In a Reddit post, a member of the Fixit community shared their ongoing issue with broken garage door bearings and hinges, expressing frustration: “My garage door continually breaks the bearings, and now 5 of the brackets are broken.”

Sectional garage doors with a torsion assembly typically include multiple hinges between the sections, with the side hinges also housing the door rollers within their shaft. The door also incorporates two to four bearings, with two situated on the end plates. Additionally, one bearing is typically assigned to each pair of torsion springs, usually positioned in one of the spring’s stationary cones.

Let’s review the reasons why hinges and bearings may break and explore ways to address them to prevent the aforementioned breakdowns and avoid costly garage door repairs down the road.

1. Broken Garage Door Springs

Operating a garage door with a broken spring is not only hazardous but also overloads the components, leading to structural stress and potential breakage of the door mechanisms, including bearings and hinges.

The door’s torsion springs are situated horizontally on the header, above the garage door. Inspect the spring’s coil to see if it has split in two. You can also disengage the door from its electric opener by pulling the emergency release cord while the garage door is fully closed, then lift it manually to assess its weight.

2. Imbalanced Garage Door

A garage door may be out of balance due to decalibrated, incorrectly sized, or worn springs. Incorrect torque output from the springs can cause the garage door to be excessively heavy or to pull up. An imbalanced condition overloads the garage door and can result in recurring breakage of the bearings, hinges, and other mechanisms.

Test the garage door balance by disconnecting it from the opener when the garage door is fully closed. Ensure that the garage door stays closed and doesn’t pull up on its own. Lift the garage door slowly to your waistline and release it. The garage door should remain in position, neither slamming shut nor pulling up. Lift the garage door to a fully open position, and again, it should stay in position.

3. Wrong Garage Door Hinge

Hinges that cannot handle the garage door weight may become overloaded, deform, and break. Another factor to consider is the numbering system, which indicates the pivot point distance from the hinge’s base. Incorrect numbering installed can cause the garage door to bind against the garage frame when opening and closing.

Ensure that the hinges are installed in the correct order from the bottom, with hinge number one connecting the bottom and second sections. Note that only the side hinges are numbered.

4. Misalignment of the Torsion Assembly

There are two types of torsion assembly misalignment, including offset or parallel misalignment and angular misalignment. In both cases, misalignment increases friction and applies excessive pressure on the garage door torsion tube and bearings. This will wear out the inner race of the bearing, damage the rotational direction of the bearing’s inner race, and may cause it to pull out of its position.

Inspect the torsion assembly, end bearing plates, and torsion tube. Ensure that they are properly aligned and situated at a straight angle. Look for black powder residue and metal shavings in the bearing area.

The Consequences of Broken Bearings and Hinges

Broken hinges and worn bearings generate excessive friction, leading to binding and potential safety hazards. This issue may result in the cables coming off their pulley, causing the garage door to come off its tracks. It can also lead to sudden breakdowns, with the garage door not closing properly, getting stuck in the open position, or stuck partially open. While some off-track breakdowns can be mild and repaired, others can be quite complex, resulting in the garage door crashing down and causing severe damage to the door’s panels and the equipment.

Recurring garage door breakdowns usually indicate underlying issues. Inspecting the garage door and addressing problems in a timely manner can prevent accidents, damage to the surroundings, and ensure the safe and reliable operation of overhead garage doors and openers.