Urgent repair
Broken or Worn Garage Door Cables
Lift cables carry the entire weight of the door between the spring and the bottom bracket, and they fail from the inside where you cannot see it.
Quick answer
Broken or Worn Garage Door Cables: what you need to know
Garage door lift cables are multi-strand galvanised steel cables that transfer the counterbalancing force of the spring to the bottom of the door. On a sectional door they run from the bottom bracket up to a drum on the torsion shaft; on a roller door the curtain itself performs this role. Cables fail through internal corrosion between the strands, fraying at the drum or bottom bracket, or shock loading when a spring breaks. Warning signs include visible broken strands, a door that sits crooked in the opening, a cable slack or unwound off its drum, or a grinding noise as the door moves. Because a single cable failure drops one corner and racks the door in its tracks, both cables should always be replaced as a pair. Coastal Illawarra suburbs see notably shorter cable life due to salt corrosion. Doormec replaces garage door cables across the Illawarra, Wollongong and South Coast for a $170 callout plus parts, with 24-hour emergency service on 0490 774 111.
This is one we treat as a priority callout. If the door is stuck open, a vehicle is trapped, or the property is not secure, ring 0490 774 111 and say so when you call.
Signs
How you know this is the problem
- Visible broken or frayed strands, usually near the bottom bracket or at the drum
- The door sits crooked in the opening, higher on one side than the other
- A cable hanging slack or unwound off its drum
- A grinding or clicking noise as the door travels
- The door jams part-way and will not move in either direction
Causes
Why it happens
Internal corrosion between the strands, which is invisible until strands start breaking
Salt exposure, which is the dominant cause in Port Kembla, Windang, Thirroul, Shellharbour and Austinmer
Shock loading when a spring breaks and dumps the full door weight onto the cables
Misalignment causing the cable to rub against the drum flange or bracket edge
Our process
How Doormec repairs it
- 01
Secure the door
Before anything is touched the door is secured so it cannot drop, because a failed cable means the load path is already compromised.
- 02
Inspect both sides and the drums
We check both cables, both drums and the bottom brackets, since a cable that has jumped its drum has usually scored the drum groove.
- 03
Replace as a matched pair
Both cables are replaced together with correctly rated cable, and in coastal locations we fit upgraded galvanised or stainless cable as standard.
- 04
Re-square and set drum tension
Drums are set to equal wrap so the door lifts square, then the door is cycled and rebalanced.
Answers
Broken or Worn Garage Door Cables questions
How long do garage door cables last?
Inland, typically ten to fifteen years. Within a few hundred metres of open water in suburbs like Windang, Thirroul or the Shellharbour village, expect five to seven years from standard galvanised cable. Upgrading to heavy galvanised or stainless cable at the first replacement is usually worth the modest extra cost.
Why does the whole door go crooked when one cable breaks?
Because the remaining cable is still holding its side of the door while the failed side has nothing. The door racks diagonally in the tracks, which can bend the tracks, damage rollers and jam the door completely. That is why a broken cable should be treated as an urgent repair rather than something to leave until next week.
Can just one cable be replaced?
Technically yes, practically no. Both cables have done the same cycles in the same conditions, so replacing one leaves you with a known-good cable and one that is about to fail. We replace them as a pair, which is one visit instead of two.
Related
Other repairs you might need
Broken Garage Door Springs
A broken spring is the single most common reason a garage door stops working, and it is the one repair you should never attempt yourself.
Read moreGarage Door Will Not Open or Close
A door stuck open is a security problem and a door stuck closed usually means the car is trapped. Either way this is the call we prioritise.
Read moreGarage Door Off Track or Bent Tracks
A door off its tracks is unstable and heavy. It is not something to wrestle back into place yourself.
Read moreNeed broken or worn cables sorted?
Ring Doormec for a straight answer on what is wrong, what it costs and how soon we can be there. Standard service call is $170 plus parts, and emergency callout runs 24 hours.