How to Inspect Garage Door Tracks and What to Look For
Tracks guide the rollers and keep the door on its path. A bent or dirty track causes noise and jerky movement. It can also push the door off track. A quick inspection takes a few minutes. This guide shows what to check.
Before you start
Close the door. Unplug the opener. Stay clear of the springs and cables and the bottom brackets. You will only look and wipe. Do not loosen any bolt on a track unless a technician has told you to.
What to look for
- Dents or creases in the metal.
- A gap between the track and the roller wheel that looks uneven.
- Marks on the track where a roller has rubbed.
- Loose or missing mounting brackets on the wall.
- Dirt and grit and old grease in the channel.
- Tracks that look crooked or tilted.
Clean the track
Wipe the inside with a cloth. Use a mild degreaser if grease has hardened. Dry it. Do not apply lubricant to the track. This guide explains which parts to lubricate.
Signs of a problem
- The door rubs or scrapes as it moves.
- A roller pops out of the track.
- The door sits crooked when closed.
- The opener strains or stops partway.
Many of these signs point to a bent track or a worn roller. Read nylon vs steel rollers to see how rollers wear.
What homeowners can do
You can clean the track and look for damage. You can tighten loose wall bracket bolts only if the door is closed and the bolt is not holding anything under tension. Leave any real adjustment to a technician. Tracks hold the door in a precise position and a poor adjustment can cause a fall.
What to leave alone
The cables and springs and bottom brackets carry a lot of force. The bottom bracket is especially risky. If a cable has come off its drum read why cables come off the drum.
When the door is off track
A door that has left the track can be unsafe to move. Do not try to force it back. Our off-track repair page explains the usual causes and the first steps. Our noisy door and roller repair page covers worn rollers and hinges. Add this check to your seasonal maintenance checklist.
Tracks bent or the door rubbing?
Do not force the door. Call us or send a request and tell us what you see.