Door off its track? Call now and tell us what the door is doing.
✆ Call 845-535-1141If your garage door has come off its track: stop. Do not run the opener, do not push the door back and do not pull the red release cord. A door out of its track is no longer supported the way it was designed to be. Unplug the opener, keep everyone clear on both sides, and call 845-535-1141. Tell us whether the door is open or closed and which side has come out.
Is It Off Track, or Just Rubbing?
| What you see | What it usually means | Use the door? |
|---|---|---|
| One or more rollers outside the track | Door off track | No |
| Door crooked, gap at a top corner | Off track, or a cable has failed | No |
| Door jammed partway with a bang | Roller out, bent track or broken cable | No |
| Scraping or rubbing at one spot every time | Track out of line or a dent in the rail | Have it looked at soon |
| Door shakes or jerks as it moves | Worn rollers or loose track brackets | Have it looked at soon |
| Visible gap between rollers and the rail | Tracks have spread or brackets have loosened | Have it looked at soon |
What Causes It
- Impact. A bumper, bike or bin against the door or the rail. A small dent is enough to release a roller.
- A broken cable or spring. The door lifts unevenly and pulls its rollers out. See cable repair and broken spring repair.
- Worn rollers. A seized bearing or cracked wheel jumps the rail. See roller replacement.
- Loose brackets. The lag screws holding the track to the wall work loose over years of vibration.
- Something in the track. A stone, a tool or hardened grease stops a roller while the opener keeps pushing.
- The opener forcing a jammed door. It bends track and sections that were otherwise fine.
How Off-Track and Track Repair Works
- Secure the door so it cannot move or fall.
- Find the cause before putting anything back. Rollers go back in easily; they come out again if the cause is still there.
- Straighten or replace track. Light bends can be dressed out. Creased or kinked rail is replaced, because it will catch a roller again.
- Replace damaged rollers, hinges and brackets.
- Repair the cable or spring if that is what started it.
- Realign both tracks so they are plumb, parallel and correctly spaced from the door, then tighten the brackets.
- Balance and test the door by hand and with the opener through several cycles.
If door sections were creased when it came out, ask whether they can be replaced or whether a new door makes more sense: repair or replace?
Why Not to Fix It Yourself
A residential door commonly weighs well over a hundred pounds, and its cables and springs are under high tension that is no longer evenly held once the door has left the track. Levering it back is how people are hurt and how a repairable door becomes a replacement.
Keeping a Door on Track
- Keep the tracks clear; do not store things where they can fall into them.
- Do not grease the inside of the track. Rollers should roll, not slide; lubricate the roller bearings and hinges instead.
- Watch and listen to the door once a month.
- If the door or rail is hit by a car, have it checked even if it still seems to work.
Related Guides
- Garage door off track? What to do and what not to do
- Why is my garage door making noise?
- Garage door stuck open: what to do
- Garage door repair
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and When We Work
We are open Sunday to Thursday 7 AM to 11 PM, and Friday 7 AM to 1 PM (closed Saturday). In Rockland County that includes Monsey, Spring Valley, Suffern, New City, Nanuet and the surrounding communities, and we also serve Orange, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan counties. Call 845-535-1141 to confirm availability for your address.