Well, I’m finally getting around to reinstalling the bottom section of my wood garage door, which had fallen apart. As part of the job, I am giving a “tune-up” to the mechanical parts, such as tightening loose connections, replacing some worn out rollers,etc. I do plan to call in a pro to reset the torsion spring…that thing scares me. My question relates to lubrication of the tracks and the roller ball bearings. One school of thought seems to be to simlpy degrease and clean the tracks and roller bearing because any type of lube just attracts grit and crud which hinder smooth operation. But I have also read tips recommending various types of lube, such as low temperature grease, WD-40, silicone lube, graffite etc. Is there a correct answer? Anyone out there a pro? All comments appreciated.
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Tom,
Clean the tracks really well and go buy a spray can of the dry garage door lubricant made specifically for that purpose. Other "wet" lubes are messy and will hold dirt and bugs that contact them.
The dry spray has served well on the last two doors I put in over the past 5 years.
Mike
Thanks Mike. Any brand names? Sold at regular hardware stores?
Edited 11/23/2008 11:04 am ET by TommH
I would add that it's not smart to use too much lube on the center hinges of the door, especially when it's down. Door goes up, lube drips on car roof. Don't ask me how I know this.
Bing
Chuckle!
Whats worse is when you do that on your convertible....don't ask me how I know that either...
I can't recall the brand name but its in the garage door opener section in HD and Lowes. Something like $8 a spray can.
Yeah, there's no real need to lube the hinges.
The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. --Wilhelm Stekel
Many openers have PLASTIC drive gear parts and they wear out
No need to lube the track. The BBs inside the rollers need some sort of lube, though. Probably "white grease" in a spray can is the best alternative for something that won't run and won't attract too much gunk.
If you have an opener, the "traveler" needs a dab of lube between it and the track, after cleaning the traveler track.
If you need to replace the bottom section of your door, then you will need to release the tension from the torsion spring. This can be dangerous if you do not know what you are doing.
If calling in a pro to reset the spring, I would recommend that you let them replace the section for you if you are not comfortable with a torsion spring system.
(I think it is more dangerous to unwind the springs than to wind them!)
Silicone based lube is what you want to use. WD-40 will work, but the ones made for garage doors will stick to the vertical surfaces longer
Thanks Scrum(Rugby man?). Actually, I removed the bottom panel a long time ago, pulled it apart and rebuilt it. Been living without use of the garage, but decided to get off my arse now that the weather is getting cold. I can't remember exactly how I unsprung the spring, but I was very careful. Also, I am quite sure that the spring was not fully tightened because the door was always very difficult to operate. As noted in my original post, I definitely will get a pro to reset the spring after I reassemble the door.