There are many parts that keep your garage door together. The hinge is a part that can become rusted or broken. When that happens, you need to fix a garage door hinge or have one of our professionals come out and handle it for you.
What is the Garage Door Hinge?
Most residential garage doors have a hinge that holds the panels together. If you have a door that has panels, versus a commercial door that is a solid sheet, then you will have hinges.
Since the hinges are made from metal, they can rust or break over time.
Typically, a residential door has an 18 gauge or 16 gauge hinge. Also, there are different types of hinges you can choose from depending on the model door you have. Some are square, while others are more narrow. You will use a different one depending on which hinge is broken.
Where Are The Hinges Located?
Your door will have three rows of hinges that hold the panels together. Each side of the door will have a row of hinges, as well as the middle. All of these hinges have different names and numbers to keep them organized.
Can You Replace Your Own Hinges
We recommend that you never replace your own torsion springs or cables, because of the danger of those repairs. Hinges are not as big of a safety concern, but you will need to make sure that you do the repairs right. If you do not install the new hinges correctly, it can cause the door to get out of alignment.
Determine Which Part You Need
First, determine exactly which hinge to replace. Hopefully, there will only be one broken at a time. You need to identify the name and number of the hinge to help you with your purchase.
These are the names of the hinges-
- Look at one side of your door and start at the bottom. The lift bracket is the first hinge at the bottom. It lifts the spring and cable. *IMPORTANT this part is connected to the spring and cable, which means it is under tension. The tension must be relieved before you remove this part.
- The hinge above this starts a number system. For example, the first hinge is Hinge #1 then Hinge #2 and so on. All of the hinges in the middle are Hinge #1
- The very top part is called the Top Roller Carrier, which is not a hinge, but you do need to know what it is.
It is important to know which hinge you are dealing with so you can purchase the right part. Make sure that whatever you buy is compatible with your door.
How to Make the Repair
Here are a few guidelines that will help you to make your replacement:
- Unplug the opener for safety reasons
- Partially raise the door so you can reach the hinge
- Clamp the door in place with C-clamps
- Take off the nuts from the part
- Remove the screw
- Take off the hinge while tilting the hinge/roller assembly
- Remove the roller completely from the hinge
- Place the older roller shaft into your new hinge
- Lubricate the rollers
- Put the hinge/roller back on the door
- Tighten the bolts
- Remove clamps and check the door operation
These are the basic instructions on how to make this repair. If you get into a position where you do not know how to make the repair, call us right away. We will get a technician out to your location ASAP.
