How To Adjust Garage Door Cables (We Have A Fix)

If you are having trouble opening your garage door or getting it to close properly, the problem could be linked to a faulty garage door cable. Cables are often installed incorrectly, a problem that leads to the garage door cables either being too short, too long, or out of balance. If your garage door issues are caused by cables in need of adjustment, here is how to fix the problem.

Adjusting your garage door cables so that they provide the proper amount of tension on both sides of the garage door can be done by adjusting the length of the cable going through the cable bracket. You can find the cable bracket where the cable attaches to the track.

Before adjusting your garage, door cables it is good to know why the cable came loose in the first place. First, you want to avoid experiencing the same problem again in the future. Second, the process that is required is dependent on the cause of the problem.

Garage door cables can need adjustment if the door has been damaged or if the hardware is worn out or faulty. Adjustments may also be needed if the track has become bent or if the garage door system was installed incorrectly. An example of an incorrect installation would be an uneven installation. Configuration issues are also common causes of loose garage door cables.

The first thing that you should do is disconnect the garage door opener so that you can open the door manually. Garage doors are held up by large springs, but the springs are often not strong enough to hold the garage door open once the cables have been removed from the bottom section.

After disengaging the garage door opener and opening the door, you will have to secure the door. Use two vice grips for this. You can place one set of vice grips on each track, just below the bottom section of the garage door to hold it in place.

The last thing you want is for the door to come crashing down on you when you’re in the middle of adjusting. These vice grips will keep the door in place while you work. If you have an automatic garage door, you’ll also want to shut off the electricity to prevent any electrical accidents.

The end of the garage door cable that attaches to the track also has an adjustable bracket that allows for finetuning. If you are unable to create optimal tension using the alternate bracket holes as described in the previous step, adjusting the tension using the bracket is your next option.

To do this, loosen the screws on the bracket until you can slide the cable through the bracket. Once it is loose, feed the cable through the bracket until you have achieved the tension that you require. After that, tighten the screws and reattach the cable bracket to the garage door track. Be sure to create the same level of tension on both sides of the garage door. Otherwise, the door will not open or close evenly.

After you’ve made all the necessary adjustments, verify that both cables are aligned correctly and that they have not come unraveled on either side. If everything looks correct, remove the vice grips and lower your garage door manually. Then, reestablish power to the opener so that you can test the door.

By pulling the cord that hangs from the opener, you will activate the lever that reconnects the door to the track. Or, you may be able to simply press the button on your remote control to reengage the track.

Finish off by closing the garage door completely to test functionality. If the cables were adjusted correctly there won’t be any gaps at the base of the door and the edge will be flush against the ground. Open and close the door a couple times to verify that the cables are working as expected.

Related Questions

Why do cables come off garage doors?

There are a few reasons that garage door cables can come off. First, it is important to note that garage door cables maintain their ideal tension when used under normal conditions. Therefore, almost any improper use or damage to the drums, tracks, or garage door can cause garage door cables to come loose.A few of the most common reasons for garage door cables to come loose include, the garage door setting down on an object, loose set screws, bad roller wheels, bent garage door sections, excessive force when opening or closing manually, broken extension spring, and much more.  While these are just a few of the many possibilities, they are good places to start when troubleshooting.

How do you fix garage door cables that have come off the drum?

Depending on why the garage door cables have come loose, the process required for adjusting them will vary. If the cables have come off the drums – which is one of the most common issues – the first thing that you should do is secure the door on the tracks. Vice grips are useful for this.With the door secured, detach the end of the cable from the bottom fixture of the garage door. Unravel the cable from the drum, then wind the cable around the drum again. Finally, reattach the cable to the garage door.

With the garage door cable tension set and the cables reattached, you can now reengage the garage door opener. This is usually done by operating a switch on the garage door opener. The next step is to remove the vice grips and check the tension. If the garage door opens smoothly and there is no slack in the cable, your job is done.

If the garage door is uneven or if the door catches on the track at any point, it is possible that the tension is not balanced between the two cables. This can be fixed by adjusting either one side or the other. Before adjusting, however, remember the safety precautions from Step One – Safety First!

If you are looking for guidance on other garage door related issues, such as how to install a garage door opener or how to make a garage door work without sensors, check our other guides.