Replacing garage door hinges
Replacing Garage Door Rollers and Hinges
Author: Kobus Labuschagne
Replacing garage door rollers and hinges, is not that simple. In this article, we learn about the simplest way to replace your rollers and hinges. Rollers should be replaced with your garage door up. First you will be required to unscrew the rollers that are attached to the hinges. Move the hinge outward from the door to move away from the roller track. You should do the same to the other new hinges that you would like to install. Use a hammer to tap the bolts out with a hammer before the hinge will release from the door. Thread back the nut a few turns before tapping. To be secure and have a safe garage door, you can you can also use a small block of wood as an intermediary between the hammer and the bolt if space allows.
When reattaching the hinge, tip the roller back into the track, and position the hinge. Tap the bolts back through from the outside, if possible. Garage doors use a bolt known as a carriage bolt. There is no gripping surface on the bolt to hold while you tighten the nut. Rather, it has a square lip below the smooth head that presses and locks into the wood of the door. If you try to tighten the nut without tapping the carriage bolt in first, it may not engage into the same square hole it made in the door originally, and could strip out the wood and begin to turn. Then, you will have to hold the end of the threaded part of the bolt with pliers while you tighten the nut with a wrench. It's good for you to know this trick because older garage doors often show some rot around the bolt openings, especially near the ground, and the carriage bolts may turn no matter how careful you may be!!
Author: Kobus Labuschagne
Replacing garage door rollers and hinges, is not that simple. In this article, we learn about the simplest way to replace your rollers and hinges. Rollers should be replaced with your garage door up. First you will be required to unscrew the rollers that are attached to the hinges. Move the hinge outward from the door to move away from the roller track. You should do the same to the other new hinges that you would like to install. Use a hammer to tap the bolts out with a hammer before the hinge will release from the door. Thread back the nut a few turns before tapping. To be secure and have a safe garage door, you can you can also use a small block of wood as an intermediary between the hammer and the bolt if space allows.
When reattaching the hinge, tip the roller back into the track, and position the hinge. Tap the bolts back through from the outside, if possible. Garage doors use a bolt known as a carriage bolt. There is no gripping surface on the bolt to hold while you tighten the nut. Rather, it has a square lip below the smooth head that presses and locks into the wood of the door. If you try to tighten the nut without tapping the carriage bolt in first, it may not engage into the same square hole it made in the door originally, and could strip out the wood and begin to turn. Then, you will have to hold the end of the threaded part of the bolt with pliers while you tighten the nut with a wrench. It's good for you to know this trick because older garage doors often show some rot around the bolt openings, especially near the ground, and the carriage bolts may turn no matter how careful you may be!!
- Use any creative method at your disposal... ladder, 2x4, significant other... to brace up the door panel before you unbolt the hinge. Without this reinforcement, the door will at best sag and at worst break.
- If you are dealing with a bottom hinge, remove all tension from the cable or disconnect it from the bracket. Remember that the weight of the spring itself exerts a good amount of force, so, if disconnecting the cable is too difficult (some cables are permanently attached to the lower bracket, making replacement an art form), clamp the cable to the track, leaving a little slack on the roller bracket side!
- Do the roller replacement routine described at the beginning of this section.
- Once all bolts are fastened down, remove all clamps, braces, etc., and test door manually a few times. Then, reengage the garage door opener, if you have one, and make sure it works smoothly.
