Garage Door Lube

[justsam]

I just had some work done on my garage door and spent some time with a crusty 35 year veteran of the trade. When I asked what to lube the door with he made it clear it must have some penetrating capabilities, must not have silicone, and among the DO NOT use were things like WD40, and white lithium. I really could not see what he was using but it was some type of CRC product. He also advised coating the springs lightly on the torque tube above the door, the individual door hinges, rollers, but not the track, cable pulleys etc. Oddly he was a fan of the plastic door hinges to replace metal ones.

Just curious what the pros here have to say, or is this like arguing about motor oil. My installation consists of three 16 foot insulated doors, and three Liftmaster shaft drives about 15 years old now.

 

[The Cobbler]

guy that installed my door left me a can of lube. I think it was a liquid wrench product, labeled garage door lube

 

[visionguru]

Isn't "garage door lube" a common product? In a spray can that lasts a while, less than $10.
Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, ACE...all have it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Clopay-Synthetic-Pro-Lube-for-Garage-Doors-4128043/202794367

Mine is:
https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...cant-9-3-oz/16-gdl/p-1444425555845-c-9104.htm

Due to the low frequency nature of a garage door, anything is better than nothing, especially on the torsion spring. Yes, don't lube the tracks, because the rollers are rolling in it.

 

[Jlbc212]

In the old days when I worked in the door trade, we all used regular motor oil to lubricate the rollers, the pulleys, and bearings. Grease thinned with a bit of motor oil and applied with a paint brush or rag was used to lubricate torsion spring coils. Many a customer wondered how we got their creaky old door to work so smoothly.

 

[kelpaso1]

Plan old engine oil coating the springs and some spray lube in the roller bearings and hinges is all you need to do once a year.

 

[gnpenning]

When I do spring replacement if you have lubed your springs with oil I charge you more. No reason to lube a spring if it is properly installed or in the track. Shows a lack of understanding and knowledge to me. If it makes you feel better go for it, chances are I'll never work on it. Bearings, hinge pivots, and rollers are the only things on the door I'll put anything on, opener depends on the type. The liquid wrench door lube works better than anything available to the average consumer. I buy from my door suppliers.

 

[Super Mech]

CRC makes a roll up door lubricant. It’s in a green spray can. I use it on a fleet of trucks I work on that have Morgan boxes with roll up doors. It works pretty good and drys up without leaving an oily mess. The trucks carry bread and the owner doesn’t want any oil residue in the box area.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The local door guy told me to use a product with a silicone in it. I think I have a can of something like Liquid Wrench with Silicone.

 

[M-technik-3]

Thanks for asking this question OP, I was wondering this myself. I have neglected my door for the better part of a decade. Guess I know my next project lol.

 

[wayne55]

When I had my springs replaced, the guy sprayed everything with WD40.

 

[rlitman]

WD40 is actually a good choice to lube the cables, but I wouldn't recommend using it elsewhere.

 

[nadogail]

there are a lot of opinions. I use thinned white lithium on the drive screw, applied with a small brush.

 

[BB Sig]

I use the Liquid Wrench product made for the application. I've used it on 4 different doors and it makes a noise difference after 4 or 5 cycles. Same can has lasted me a few years.

 

[driftpin]

My installer, the company owner, who did a great job on installing my two hurricane/impact-rated OH doors w/side-mount Liftmaster openers, said to lube the rollers, tracks, and yes, the spring, 2X/year. He used a dedicated spray fluid from CRC, I believe.

Unless you are doing a lot of grinding, media blasting with no type of filtration, I suspect that almost anything to lube is better-than using/doing nothing. If the lube stays 'wet,' any airborne contamination will probably stick to the lube and make a grinding paste, not-good! The stuff which drys is best, I'd suspect.

As BB Sig mentioned, after a dose of lube, things get noticeably-quieter. Like The Eagles said, that gives me a "peaceful, easy feeling, and I know you won't let me down."

 

[LOW1]

I spray the heck out of everything with a spray can of stuff labelled as Garage Door Lube. Bought it at Menards but don't know whats in it.

IIRC the can label says to liberally spray everything that moves.

It worked well for me.

 

[kelpaso1]

Every pro garage door installer I have talked to told me to lube the spring with oil or spray lube. Stops the squeaking and creaking noise and makes the springs last twice as long.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

Maybe this:
https://www.crcindustries.com/products/premium-garage-door-lube-10-wt-oz-05032.html

I've used different things (probably whatever was handy). I'll admit that I probably don't do it regularly or often enough. I've replaced springs that rusted after 30-50 years, and rollers that seemed to have loose bearings after a similar amount of time.

