# Garage Door jams when closing



## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

My Garage door jams a bit when I am closing it with the garage door opener. Periodically the door would open back up before it closes. The photo shows about the spot where the garage door opener reverses course when closing (the top panel is at an angle of about 30 degrees). I would think I need some kind of brace as it looks like the top area of the garage door might be flexing, thus creating additional torque on the garage door opener.

Any suggestions on how to correct this?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

One more picture of the door completely closed showing the springs. You could have a broken spring, which would cause the door to go angular when it closes and the reverse is just a normal action, thinking it has hit something.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Pull that rope which will release the door from the closer. Then you can move the door up and down by hand and find what is jamming it. With the closer released like this, the door should be easy to raise and lower, and should be roughly balanced halfway up so it will stay there. 

After you are done, if you then operate the electric opener, it will re-engage the door automatically.


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

I have two garage doors, last year both being about 30 years old they commenced to raising hell when ever going up and down. So I called the local garage door place, the guy came, lubricated, adjusted, tuned, whatever....and I gave him a hundred bucks and it was all good. Ron


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

chandler48 said:


> One more picture of the door completely closed showing the springs. You could have a broken spring, which would cause the door to go angular when it closes and the reverse is just a normal action, thinking it has hit something.


The springs seem ok. Currently the door is easier to open then to close. I think tightening the spring causes the door to open easier, so it seems the springs are tightened ok. 



ChuckF. said:


> Pull that rope which will release the door from the closer. Then you can move the door up and down by hand and find what is jamming it. With the closer released like this, the door should be easy to raise and lower, and should be roughly balanced halfway up so it will stay there.
> 
> After you are done, if you then operate the electric opener, it will re-engage the door automatically.


I released the door from the closer, and it seems to operate ok. It could probably be smoother with some lubricant. I did notice there was a small hump where the door transitions from the horizontal position to the vertical position. It is about a foot from that transition. I think this hump is normal, to try and get the door angled so it transitions easier. it is on both sides. The hump is on one of the photos. Very small hump but it look like part of the design.

Is there a recommended lubricant so the door slides on the rails. I think there is grease that can be used, but not sure if a silicon spray is better.

note: not sure why my photos keep turning sideways, but it seems like the website only posts photos is the lengthwise position, so I guess I need to crop the photos to that position, or just take only lengthwise photos.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

In this photo the top of the door appears to be very close to the track. Could the top of the door be hitting the track?


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

hkstroud said:


> In this photo the top of the door appears to be very close to the track. Could the top of the door be hitting the track?


Nice catch. I'll check it tomorrow.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

PB Blaster makes a garage door lubricant that resembles lithium grease, but doesn't attract dust and dirt. You may want to try it as opposed to silicone, which is short lived.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

chandler48 said:


> PB Blaster makes a garage door lubricant that resembles lithium grease, but doesn't attract dust and dirt. You may want to try it as opposed to silicone, which is short lived.


I read that silicon works well for garage doors. But you mentioned that it is short lived. Does lithium grease attract a lot of dirt? That was one concern with using a grease type product.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

They attract dust and dirt. The product by PB Blaster is specifically formulated for garage doors. Clopay makes a lubricant as well.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

hkstroud said:


> In this photo the top of the door appears to be very close to the track. Could the top of the door be hitting the track?


I took some photos of the area at the top of the door. Currently it does not hit the track. But if you look at the close up, it looks like it hit before. I didn't touch the area, but it looks like the actual aluminum is pressed in. This might have weakened the area and causing it to flex more then it should at times. But the crossbar is below that area, so not sure it really affects the door that much. The crossbar could be a bit beefier, which might be causing the problem.

The garage door is opening and closing ok at this time. I lubed it. But think it might come back. I will see if there is a way of bracing that area somehow. Maybe a small aluminum plate and some screws.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

It appears that the top door panel was notched in order to clear the rail. That is an indication that the closer was not properly installed. The rail should have been installed higher.

Earlier you stated.


> The springs seem ok. Currently the door is easier to open then to close. I think tightening the spring causes the door to open easier, so it seems the springs are tightened ok.


The spring is over tightened. The spring is there to assist the opener in lifting the door, not to lift the door by itself. Apparently your spring is so over tighten that the opener is having to push the door down. That top door panel is aluminum, long and flexible. The pushing down by the closer, against the tension of the spring, is causing the panel to bow and strike the closer track (even with the notch cut in the door).

My suggestion is to either release some of the tension on the spring or to raise the end of the track where it is bolted to the wall.

