Off center garage door opener?

[70runner]

To make room for my Maxjax, I need to move my GDO about 10" off center, away from the lift area. Its an 18ft steel door with 4 sections. I also plan to angle the horizontal arms up about 10deg so I can open the garage door with a car on the lift. This will require the mounting position of the GDO be elevated as well. The door is currently well balanced, easy manual open/close action.

My plan: install two Clopay reinforcement brackets, one on the center frame, the other on the adjacent vertical frame, about 50" away. The bracket uses a 5/16" clevis pin. I plan to enlarge the bracket pin receiver to 3/8" and run a 3/8" steel rod through both reinforcements. The door arm will attach to the steel rod, about 10" from the center vertical frame.

Given the elevated GDO location (in between joists instead of below them), the adjacent vertical frame (hinge location) doesn't line up with the joist structure such that I could align the GDO directly with it.

Does this approach seem reasonable? For the metallurgists among you, what steel rod type/alloy would be the best option (approx 4ft span).

 

[Blue440Duster]

Works for me...

http://www.liftmaster.com/lmcv2/pages/productfamily.aspx?famid=53

 

[cyamaha2007]

I have one mounted to the far right of a 18ft door. Its just a cheap home depo std opener. Its held up to 4 years of daily use.

 

[Matt M PA]

In my bay with the midrise lift, I installed a Sommer opener all the way to the one end. I cant speak for other openers, but Sommer told me I could do it this way because I had a torsion spring as opposed to the long springs

 

[kbs2244]

Go for it.
Just remember to have something strong at the door end of the track.
That is where the force is concentrated.
I have tried a stronger rear brace but have found I need to anchor the track vs the motor.
The factory attaching point of the track to the motor unit isn't strong enough.

 

[rlitman]

In my bay with the midrise lift, I installed a Sommer opener all the way to the one end. I cant speak for other openers, but Sommer told me I could do it this way because I had a torsion spring as opposed to the long springs

Yep. The torsion springs prevent the door from racking.
I wouldn't try this on a 16' door with extension springs.
My 8' door with extension springs has the opener about 1' off center to clear a hoist, and works just fine.

 

[nehog]

Most openers of the type you have are just fine when mounted off-center. IIRC (I'd have to check) my openers even had instructions and specifications for off-center mounting.