Garage door cables have an important role in the operation of a garage doors and their main purpose is to work in alongside with the springs to balance the door weight and to ensure smooth movement.
When you operate your garage door either with an opener or manually the door the cable winds around the cable drum and the counterbalance provided by the springs and the cables prevents the door from crashing down or becoming too heavy to lift.
How do you adjust garage door cables?
Here’s a basic guide on how to adjust garage door cables:
- Make sure the door is closed and only then unplug the opener so it doesn’t move by accident.
- Use Vise-Grip Locking pliers to clamp the tracks, lock it just above one of the rollers and make sure the door stays in place.
- Find the cable drum at the top of the door near the springs and use a wrench to loosen the screws on the cable drum.
- Pull the cable to tighten or loosen, tightening the cables will make the door open more smoothly while loosening the cables will fix a door that is hard to close.
- After finishing adjusting the cable tighten the screws on the cable drum again and make sure the cable is still in the right place.
- Test the door before removing the Vise-Grip Locking pliers off the track.
- Connect the garage door opener back on and test the door.
Garage door cables can come off because of incorrect tension, track misalignment or damaged rollers.
Can I open garage door without cables?
Technically it is possible to open a garage door without cables but it’s not safe and also the door weight will be too heavy to lift and if you try to lift it with your opener it will definitely damage your opener. Garage door cables are integral components for balancing the door and preventing it from crashing down and opening the door without them can lead to off track door and even personal injury.
