Maintenance13 March 20142 min read

Garage door rollers are often one of the first parts to show signs of wear and tear. A worn out roller will be noisier, and create rolling resistance which may adversely affect your opener.

Garage door rollers are often one of the first parts to show signs of wear and tear. A worn out roller will be noisier, and create rolling resistance which may adversely affect your opener. Replacing the rollers can reduce noise, and restore normal function to your door.

The type of rollers you should get will vary depending on the type of door you have. Heavier doors, or doors that are used very frequently should have heavy duty rollers; either 10ball bearing steel rollers or the steel rollers with nylon tread. Depending on your application you may choose the slightly less durable 7ball bearing steel rollers also. These heavy duty rolls are recommended for most wood doors, and doors over 12’ wide. They usually have zinc plating on the axle and hub to prevent rust formation and to increase durability. These type of rollers do require some maintenance though - you will need to lubricate the bearings annually to prevent premature wear.

If you have a smaller or light-weight door, the light duty bearingless rollers might be a good cost saving solution for you. Like their heavy duty counterparts, these rollers usually have zinc plated axels (also called stems), but unlike the heavy duty rollers, there are no ball bearings, and the hub is mainly constructed of nylon or in some cases ABS plastic. These rollers will be quieter as they have fewer moving parts, and there will be no metal on metal contact. But the weaker hub also means they cannot carry the heavy loads that 2 car garage doors have or most wooden doors have.

If you are not sure which rollers are the best for your situation, or you have any concerns regarding when and how to replace garage door rollers, please feel free to ask a professional for help. The correct rollers could make the difference between a screeching sticky door, and a quiet, smooth moving door.

Paul Janzen, Garage Door Technician