I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it. I'll tell
you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob

If it is a chain drive, lube the chain - SAE 30 motor oil works here.
Wipe off the extra.

If a worm drive, use grease. Automotive ball joint grease will work
just fine. Lubriplate is also good (non-migrating zinc oxide grease?).

Look at ALL the joints and rollers -- the door hinges, rollers in the
track, etc. The oil will work itself in here with a few cycles of the
door. The pump oiler lets you get it to the bearing.. I use SAE 90 gear
oil here -- stays in place betters, and doesn't drip as much. Getting
up on a ladder might be necessary to reach everything. Make sure to get
the bearing in the spring system, as they are under a lot of tension
and have a lot of friction.

About once a year does the trick, or when things seem to get noisey. I
haven't found greasing the track to make that much difference, though
it does help to cut down the "rattle" a little.

WD-40 is basically paint thinner (Stodart solvent) and a propellant.
Good for loosening things up, but little or no long term lubrication
qualities.

Your milage will vary...

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:48:48 -0600, "Bob"
wrote:

I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it. I'll tell
you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob



You are absolutely right about the 'dust magnet' in the track..

You are doing it right by lubricating the shaft of the rollers, and
the roller bearings. You missed the most important thing though..

Get on a 6' ladder and beat the torsion spring(s) with a hammer some
to break up the rust and reset the springs in case it has some
windings stuck. Then spray the hell out of them with lube. WD-40 is
not the best - some old fashion 10-in-1 is better (or the 30 weight).
Operate the door 4 or 5 times than re-lube. Don't soak it so much
that it drips though.

You're going to like the results after lubing the springs.

Bob wrote:
I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide
garage doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise
when opened or closed. The one on the house attached garage has an
opener which works fine except in cold weather (that's below about 40
degrees), when it opens fine but balks on closing. Opener stops,
light blinks, etc. I may need to adjust the downward force. But
first, I need to lubricate the doors.

First you need to check the door balance (spring force) Make sure you
know what you are doing there as some setups can be dangerous if you don't
know what you are doing. You can lube all you want, but if the springs are
not properly adjusted, it is not going to be good.



That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it.
I'll tell you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller
meets the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the
roller shaft area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't
think it is applicable in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they
roll on the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

I use a product called Blaster GDL that I purchased at Menards. I was amazed at how quiet the door was, I have a 20" door.

On Jan 26, 1:48 pm, "Bob" wrote:
I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it. I'll tell
you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob

If you have a screw drive clean out the old grease (spray solvent) &
re-grease using a grease good for low temp

If you decide to "beat" on the torsion spring, I suggest go
lightly.....no beating, maybe heavy tapping

I recommend against lubing the roller surfaces or the track.....they're
supposed to roll not slide.

cheers
Bob

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:48:48 -0600, "Bob"
wrote:

I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it. I'll tell
you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob



Once a year, I clean off all old junk with rags. Then I add a drop to
each roller axle, wiping off excess. Then the rails/tracks get wiped
down with oil. I leave no standing/dripping oil. Just everything
gets cleaned and a nice very light coating of oil.

This works for me. If I had torque switches tripping, I might also
check alignments of my doors.

tom @ www.BlankHelp.com

"Bob" wrote in message
...
I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works
fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it. I'll
tell
you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller
shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is
applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll
on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob

I wouldn't beat on the springs. If you break one, you sure don't want to be
near it!

I had the same problem two winters ago. The "real" problem is probably that
something is somewhat out of alignment and requires more force than the door
can manage in the cold.
I temporized by putting lithium grease on everything. It has worked fine
for a year now. I don't think it is permanent, but for the moment...

In article , "Bob" wrote:
I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question.

I made the same mistake; wasted a lot of time lubricating all
the rollers. I subsequently found that the bearings in many
of the rollers were shot. Replacing them was not a huge task
but the lube effort was a complete waste of time. And greasing
up the new rollers as I installed them was a heck of a lot
easier than trying to push lube into the old rollers.

I'd suggest you examine the complete system thoroughly and then
figure out a rational course of action.

In your case, it's quite possible that previous applied
lubricant is part of the problem. If and when you do apply
lubrication, make sure it's suitable for those very low
termperatures.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 03:59:21 GMT, "Toller" wrote:

I wouldn't beat on the springs. If you break one, you sure don't want to be
near it!

I install overhead doors for a living. It is safe, otherwise I
wouldn't have posted it. If it does break, it will just spin around
the torque tube. However, safety glasses would be advised since there
will be potential for rust and small particulate in the air.

