Noisy/squeaky belt drive OHD opener

[andyvh1959]

Few years back I replaced the VERY noisy screw drive OH door opener in my attached garage with a new 1/2HP Chamberlin belt drive opener. Much better, but then of course other noises become more obvious. Few weeks back I replaced a failed torsion spring, and while doing that I better aligned the center support cradle (was too high) to straighten out the torsion rod. I've had this house since 2002 and I until I replaced the door opener I had never worked on the opener. I also noticed the RH end bracket was about an inch higher on the wall than the LH end bracket, so I reset that as well. Goes up and down fine, but is noisy, squeaky. I replaced the panel rollers with nylon/sealed bearing parts thinking that would do it. Only slightly quieter. Doubt its the hinges as they really don't muve much. Applied grease onto the center bar the door carriage follows, only slightly better (never had greased it before). Belt tension is not too high, belt shows some slack/droop as the door goes down. I suspect the belt wheel at the door header is the noise source, but its just a nylon toothed wheel turning on a bolt. Any ideas? It works fine, just noisy for a belt drive opener.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

If you disengage the motor, and open and close the door manually, do you get the same noises?

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I grease the hinges on my doors I also lube just a nylon toothed wheel turning on a bolt.
In addition to modern insulated doors I have a couple old thin fiberglass doors. Lubing the hinges and rollers on those makes a huge difference.

 

[andyvh1959]

I suspect the squeaking noise, which is random, is the steel shaft of the track rollers turning slightly in the hinge bore. Perhaps the roller shaft slightly turns in the hinge tube, causing the noise. I've read that some people install the roller shaft into the hinge bore after applying heat shrink tube onto the roller shaft. Easy enough to try and perhaps that will quiet down the sqeaks.

 

[andyvh1959]

Nope. Replaced the rollers with new bearing style rollers, and I applied shrink tube onto the shafts so the shafts fit snug into the hinge bores. Still squeaky. Lubed the hinges, still squeaky. Lubed the carrier cradle at mid torsion shaft, still squeaky. I noticed the squeaking is less with the door fully up (springs relaxed) and less squeaky as the door went down. Hmmm.

Sprayed some WD40 all over the torsion springs and NO squeaks up or down. So the squeaky/squally sounds I heard were the torsion spring coils rubbing on each other, maybe also on the torsion tube. So for now its much more quiet. Makes me think the instructions from IDEAL that say to slightly stretch the torsion springs from their fully compressed/relaxed positon is to create slight gaps between the coils so they don't rub on each other as the torsion tube spins.

 

[CraigStu]

Thanks I am going to try that but not w/ wd40. That stuff dries/evaporates and leaves something that is sometimes worse than nothing. I will try CRC Power Lube first since it is an easy spray penetrating oil. I could also see running a narrow stream of 30W along the top of the spring and let it work it's way down.

 

[captaindiode]

I had good luck with 3 in 1 Garage Door Lube. It is a dry film lubricant and really quieted the door down.

 

[garfunkle24]

I occasionally do some work on commercial overhead doors and work with some guys who do that full time. It's very important to stretch the springs on those or they can bind so bad they start wrecking **** or you just can't wind them cos they pile up. Anyway, they use and recommend Fluid Film for the springs.

 

[BrandonV]

I had good luck with 3 in 1 Garage Door Lube. It is a dry film lubricant and really quieted the door down.

Dry lube works very well on garage doors especially in dusty environments. I find you have to apply it every few months but you'll keep all the gunk at bay.