Garage door tune up

[kbs2244]

We have done a lot of talk here about garage doors. So I went out the other day and checked mine out. I had just paid a guy $175.00 to replace a broken spring, so I knew the basics were there.
But I had always had a problem in the winter with the top of the door not fitting tight. I had thought of different kinds of weather stripping, even a strip of rug across the top if the door to wind proof it.
Then, when I was at the hardware store, I looked at some garage door hardware. The roller supports for the top of the door were adjustable!
I went home and checked mine with the door down. I had about a 1 inch of open space between the door and the frame and at least that much in adjustment room in the roller support. I lossened the nut in the adjustment slot, gave the door a few wacks with a rubber mallet to get it tight to the frame, and retightened the adjustment nut. Same thing on the other end of the door. Total movment on the roller support was about 3/4 inch.
After cycleing the door a few times I can see no problems except the door come a bit closer to the ladder that I hang from the celing above it.
So, my question to the garage door pros out ther is if I should expect any problems from what I did.
To me it seems I just did something that should have been done on the orginal install.

 

[nova65ss]

Shouldn't be a problem as long as it is not hitting anything.

 

[kbs2244]

Thanks.
I have a follow up question.
How far into the curve should the top roller be?
I am about a quarter of the way and I dont seem to have any problems.
But now that I know that top roller is adjustable I have found you can replace the piece with a longer one. That would allow you to raise the roller mounting bracket higher on the door (mine is about 4 inches down from the top now) and thus put the strarting rolles higher into the curve. Will this reduce the strain on the opener and on the door when opening it?

 

[nova65ss]

Not really as long as it goes up and down easily by hand you are good. Some doors have 12" radius track some have 15" so it will vary where the rollers sits in the curve.

 

[kbs2244]

OK
My thought was that when you lift it by hand the force is from the bottom and straight up, like the Lift master, so where the top roller was didn't matter since it was getting pushed.
But with a regular opener you are pulling and the top roller is leading the way. It just seemed like the farther along the curv it was would make for less stress.
We have always had subs doing all the garage doors where I have worked so I never paid a whole lot of attention. Mine at home always seemed to work fine so I kind of ignored them. Now I have time and want to fine tune them.
My son has an 8 foot door on a 10 foot ceiling and it has really tore up the top of his door where the opener attaches. His top rollers are well down below the curve in the vertical track when the door is closed. Does he need some kind of roller extension?

 

[kbs2244]

Would something like the bottom two parts help out my son?

http://www.garagedoorsupply.com/top-roller-carrier.html

 

[nova65ss]

Those two brackets are sort of a last resort in fitting a door in with little to no headroom. They will make the door run worse than a standard top fixture. Your son has 2' of headroom so that is more than enough and I would have to guess something other than the top bracket is causing the section to get damaged. Does he have a strut on the top panel? It sounds like he has high lift on his door or someone used a longer vertical track to clear an entry door? Sometimes guys will cheat and use a longer vertical rather than a breakaway high lift track.

If the top fixture is in the curve then you are fine, when the door opens it will immediately start back toward the horizontal.

 

[kbs2244]

I will try and get a PIC.
He is a few miles from me and I don't get there much.

 

[Rickochet]

While your at it, you may want to lube all of the pivoting attachments, rollers, hinges, chain, springs, etc. If it moves or slides, lube it. The Garage Door Lube from Blaster works very well. Home Depot has it in stock at most stores.

MFG Model #: 16GDL
MFG Name: BLASTER CHEMICAL CO
MFG Part #: 16GDL
Usage: Best darn door lubricant ever