Garage door cable and roller repair
Cables carry the door's weight and rollers guide it. When either wears out, the door tilts, grinds or drops. We replace the worn parts and tell you the price first.
Signs it's this
- One side of the door hangs lower than the other, or the door looks crooked
- A cable hangs loose, or a frayed cable has a broken strand sticking out
- A cable has jumped off the drum at the top of the door
- Grinding, scraping or rattling as the door travels
- A roller has fallen out, or a roller stem is bent
- The door jerks or stops partway, and the opener strains
Do this now
Stop using the opener and the door. Do not touch the bottom brackets at the lower corners of the door, because the cable and spring hold them under heavy tension. Keep people and cars clear of the door until it has been checked.
What it costs
Starting prices, installed. You get the exact price in writing before any work starts.
| Cable replacement | $149 |
|---|---|
| Upgrade your rollers | $139 |
| Torsion springs, pairHigh-cycle pair from $549 | $349 |
| Service callWaived when you approve the repair | $49 |
What we check on the visit
- Both lift cables along their full length for fraying, kinks and rust
- Cable drums for wear grooves, cracks and loose set screws
- Bottom brackets and the cable loops that hold them
- Every roller for flat spots, cracked nylon, bent stems and worn bearings
- Hinges and track for damage from the door running crooked
- Spring balance, since a cable that failed often means the springs carry the door unevenly
On the job
Where it fails
The ringed numbers are the parts this entry covers. Tap any number to see what fails and where the price starts.
Ringed in green: the parts this page covers.
1 Torsion spring
Springs are rated for a set number of cycles. When one snaps, the door suddenly weighs 150 to 250 pounds.
from $229Read the entry
2 Cable drum and cables
Cables fray and slip off the drum, and the door hangs crooked or stops partway.
from $149Read the entry
3 Opener motor
The motor hums or clicks but will not lift. Stripped gears and burned boards are common.
from $129Read the entry
4 Track
A bent or loose track throws the rollers out, and the door jams or comes off.
from $149Read the entry
5 Hinges and rollers
Worn rollers grind, wobble and wear the track. Cracked hinges let panels flex.
from $139Read the entry
6 Door photo eyes
Bumped out of line, the safety eyes make the door reverse or refuse to close.
from $120Read the entry
7 Solar panel
Dust, shade and summer heat cut the charge the gate battery needs overnight.
from $149Read the entry
8 Gate control box
Storm surges and heat burn control boards and wear out the backup battery.
from $149Read the entry
9 Gate operator arm
A worn or undersized arm strains and stalls on a long, heavy gate.
from $2,495Read the entry
10 Gate photo eye, left post
A blocked or misaligned eye stops the gate mid-swing for safety.
from $95Read the entry
11 Gate photo eye, right post
The matching eye on the far post. Both have to see each other.
from $95Read the entry
12 Vehicle loop
A cut or worn loop in the drive means the gate will not open for cars leaving.
from $95Read the entry
Parts and options
- Lift cables
- Braided steel cables that run from the bottom corners of the door up to the drums. They wear from the inside, so a cable can look fine and still be weak.
- Cable drums
- The grooved wheels at each end of the torsion bar. A worn or cracked drum chews up a new cable, so we check it every time.
- Steel rollers
- Inexpensive and strong, but they can be noisy. Loose ball bearings may rattle as they wear.
- Nylon rollers
- Quieter than steel, and a common upgrade. A nylon wheel on a steel stem is the usual fit.
- Sealed-bearing rollers
- Bearings sit inside a sealed housing. They cost more and tend to run smoother and last longer.
- Bottom brackets
- Hold the cable at the lower corners of the door. Replaced only by a technician, with the springs unloaded.
Replace one or replace the set?
One cable is frayed or snapped
Replace both. The second cable is the same age and carries the same load.
A cable jumped the drum but is not damaged
Reset and inspect it. If the drum or the cable shows wear, replace both.
A few rollers are worn, the rest look fine
Replacing a full set costs little more and keeps the door quiet for years.
Rollers are original and the door is over about 10 years old
Replace the full set, plus hinges that show wear.
The cable failed and the springs are old
Have the springs checked on the same visit. Springs and cables wear together.
Why cables and rollers wear fast here
Central Texas summers push a garage past 100 degrees, and heat dries out roller grease and hardens nylon. Humid spring storms add rust to bare steel cables. A garage door cycles several times a day, and every cycle runs the cable over the drum and the rollers through the track.
D.L., 304 E Main St #204, Round Rock
Questions people ask on the phone
How much does garage door cable replacement cost in Round Rock?
Cable replacement starts at $149. We price the job before we start, and the $49 service call is waived when you approve the repair on that visit.
How much does roller replacement cost?
Roller upgrades start at $139. Price depends on the roller type and how many your door has, and we quote the exact number before any work begins.
Can I replace a garage door cable myself?
We don't recommend it. The cable is attached to a bracket that stays under spring tension even when the door is closed, and a slipped bar or bracket can cause serious injury. Rollers on a closed door are a different job, but cables should be left to a technician.
Why does my garage door look crooked?
Usually one cable has stretched, slipped off the drum or snapped, so one side of the door carries more weight than the other. Stop using the door and have it checked before it jams or comes off the track.
Do I need new springs when a cable breaks?
Not always. We test the spring balance on every cable job. If the springs are worn or sized wrong, we tell you and show you before replacing anything.
Something broke? Call the office.
(512) 777-0412Open daily 7am to 8pm. After-hours emergency line. 304 E Main St #204, Round Rock.