Let me clarify what I meant by "beat", don't hit it so hard like
you're pretending it's your worst enemy. Just give it enough to break
up any windings that have rusted together and get any "bunches" out
that may have developed.

Bob wrote:
I have two sixteen foot wide garage doors and both make a lot of squeaking and
crunching noise when opened or closed. The one on the house attached garage
has an opener which works fine except in cold weather (that's below about 40
degrees), when it opens fine but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc.

Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

The first thing to do is unplug the AC cord from the opener or, if it's
wired in permanently, turn off its circuit breaker (and make sure it
really is turned off). An opener that moves unexpectedly can cut off a
finger or catch your clothing or hair (and literally rip off your
scalp).

Do not lubricate the outside surfaces of the rollers at all. Make sure
they and their tracks are clean and free of grease. You're correct to
lube the oller shafts with oil, and you're right that WD-40 is
inappropriate here since it's essentially just kerosene. Also don't
lubricate the shafts of plastic wheels used for cables, as they'll
simply collect dirt and squeal (spray with brake parts cleaner if
necessary).

Any pivot metal pivot points on the door or door opener should be lubed
with grease. Lithium grease in a spray can is good for this (solvent
helps grease penetrate but then evaporates, leaving only the grease).
If you have a chain or belt drive Chamberlain/Liftmaster/Sears with a
"T" beam shaft, it needs to a thin layer of grease on top and where the
trolly contacts it. For other openers, such as chain drives with a
tubular shaft, use no lubricant at all on the opener mechanism and
thoroughly clean off all dust and oil, although it's OK to protect it
from rust with paste wax or dry spray lube. Screw-drive openers need a
little lithium grease throughout the length of the screw, but use thin
NLGI #1 grease, not the thicker NLGI #2 or NLGI #1-#2 or the opener may
balk in the cold. Garage door opener grease is available but costs
more than automotive or general purpose lithium grease. And before
greasing anything, clean off the old grease. Any chain should be
tightened so it sags about 1/2" to 1" in the middle; any less means the
chain is way too tight.

Check and adjust the balance of the door. When it's free from the
opener and held open approximately 1/3 of the way up, it should slowly
fall, and when it's 2/3 of the way up it should slowly rise. The
amount of opening or closing force will change with temperature, and
higher force is often needed in the cold.

Some good info and hints. You guys gave me several ideas to try. I never
thought about the coil springs and shaft across the opening. Thanks for the
response. Bob


"Bob" wrote in message
...
I'm almost embarrassed to ask this. I have two sixteen foot wide garage
doors and both make a lot of squeaking and crunching noise when opened or
closed. The one on the house attached garage has an opener which works fine
except in cold weather (that's below about 40 degrees), when it opens fine
but balks on closing. Opener stops, light blinks, etc. I may need to
adjust the downward force. But first, I need to lubricate the doors.

That's my question. Just what do I lubricate and how do I do it. I'll tell
you what I tried but doesn't seem to help.

Using a pump oil can, I squired SAE 30 oil around where each roller meets
the shaft. I don't think a lot of oil actually gets inside the roller shaft
area though. I love WD40 for some things, but don't think it is applicable
in this application.

Should I lightly grease the outer surface of the rollers where they roll on
the track? It seems to me this would be a dust magnet.

I appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks in advance. Bob

"professorpaul" wrote in message
oups.com...
If it is a chain drive, lube the chain - SAE 30 motor oil works here.
Wipe off the extra.

If a worm drive, use grease. Automotive ball joint grease will work
just fine. Lubriplate is also good (non-migrating zinc oxide grease?).

Look at ALL the joints and rollers -- the door hinges, rollers in the
track, etc. The oil will work itself in here with a few cycles of the
door. The pump oiler lets you get it to the bearing.. I use SAE 90 gear
oil here -- stays in place betters, and doesn't drip as much. Getting
up on a ladder might be necessary to reach everything. Make sure to get
the bearing in the spring system, as they are under a lot of tension
and have a lot of friction.

About once a year does the trick, or when things seem to get noisey. I
haven't found greasing the track to make that much difference, though
it does help to cut down the "rattle" a little.

WD-40 is basically paint thinner (Stodart solvent) and a propellant.
Good for loosening things up, but little or no long term lubrication
qualities.

Your milage will vary...


Everything you said makes sense but I go one further. Use wheel bearing
grease on the last coils and hooks of the door springs. From printing press
experience the bends and hooks fracture from heat and the grease helps
distribute the heat .. maybe an old pressmans tale but it works for me.

Bill