DIY Home Repair 101: How to Repair Bent Garage Door Tracks

Garage Door Parts: Don’t Ignore Bent Tracks

Bent garage door tracks are a problem that shouldn’t be ignored. A garage door’s tracks or rails can be seen on the side of door, as well as above. These tracks help guide the door so it can smoothly open or close. If these rails are bent, you can have a door off track, one of the most common garage door repairs. Usually, you can fix bent garage door tracks yourself by using a claw hammer or wrench to bend the damaged tracks back into shape. In most cases it’s recommended that a garage door repair company handle track repair as they have experience using force to fix tracks. Sometimes, however, the tracks need to be replaced outright. Here is the process in a nutshell.

Open the garage door so the door bottom is past the seam between the vertical track and the curve of the horizontal track. The two tracks are held together by a flag bracket that supports the pressure of the springs.

Secure vise grips around the front edge of the horizontal track just beneath the bottom door roller. Be sure the handles of the vise grips point towards the door’s center. Apply another set of vice grips under the roller on the opposite end.

Fixing the Track

If the damage is done to the bracket itself, place the claw end of the hammer over the top of the bent bracket. Use the hammer to straighten the bracket. Exercise caution when you do this DIY garage door repair. The last thing you want is to use too much force, which then causes the tracks to get into worse shape. 

Using a socket wrench, unfasten the track bolt that secures the vertical track to the wall brackets and remove the bent track. Typically, it’s a single flat-head bolt through the track and bracket, secured by a nut. If it’s instead secured by a pop rivet, drill the rivets out with a drill bit.

Use a pair of pliers or hammer to straighten the bent tracks of the garage door.

If You Need to Replace Your Garage Door Track

If the track turns out to beyond repair, you’ll need to replace the track outright. You can get a new track from professional garage door retailers that repair as well as install garage doors.

Reattach the rack back to the wall. Make sure the straight side rather than the curved side points to the wall. Bolt heads should be flush to the inside of the track and tightened. 

Holding open the garage door, remove the vices from the track. Guide the rollers through the vertical track, slowly rolling down the door. Push the track toward the wall about 1/8-inch from the door stop and tighten the sockets securely.

A Garage Door Repair Company Can Fix Your Tracks 

If you have a door off track, a garage door service can help fix the issue. A door going off track doesn’t necessarily mean your tracks are bent. However, all bent tracks can lead to a door that has jumped the rails. If you’re having considerable trouble repairing your garage door’s tracks, it’s best to let professionals handle it. Trying to repair bent tracks can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. The same goes for track installation. Instead of spending time finding DIY methods to install garage door tracks, work with an overhead door service that can provide you a good deal. 

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