? I might consider having a shop install this mod but I'm used to doing stuff myself. The only item in my house so far that I want pro help is with my boiler heating system. But we'll see once I start getting bids.

Thanks for the help on this.

 

[kbs2244]

Nova..

Do any of the commercial companies make a system that uses counter weights and gravity?

I have seen a number of homemade systems that seem to work just fine.
They are simple to make and understand, easy to adjust for added weight from paint etc.

The only downside I can imagine is that the cables are always under tension.
But in a spring system they are under tension when the door is closed, and that is 95% of the time.

 

[nova65ss]

Years ago they used weights to counterbalance. They usually slide up and down along the side of the track inside a piece of PVC tube. Not really ideal in a normal garage.

 

[Question]

Here's what they look like. Mine is a 10'4" ceiling. If you have torsion bar springs you can also off set the lift..

 

[catch22]

Ok I know its been a while but I just finally installed the high lift rails and they work great.

Thanks for all of your thoughts!!!!

 

[jarhead]

Basically a standard door when opening immediately turns into the horizontal track which starts taking weight off the door. A high lift or 32 r door goes up before it starts turning back so the spring rate changes. It also has more weight hanging when in the up position so it will tend to want to fall back down. You would think that just adding a little more tension would do the trick but not the case. If you add more tension it will also shoot up off the floor unless you change the drum. The drum is tapered which acts like gears in a transmission, it is much larger on the edges so it weakens it near the bottom but as it goes up the cables taper down onto the smaller portion giving it more strenght to hold it up near the top.

It is very hard to put into words but trust me this stuff will need to be done. I am sure it will work if you don't change them (cables have to be replaced no other option) but it will not be correct. If it is not correct it will be difficult getting the opener to work properly and function as long as it should.

I am trying to picture what this looks like, can you post pictures of the radius track?

Thanks, Joe