Cables
Cables carry the door's weight at both bottom corners. We replace them in matched pairs and check the drums, so the door rises evenly instead of tilting or binding.
Ask about fixing a crooked door — (239) 388-2592Torsion doors hang from two steel cables, one at each bottom corner, each winding onto a drum at the end of the spring shaft. Because both drums turn together, the door climbs square, and that evenness is a big part of why it feels smooth.
If one cable stretches, slips or breaks, that corner loses support, the door tilts and the rollers start to bind. We replace the pair, look for the wear that caused the failure and balance the door afterward so it travels quietly.
One side of the bottom edge rides lower, whether the door is shut or half open, or you can see a wedge of daylight along that side.
A loose cable dangling by the track has typically slipped off its drum, and it can snag if the door is moved.
Fraying close to the bottom bracket means individual wires have snapped and the remaining ones are carrying extra load.
A tilted door wedges its rollers in the channel, so the opener hesitates, grinds or reverses partway through the trip.
The door is clamped in place and spring tension is released before any cable is touched, since the cables carry that load.
Both cables are replaced. Drums, set screws and bottom brackets are checked for burrs or wear that would chew through a fresh cable.
Cables are wound evenly on the drums, spring tension is set again and the door is cycled until it closes flat and travels without a wobble.
Not at all. The surviving cable ends up carrying everything, and the door can twist sideways in its channel or fall at a corner. Keep it closed, switch the opener off and keep people and cars well clear until it is repaired.
Yes, as a rule. Each has carried the same load for the same length of time, so the second one is usually weaker than it looks. A matched pair also stretches evenly, which keeps the door level, the rollers happy and the travel quiet.
Occasionally, when the cable is undamaged and whatever made it slip is corrected. More often the jump leaves it kinked or frayed, so we inspect it up close and tell you honestly whether reusing it is sensible.
Leave it where it is and keep the area clear. Tell us what you see and we will outline the cable work and what to expect.
Describe the tilt to us — (239) 388-2592