 

[gnpenning]

If the springs are squeaking and creaking you have other problems that need to be addressed. Again properly installed that won't be a issue. Also a pro that is telling you to put on something that will attract dirt and grit that CAN cause things to wear is someone I wouldn't listen to. Common sense, which is no longer so common...

Interesting, once again someone asks for pro information and people that admit to needing others doing the work for them chime in as being knowledgeable experts quoting what they have been told with no context as to why they were told that information. If you live in a area that has a humidity and rust issue then putting a coating on metal parts may be logical but not for the excuses being given. Remember this should be a inside element protected item.

In the 20 what ever years and thousands of doors I've installed or worked on I have never seen a spring rub it's self too the point of failure and have never seen one that has else where. I'm sure it's happened as poorly as I've seen some installs, but it would take many years of ignoring a obvious install problem.

This **** is why I and so many others quit answering questions when keyboard pro's have to claim being knowledgeable experts even though they have never done any real world work and pay others for the work being done on their place.......

Good luck to the OP.

 

[77thor]

I recently looked at spray cans of garage door lube and they were all silicone-based.

 

[GTFiero]

I use Tri-Flow. It’s a oil silicone mix. Rattle ball in the spray can to mix. Put it on everything but the cables and cable rollers. Also works very well on bike chains. Small can goes a long way.

 

[NC.50]

Try Liquifix. Not a petroleum based lubricant so does not get easily grimy with dirt and dust. I put in on my 35 year old garage tracks and rollers. Amazingly quiet. Get it on Amazon. No affiliation here.....just a fan of this product.

 

[roc_on_the_rocks]

If the springs are squeaking and creaking you have other problems that need to be addressed. Again properly installed that won't be a issue. Also a pro that is telling you to put on something that will attract dirt and grit that CAN cause things to wear is someone I wouldn't listen to. Common sense, which is no longer so common...

Interesting, once again someone asks for pro information and people that admit to needing others doing the work for them chime in as being knowledgeable experts quoting what they have been told with no context as to why they were told that information. If you live in a area that has a humidity and rust issue then putting a coating on metal parts may be logical but not for the excuses being given. Remember this should be a inside element protected item.

In the 20 what ever years and thousands of doors I've installed or worked on I have never seen a spring rub it's self too the point of failure and have never seen one that has else where. I'm sure it's happened as poorly as I've seen some installs, but it would take many years of ignoring a obvious install problem.

This **** is why I and so many others quit answering questions when keyboard pro's have to claim being knowledgeable experts even though they have never done any real world work and pay others for the work being done on their place.......

Good luck to the OP.

Thanks for taking the time to share your professional experience.

 

[orangeblood]

PB Blaster Garage Door Lube...the "crusty 10 year guy" that replaced my center spring said it is the only lube his company recommends. He also mentioned that he lubes the spring once every three months

 

[roc_on_the_rocks]

PB Blaster Garage Door Lube...the "crusty 10 year guy" that replaced my center spring said it is the only lube his company recommends. He also mentioned that he lubes the spring once every three months

Thanks for relaying crusty's recommendation.

But I think oiling the springs every three months is an example of total lack of common sense. I'd need to install a drip tray and piping to collect that mess.

To each their own, I don't oil my springs or tracks.

 

[619DioFan]

I use PB blasters garage door lube. teflon based. works well IMO.

 

[2level]

I trust 'gnpenning's' advice. I don't see a good reason to lube the actual torsion springs in a garage (barring a rare case of a garage that gets very wet on the inside). The only overhead door springs that I've ever lubed are the ones on box truck/van overhead doors. And that's because in my climate they tend to get rust-bound after 10+ years; due to 'humidity dripping' inside the box.

 

[Beallealm]

I lost a remote to my garage door opener. I did some research and found that you can buy a retro kit that you plug the existing door opener in to. Then you have 4 new remotes and exterior key pad. My retro-kit is is probably 10 years old now and working great.

 

[2level]

^^^And that has what to do with this thread??

 

[tinmanwpk]

My three year old garage door has made serious (SERIOUS) noise since day one. We complained to the builder to no avail. I'm reading this thread and definitely have mixed emotions. I am of the opinion that I have run out of choices and have to lube my spring.

 

[rburke65]

I spray lube my rollers n torsion springs every so often with what ever I have.