Snapped and Slipped Cables Fixed in Naperville

Cables almost always fail at the loop over the bottom bracket pin. That is the sharpest bend in the entire run, and it is where road salt and meltwater running off the car sit against the strands through a Chicagoland winter. A few broken filaments standing proud of the lay is the warning sign, and it is worth acting on before the rest of the strand goes.

The bottom bracket itself is the one component on a garage door that a homeowner should never unbolt. It is holding full spring tension through that cable and it moves violently when released. Nearly everything else on a door can wait until morning. This one is worth a phone call.

By the time a cable has come off, something else usually set it up. We check the springs for cycle wear, look at the drums for grooving, inspect the rollers and bottom brackets, and then set cable tension evenly on both ends so the door lifts square and lands square.

New cables go on in pairs. Both sides have taken the same years of salt, flexing and load, so running one new cable against one tired one just books the next visit. Once they are on, the door is cycled and balanced by hand before the opener is reconnected.