How to Replace Your Garage Door Cables?

It becomes relatively easy to replace the garage door cables with the right knowledge, tools, and a little experience. Usually, the garage door has two torsion springs, and the life expectancy of each spring is between three and six years. For efficiency and to save time on frequent repairs or replacement, it’s better to replace the two garage door cables when one is broken or misaligned. But people without experience shouldn’t be discouraged from trying to replace their garage door cables; if they can follow the right steps, they will efficiently achieve their aim of having a functional door. 

Since the garage door replacement task can be tedious, it's good that the person involved should not be in a hurry. He should follow recommended safety procedures because of faulty installation or replacement of the garage door cable can be frustrating and may lead to a domestic accident.

In case you do not have the tools for the replacement of your garage door cable, we suggest you check out some hardware stores in your neighborhood. On the other hand, those that don’t have the time, patience, or unfamiliar with the steps in garage door replacement should call Bob's Advance Garage Doors.

Here are the steps to a correct garage door cable replacement.

First Consideration

You need to determine the size of the cable to know the right tools for the project. Safety should be a priority when it comes to garage door replacement and garage door repair. This is because most garage doors are heavy and powerful with pointed edges and small frays. 

Wear protective gloves, work boots, glasses, and other PPE (Personal protective equipment) available. You will need to get the following items and tools for this operation:

• The right replacement cables
• Wrenches of different sizes
• Vice grip or locking pliers
• Winding bars
• Ratchet stepping ladder
• Sockets with different fittings 

Step 1

Garage Door Removal

You need to pull the emergency release handle to disengage the door. This handle is located near the opener or the top rail. This must be done to enable manual operation of the door and to avoid emergency situations.

For you to loosen the cables, the door needs to be open, use the vice grip to hold it from underneath the roller.

Step 2

Remove the Cable

Have a look to identify the set screws, and you can unfasten them with a plier or use your bare hands. Remember to Insert winding bars for protective purposes, then slowly release the cable and allow it to rest on the safety cable. It’s time to use your ratchet and socket to remove the bottom lag screw from the jamb bracket.

Step 3

Cable Replacement 

As was instructed earlier, you should use a cable of the same size to avoid overlapping. Wind the cable into the cable drum’s slot and tighten the set screws appropriately. Turn clockwise and use your wise grip on the winding rod. Get the winding bars and use them to increase the tension on the springs.

Last step

Testing

Pull down the emergency release handle to test run the garage door. Hopefully, everything will work perfectly. The garage door cable is one of the critical components of the system, so you need to be careful and follow our procedure. If you encounter any issues or you think the procedure is quite overwhelming, call Bob's Advance Garage Doors.