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Garage door not fully opened

Hi Team

Hope you're all well.

I have an old tin garage door system.

I can't get it to stay still on top when lifting it up. I once found 1 or 2 bolts on the ground near the spring but not sure exactly where they came from.

Appreciate any feedback on where should I tighten the bolts as i check they all look fine.

Thanks

Thierry

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EricL

Hello @Thierry

I suspect that one of the screw fittings has slipped and has unbalanced the pivot action of your garage door. I suggest getting a second pair of hands to help lift the door into the fully open position and check which of the screws has come loose. Once you've tightened all the nuts and bolts make sure to test the door to make sure it stays in place when in the open position.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your garage door fixed.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

MikeTNZ

Hi @Thierry,

Are you sure there isn't something in the tracks on either side of the door preventing the full travel of the door to where it should be nested?

I would have a look at the entire length of the tracks before investigating further, it is very unusual that one of these doors doesn't open fully.

Cheers,

Mike T.

Thierry

Hi @MikeTNZ

I checked, and nothing looks abnormal. Very confused. I even tried to tighten and untighten the screw at the bottom, still hopeless

EricL

Hi @Thierry

It is very strange indeed that the garage door does not lock into place. Have you checked the cantilever arm and the nut and bolt assembly holding it together? The only other thing that comes to mind is that the pivot arm has become bent and is now out of alignment with the rest of the assembly.

In the interest of safety, I would like to remind you that the spring mechanism of the door is always with tension. If you've never adjusted this type of assembly, I suggest engaging the services of a professional garage door installer.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Thierry

Hi @EricL

I think i found the issues.

See photo, not the same level. What do u think? Thanks

MitchellMc

There is a small misalignment of that arm @Thierry. Though I can't imagine that's causing this issue.

I see from that image that there's been a heap of adjustments done on this door at various times in the past or recently. When were these positions I've marked below last changed? Adjusting these mounting points is a lot more likely to affect the door's ability to open fully than the misalignment of that arm and springs.

Mitchell

Thierry

Hi @MitchellMc

All i did was trying to tighten the screws.

Also, see the photo, the bottom , i was tightening screw, to see it makes a difference, clockwise and anticlockwise. Still the same. U reckon this is the adjustment required to align both same? See circle. thanks

MitchellMc

This point is for minor adjustments to the tension of the springs @Thierry.

In the picture I added above, the green arrows indicate fixing points that have wear marks on them, and the grease is absent. This indicates that in somewhat recent history, someone has been adjusting the spring's attachment points and could have left them in a position that is unable to open the door. These mounting points, indicated with the green arrows, are the major adjustments for the door. If the springs are not connected to the correct point out of the seven mounting holes, then the springs will not have enough strength to open the door fully.

Once the springs are attached to the correct mounting point, you'll be able to use the minor adjustment screw to tension them fully. You might like to employ the services of a garage door technician, as they'll likely be able to sought the issue out in an hour. Basically, you need to lift the door up so there is no tension on the springs. Undo the minor adjustment nut until it is close to the end of the bolt tread. Undo the bolt at the other end of the spring, which connects the spring to the arm mounting holes. Move the spring's mounting location to a point further out on the arm, likely where you can see it's been positioned before. Tighten the minor adjustment screw down to tension the spring.

By moving the spring attachment point further out on the arm, it gives the spring more mechanical advantage and makes it easier to lift the door. Unfortunately, that might not solve the issue as I mentioned, someone has already been trying to fix the door lifting tension in the past. It might be that the springs still have enough force to lift the door but are struggling to achieve the last section, and someone has moved the spring attachment point to try and resolve this issue. You could follow their lead and move the spring further towards the hinge point of the arm, which might make the door open fully, but it could then lose the power to open the door.

That sounds a little confusing, and is why I suggest getting a technician to complete the work might be an idea.

MItchell

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