Installing garage door cable: how to do it

A small but essential garage door safety mechanism, the garage door cable lifts the weight of the door using the tension made available by the springs. For this reason, it’s considered as an important garage door component. As the door opens, the garage door cables wrap around the drums and when the door closes, they unwind from the drums.

If your garage door cables break or suffer from malfunction, your garage door will not be able to work properly. So if you suspect that your garage door cables are broken or damaged, you should fix or replace them as soon as possible. Also, it is important for you to know the right way of performing garage door cable installation. So how should you perform installation of garage door cables? Following are the steps involved in the appropriate way of performing garage door cable installation.

Get the right sized garage door cable Once you’ve gathered all the necessary tools, get the right sized garage door cable. The cable size will be determined by the size of the door. For instance, an 8’6” garage door cable will be required for a 7ft garage door. Take measurements of your garage door and get the garage door cable appropriate for it.

Gather all the required tools This goes without saying: before you perform garage door cable installation, you need to gather all the required tools. Though the sizes of the tools for this project may vary, there is no debate about the tools you need for garage door cable installation. In order to install the garage door cables, you’ll need gloves, safety glasses, stepping ladder, sockets, locking pliers, wrenches, winding bars, and replacement cables.

Release the tension in the springs Before performing the garage door cable replacement, it is important to release the tension in the garage door springs first. Here is how you can release the tension in the springs: First and foremost, open the garage door fully. Once you’ve fully opened the garage door, put a bunch of c-clamps on the track underneath the lowest wheel of the door. This will stop the door from sliding down. Now, you can easily replace the cable, unhook the springs, and hook up the springs again. Just remember: do not unhook the springs until you’ve released the tension!

Loosen the screws and remove the old garage door cable After you’ve released the tension from the springs, loosen the screws and remove the old garage door cable from the cable drum. Also, remove the lag screw at the bottom to remove the cable from the bracket.

Replace the garage door cable After you’ve removed the old garage door cable from the cable drum and the bracket, install the new garage door cable onto the bottom bracket. After this, insert the cable into the cable drum’s slot and set it properly. Finally, tighten the cable and set screws.

By following the aforementioned steps, you can replace your garage door cable, though taking help from a professional would be a better a thing to do.

Sources:
https://www.garagedoornation.com/blogs/home/16321820-how-to-replace-your-garage-door-cables
http://ddmgaragedoors.com/diy-instructions/cable-installation.php
https://veterangaragedoor.com/faq/my-garage-door-cable-broke-how-can-i-fix-it/

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