Replacing garage door rollers - without bending track

[Donald]

So looking to replace the garage door rollers with some new nylon ones. I know not to unbolt the bottom roller bracket with door down.

Some on YT bend the track with pliers to get the rollers out. Not looking to do that. I think disconnecting the straight track where it meets the curved track will let me change the rollers.

Suggestions on nylon rollers?

 

[b4autodark]

Just take the hinge loose, tip it out and replace the roller, put it back in. I installed garage doors for a few years and saw a lot of home owner injuries do to not thinking things through. Nylon rollers are quieter, they don't make the door any easier to operate than steel rollers in good repair. Look at commercial doors that go up and down constantly like at a auto dealership, they have steel rollers.

 

[TCL]

You can unbolt the hinge with door down and install new roller. You must do this one hinge at a time.
The bottom hinge you can do with the door all the way up...sometimes.

 

[Donald]

Just take the hinge loose, tip it out and replace the roller, put it back in. I installed garage doors for a few years and saw a lot of home owner injuries do to not thinking things through. Nylon rollers are quieter, they don't make the door any easier to operate than steel rollers in good repair. Look at commercial doors that go up and down constantly like at a auto dealership, they have steel rollers.

What about the bottom one?

 

[JohnnyG]

Like TCL said, put the door all the way up and make sure there is no tension on the cable. If the door uses the long springs, they can be removed (unhooked). This is a good time to install a safety cable through the center of a long spring. If you've ever had one snap, you'll know what I'm talking about.
If the spring is coiled above the garage door, you'll need to release the tension on that using the holes in the spool. The bad part about that is you run the risk of not setting the tension correctly. That will mess things up royally. It's also a bit dangerous, which is why I called a local garage door guy in to rebalance mine.
They have the tools and the knowledge to do this correctly. I think I paid him $50.00.

 

[CarLuver]

depends on the spring system used. if its a dual spring then the bottom roller can be done with the door open. there is usually no tension on the cable with the door open. once that is done remove the side tracks and do the other rollers. top one is usually just a nut

on a torsion you will need to take the tension off the spring with the door open. when the door is open there is still a little tension on the cable. the way to do it is you take a rod and unwind the torsion spring slightly by pushing it up. does not need a lot, usually a 1/4 to 1/2 turn up. then put a couple pairs of vise grips on the shaft to hold it in place and keep it from turning back. . make sure the vise grips are tight. remove one bottom plate with roller at a time and replace . then do remove the side track and replace the rest of the rollers .

or if you don't feel comfortable pay to have it done.

 

[benjy]

as noted eze on all but the bottom + older springs can tire requiring a little more tension. not that hard but ezer with a helper, + since i installed mine i know how it works, lots of vids on you tube can help if your handy + thrifty!!

 

[Carmudgeon]

Timely post. I'm hearing clanking from the rollers on one side of my door, so they're shot and need to be replaced.

I'm not a fan of the seeming hackery of bending the track, yet that's what some professional door people suggest as well.

Removing the upright segments of the tracks, like one video suggests, looks like its doable for my setup.

The practice of unbolting each individual bracket is the simplest, with the exception of the bottom bracket.

With regard to the bottom brackets, if the cables are still under tension with the door fully up, what are thoughts on moving the upper limit switch on the opener, far enough so the door moves far enough to induce slack and allow the bottom brackets to be unbolted? Even when open, there is still plenty of excess track so the door can presumably roll back far enough to allow the cables to release all tension.

I've had a spring snap before, and after seeing what the repair guy did, wouldn't want to mess with them myself.

Dura-Lift rollers seem popular, and good enough quality, as long as they aren't fakes. Since I need a 12-pack, that limits my options to the Max or Titan, with a $2 difference between them. Corrosion isn't an issue, so the coated stems don't add much, but the removable caps might at least offer a chance at lubing the bearings if needed.

The only remaining questions in my mind pertain to what actually should be lubed on a garage door. The tracks? The torsion spring? The roller stems? It's not hard to find opinions on both sides, but no definitive answers.

 

[JHZR2]

If extension springs are still under tension when the door is up, something is wrong.

Id just put the door up, verify nothing on the springs, and then unbolt/rebolt. I just did some this way recently.

Agree on the use of safety cables in the springs...

OP, are you positive the bottom most roller is the issue? Personally, Id have my doubts.... Ive found bigger issues with the others on all the doors I have (4 overhead type).