What the cables do, and what we repair
Lift cables are the thin steel cables at the two sides of the door. They start at the bottom brackets, the fittings on the lower corners of the door, and climb to the cable drums, grooved spools on the shaft above it. The springs turn the drums, the drums wind the cables, and the cables raise both sides of the door together.
On doors with extension springs, the cables run over pulleys instead of drums, but they do the same job. When a cable frays, snaps or jumps off its drum, that side of the door loses its support.
We repair frayed and broken cables and cables that unwound from the drum. We also fix cracked or worn drums, the bearings at the ends and center of the shaft, and the bottom brackets that anchor everything. We handle it everywhere from Hialeah and Doral inland to the homes along the bay.
How cables fail, and what you will notice
Cables rarely fail on their own. A broken spring leaves its cable slack, and slack cable can spill off the drum. A door that lands on a bin, or touches down on one side first, can do the same. Worn bearings let the shaft wobble, and a wobbling drum can push the cable out of its grooves.
Rust is the other cause. Rainwater collects at the foot of the door, right where the cable meets the bracket, so the strands corrode there first. Near the shore, salt makes it worse, and FEMA lists salt spray among the things that eat away at metal fittings on coastal homes.
A cable in trouble usually gives itself away:
- One corner of the door hangs lower, leaving a wedge of daylight underneath.
- A cable dangles beside the door or lies in loops near the drum.
- Broken strands bristle out near the bottom bracket, like a fraying rope.
- The door jerks, tilts or stops partway while the opener strains.
Cable repair, step by careful step
The door gets clamped first, so it can't drop. Then we take the tension off the springs before anyone handles a cable. That order matters, because a cable still under spring tension can lash out when it is freed.
We usually fit new cables on both sides, even when only one failed. The two cables carry the same load and age at the same rate, and a matched pair keeps the door level. Each one is wound into the drum grooves with the same number of turns, so the two sides rise together.
We check the drums for cracks and worn grooves, test the bearings for play, and look over the bottom brackets for rust. Then the springs get their tension back, we test the balance, and we run the door to make sure it rises level. If a spring broke and started all this, see spring repair.
Cables, drums and bearings ride on our truck, so many cable jobs are finished in one visit. Same-day service is available for a lot of them. Cable work is covered by our 1-year labor warranty.
Leave the bottom brackets to us
The bottom bracket holds the end of the cable, and the cable carries the full pull of the springs. Loosening one bolt on it can let that force go at once. Never adjust, loosen or remove a bottom bracket, and don't try to wind a loose cable back onto its drum.
If a cable has failed, keep the door where it is. Switch the opener off, keep cars and people clear, and leave the red release cord alone unless the door is fully down. A failed cable often follows a broken spring, so read what a broken spring means while you wait.
When the cable is only part of the story
A cable that jumps its drum often drags rollers out of the track, so the door may be off track too, which is off-track door repair. If a track got bent while the door hung crooked, it needs track repair before the door will run smoothly. We look at both while we are there.
A door that twisted hard may have cracked panels or a pulled frame. If a repair won't hold, we tell you before we start, and a new garage door becomes the other option to weigh.
Cables near the coast and inland
On Miami Beach and in bayside parts of Miami, salt air works on cables, so we look hard for rust at the bottom brackets. Inland, in Hialeah, Doral, Miami Lakes, and Broward's Pembroke Pines and Miramar, cable trouble usually starts with a broken spring, a worn bearing or a door that came down on something.
How it works
- Find why it failedWe check the cables, drums, bearings and springs, then tell you the repair and the cost. Work starts once you agree.
- Clamp and unwindThe door is clamped in place, and the springs are unwound before any cable comes off.
- Fit a matched pairBoth cables go on together, wrapped evenly in the drum grooves.
- Level, balance and testWe restore the tension, check that the door rises level, and make sure it stops and reverses if something is in its way.