Hello everyone! I'm looking to replace my overhead motor with one that won't inhibit the use of a vehicle lift. The most popular option is the side mount options, however as you can see, I don't have much room at all! I can't seem to find one that mounts directly above the garage door where there's plenty of room. What other options are out there? Thanks!
Overhead Door Motor Mounted Above Door?
- Thread starter zball94
- Start date
JohnX14
Well-known member
How wide is that door? You can mount the operator off-center. I've seen them mounted that way a number of times. Not sure how far off-center is acceptable, but maybe enough to have the lift hug one side.
You can also raise the operator up to the beam. Although you'd lose some travel distance if it's already maxed out. You could also buy a longer t-rail if travel distance is maxed and prevents raising the entire operator.
You can also raise the operator up to the beam. Although you'd lose some travel distance if it's already maxed out. You could also buy a longer t-rail if travel distance is maxed and prevents raising the entire operator.
Interesting idea. I couldn't really find any chain kits, so it might have to be custom made?
16x8. And it's insulated so I'm sure it's heavier than your average door. Moving it towards the side with the benches might work though.
The beam is 10'6" high, and I'd want to utilize all that height for the lift as I have a tall vehicle.
Steve W.
Well-known member
The weight of the door should not matter to the opener.
The SPRINGS will handle the weight of the door, the opener only has to MOVE it.
.
Viper98912
Well-known member
why do builders design a 2-car garage where you can't open the car doors if you park 2 cars inside?
How many inches do you have between the tracks and the wall? I believe the side mount openers need 8" (although, from the pictures it looks like you may not have even that)
How many inches do you have between the tracks and the wall? I believe the side mount openers need 8" (although, from the pictures it looks like you may not have even that)
racecougar
Well-known member
480LM | RJO Alternate Mounting Kit | LiftMaster
LiftMaster is the #1 brand of professionally installed residential, commercial and gate opener systems.
www.liftmaster.com
racecougar
Well-known member
Another thought: Can you create a pocket in either end wall to provide space for a jackshaft opener?
Fav Onefour
Well-known member
I keep trying to figure out if all this hassle is worth the hassle.
How tall is the vehicle? Putting in a lift won't give you a lot of working height with a "tall" vehicle. The garage isn't terribly wide either. Are you planning on treating the space as a two stall garage in the end? I'm trying to envision using the garage as a daily in and out parking space.
How tall is the vehicle? Putting in a lift won't give you a lot of working height with a "tall" vehicle. The garage isn't terribly wide either. Are you planning on treating the space as a two stall garage in the end? I'm trying to envision using the garage as a daily in and out parking space.
racecougar
Well-known member
From the third photo in the OP, this appears to just be one stall in a larger garage.
Because it looks good on paper with nothing to do with reality... A 2 car garage at absolute minimum is 24x24.
I'd have to measure our Genie jack shaft openers but I think they are wider than 8" on the side of the door.
Stall and a half, perfect for an attached one car garage...the waste is putting the wide 16' door on it... losing eight feet of useable wall space.
Another vote for this, though I've never seen it used with the opener ABOVE the shaft. I assume it would work, but no idea. And would probably need to extend the chain if using the opener above. Which makes the chain guard unusable. But no one should be putting a hand above the door. Or see if you can just buy the gears and source a chain separately.480LM | RJO Alternate Mounting Kit | LiftMaster
LiftMaster is the #1 brand of professionally installed residential, commercial and gate opener systems.
Unless my spatial awareness is off, wouldn't it also have to be on the opposite side to rotate it above the shaft?
Or do these have a reverse switch?
Right, but if you rotate it upwards, isn't the mounting face now facing away from the wall?
Don't rotate the motor. Just get a longer chain.
I don't think you could rotate the motor anyway. The pull release would be on the top then. And the pull release might be a problem even with the motor in the correct orientation since the only place to put it is crossing the torsion bar if the motor is above.
Our old house I installed an I Drive opener. I don’t know if they’re still available or if the alternatives are still made.
www.garagehowto.com
The idrive garage door opener. Is it right for you?
The idrive garage door opener is the original, innovative, quiet, space saving, torsion drive model from Wayne Dalton garage door openers.
www.garagehowto.com
You can still find an IDrive on eBay every once in awhile. But there is a reason they don't make them anymore and no parts are available to fix them, but it does simplify the solution.Our old house I installed an I Drive opener. I don’t know if they’re still available or if the alternatives are still made.
The idrive garage door opener. Is it right for you?
The idrive garage door opener is the original, innovative, quiet, space saving, torsion drive model from Wayne Dalton garage door openers.
I still vote jackshaft with chain extension.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Absolute junk if I recall correctly. No personal experience, perhaps others can add detail.Our old house I installed an I Drive opener. I don’t know if they’re still available or if the alternatives are still made.
The idrive garage door opener. Is it right for you?
The idrive garage door opener is the original, innovative, quiet, space saving, torsion drive model from Wayne Dalton garage door openers.
I installed one myself when I put in a new 16x7 insulated door. It was used multiple times daily for 6 or 7 years before we moved. Never had any issues. It opened and closed faster than the old chain drive opener. The open ceiling space was nice to have.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
See post #20
Wrench97
Well-known member
Buddy of mine moved the pulleys to inside of bearings and mounted the jackshaft opener to the outside.
Still no details on why they’re junk.
I didn’t think they made them any longer but maybe some alternative brands out there using the same idea.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
There's a 3rd bay that's not pictured. It's a 3 car garage to a realtor, but more like 2.5 in reality. The pictured bay will be a single vehicle work area/parking spot.
I'm not home to measure right now, but I can guarantee it's less than 8"
Viper98912
Well-known member
Ah! I see it now to the right. Have you considered using your other bay for the 4 post? You'd be able to mount the jack shaft opener on the left side of the door (looking at the door as if you're standing in the inside)
Nah, there's not much space on the far side of that bay, making servicing anything on that side of a vehicle very difficult. That spot will be for backing in the daily and/or storing a classic.
Junkman
Well-known member
I might not understand the problem correctly. However, a jackshaft operator can be mounted on either side of the door, and I can see that you have plenty of room between the two doors to mount one. The one problem that I do see is that the steel shaft might need to be replaced since it doesn't appear that there is enough pipe sticking out of the side of the torsion bar. I am not an expert on the jackshaft operators, but I have them on all of my garage doors, and all but one were professionally installed. I tackled the installation of the last one when the installer told me there wasn't enough space to install the operator on one of the doors. I figured out a way to shoehorn it into a narrow opening, and it has been working flawlessly for the past 2 years. Where there is a will, there is a way.
The two doors appear to be on different walls as the door he wants the opener on has a bump out, and very little clearance.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The pictures are deceptive. Take a look again, the large door has very little room on either side as you can see in @PCustoms post above.