If you are reasonably mechanical you can do either of these yourself. But if you choose to release some of the spring tension you have to be very careful. You can hurt yourself doing so.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

It may not be in your case, but I have seen in single, one sided spring applications, the side with the spring tends to rotate faster than the other side, although it is a common rod. Just a small amount of torque can throw the door into a slight imbalance, and what you have experienced with the top of the door, it could be a (not the) cause.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

chandler48 said:


> It may not be in your case, but I have seen in single, one sided spring applications, the side with the spring tends to rotate faster than the other side, although it is a common rod. Just a small amount of torque can throw the door into a slight imbalance, and what you have experienced with the top of the door, it could be a (not the) cause.


Chandler, 
Garage door guy here. What you said is not true. Torsion shaft doesn't know if there's one or two springs, if two springs are wound the same, etc. it's one long tube that turns in a pair of bearings with a center support. If a door is acting up there are a handful of minor problems that can occur. It's hard to diagnose over the web without seeing the door moving. But in his case, the opener should have been mounted higher, at least enough to clear the edge of the door. The only thing saving that top section from turning into a hinge in the middle is the strut on the back. Don't grease or oil the tracks, that just makes a mess. You can lube the axles on the rollers where the wheels turn on, better ones are steel with ball bearings. Garage door lube works best, white lithium grease will work also. If you want to get the squeaks out and make the door run a bit smoother, lube the area on each hinge where the two pieces of steel rub against each other. Put a rag next to it and just a little shot will do it. If the opener has closing force adjustments (lot of the newer ones don't) you can check and make sure it's not set too light. Also check the door in the closed position and look at the gap between the track and the door. It should get progressively less with more gap at the top, least at the bottom. If the gap at the bottom is too tight, it will want to pinch the bottom section just before the door closes. Any of theses little items can play hell with an opener. 
Mike Hawkins:wink2:


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Mike, thanks for the rebuttal, but worn bearings in the ends of the shafts can cause an imbalance of torque. As I said, it may not be the case of the OP.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

hkstroud said:


> It appears that the top door panel was notched in order to clear the rail. That is an indication that the closer was not properly installed. The rail should have been installed higher.
> 
> Earlier you stated.
> The spring is over tightened. The spring is there to assist the opener in lifting the door, not to lift the door by itself. Apparently your spring is so over tighten that the opener is having to push the door down. That top door panel is aluminum, long and flexible. The pushing down by the closer, against the tension of the spring, is causing the panel to bow and strike the closer track (even with the notch cut in the door).
> ...





firehawkmph said:


> Chandler,
> Garage door guy here. What you said is not true. Torsion shaft doesn't know if there's one or two springs, if two springs are wound the same, etc. it's one long tube that turns in a pair of bearings with a center support. If a door is acting up there are a handful of minor problems that can occur. It's hard to diagnose over the web without seeing the door moving. But in his case, the opener should have been mounted higher, at least enough to clear the edge of the door. The only thing saving that top section from turning into a hinge in the middle is the strut on the back. Don't grease or oil the tracks, that just makes a mess. You can lube the axles on the rollers where the wheels turn on, better ones are steel with ball bearings. Garage door lube works best, white lithium grease will work also. If you want to get the squeaks out and make the door run a bit smoother, lube the area on each hinge where the two pieces of steel rub against each other. Put a rag next to it and just a little shot will do it. If the opener has closing force adjustments (lot of the newer ones don't) you can check and make sure it's not set too light. Also check the door in the closed position and look at the gap between the track and the door. It should get progressively less with more gap at the top, least at the bottom. If the gap at the bottom is too tight, it will want to pinch the bottom section just before the door closes. Any of theses little items can play hell with an opener.
> Mike Hawkins:wink2:


If noticed that the garage door opener rail goes right through the garage beam. I would think the rail could be dropped lower away from the garage door, and the rail could be raised near the door. Maybe the angle would be too much? I am not sure why it would be that difficult to install the opener.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

I don't know that embedding part of the beam was a bad idea, since all the workings are inside the extrusion itself. It is possible the door edge would have hit the track as it was raised. At least they didn't do this:


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## Dave Sal (Dec 20, 2012)

chandler48 said:


> I don't know that embedding part of the beam was a bad idea, since all the workings are inside the extrusion itself. It is possible the door edge would have hit the track as it was raised. At least they didn't do this:


Wow! The stupidity of the installer must have been off the charts.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

chandler48 said:


> I don't know that embedding part of the beam was a bad idea, since all the workings are inside the extrusion itself. It is possible the door edge would have hit the track as it was raised. At least they didn't do this:


 That photo is hilarious. I'll check to see if the rail would be a problem if I angle the center track.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

firehawkmph said:


> Chandler,
> Garage door guy here. What you said is not true. Torsion shaft doesn't know if there's one or two springs, if two springs are wound the same, etc. it's one long tube that turns in a pair of bearings with a center support. If a door is acting up there are a handful of minor problems that can occur. It's hard to diagnose over the web without seeing the door moving. But in his case, the opener should have been mounted higher, at least enough to clear the edge of the door. The only thing saving that top section from turning into a hinge in the middle is the strut on the back. Don't grease or oil the tracks, that just makes a mess. You can lube the axles on the rollers where the wheels turn on, better ones are steel with ball bearings. Garage door lube works best, white lithium grease will work also. If you want to get the squeaks out and make the door run a bit smoother, lube the area on each hinge where the two pieces of steel rub against each other. Put a rag next to it and just a little shot will do it. If the opener has closing force adjustments (lot of the newer ones don't) you can check and make sure it's not set too light. Also check the door in the closed position and look at the gap between the track and the door. It should get progressively less with more gap at the top, least at the bottom. If the gap at the bottom is too tight, it will want to pinch the bottom section just before the door closes. Any of theses little items can play hell with an opener.
> Mike Hawkins:wink2:


I attached a photo when the garage door is up. It looks like there is clearance for the opener to be lowered, so might just drop it one more notch down (though I would need to buy another bracket since it is at the lowest now). I would like to raise the opener center rail that is on the garage door side, since it will help with the closing angle. Any issue with making those changes?


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

greentrees said:


> I attached a photo when the garage door is up. It looks like there is clearance for the opener to be lowered, so might just drop it one more notch down (though I would need to buy another bracket since it is at the lowest now). I would like to raise the opener center rail that is on the garage door side, since it will help with the closing angle. Any issue with making those changes?


No issues, you could do both, raise the front mount and lower the opener head. It won't know it's operating at an angle. Another thing you could do is you can lower the garage door track at the back ends to angle them down slightly, no more than 1-2". Also, the upper piece of garage door track come in with the front curved section available in three different radii, 10", 12", and 15". If you measure from the seam where it is bolted to the lower section of track, to the point above the curve where the track straightens out, you'll get the radius. So if for instance you had 15" track, you could go to12" track and it would lower the door when in the up position 3", gaining you more clearance for your opener track. The mounting angle for your opener and the track is just garage door angle, holes are 1" apart. You can get that at Home Depot. Saws easy enough with a hacksaw or sawzall with a fine tooth blade. 
Mike Hawkins


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

Here is a link to a video of the garage door closing. If you cannot view the video, inform me how I can post it for viewing. Thanks






After this video was taken, I moved the header bracket up about 4 inches so the track is now angled. I still have an issue with it closing (though it might be less often). I'll upload a video once I get it to fail again. 

When I have to door open (and the pulley not attached) about 2 feet or so, it does not close on its own. So I might have the spring set too tight?


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

When you say the door doesn't close on its own at the last two feet, can you push it down the rest of the way easily, or does it take a lot of strength? Watching the video, it looks like the door is binding up at the point it reverses. With the opener disconnected, you should be able to close or open the door by hand without any real force on your part. Did you tighten up the spring prior to this video? If so, how much?
Mike Hawkins


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

firehawkmph said:


> When you say the door doesn't close on its own at the last two feet, can you push it down the rest of the way easily, or does it take a lot of strength? Watching the video, it looks like the door is binding up at the point it reverses. With the opener disconnected, you should be able to close or open the door by hand without any real force on your part. Did you tighten up the spring prior to this video? If so, how much?
> Mike Hawkins


It doesn't take a lot of strength to close, but I thought it should close on its own when it is that low to the ground. I was going to loosen the spring so it would close on its own (I didn't do any spring adjustments yet). This would cause the garage door opener to use a little more effort to open the door though. 

I did notice that the garage door opener has the curved arm directly connected to the garage door. I don't know if the garage door has the vertical reinforcement built in (it doesn't look like it). There is horizontal reinforcement. 

The garage door does look like it binds when it reverses, but not sure if that is due to the spring being tightened a bit too much or something else. I'll put a video together that shows the opener disconnected to show how much effort is needed.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

At the end of this video , you can see some of the changes he made.


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## G'terDone (Jan 31, 2017)

We recently had to replace our garage door motor and it was quite a task. So I can relate to your struggle. Glad to see you got it fixed.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

I loosened the springs a few quarter turns a few weeks ago. So far the door hasn't binded up and it is closing property. After I loosened the spring, the door was easier to close.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Be CAREFUL with the springs. They have hurt many people. Do you have adjusting rods? Has any consideration been given to the cables on each end? Is one off the grooves or misaligned in the grooves? It occurs to me that if that were the case, the door will lift unevenly and bind.


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## greentrees (Apr 28, 2012)

I have the adjusting bars. They work very well and are needed to adjust the springs safely. The rolling cable is tight so sits in the guide well. So far so good.


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