Why Is Your Garage Door Wheel Popping Off the Track and What to Do About It
If you own a garage, you know the kind of work and maintenance that goes into making sure it always performs the way it should. Sometimes, however, things go wrong despite the high level of care you may be giving your garage door. One major problem people often have to deal with is the wheel / roller popping off track when the garage door is opening or closing. Many people experience this problem, but they often don’t quite know what is causing it or what to do about it. Below is a glance at the different kinds of issues that may be causing your wheel to come off the track, as well as some easy and inexpensive solutions to how to solve it.
The first thing you should do when you’ve noticed that your wheel or your roller is coming off the track is to inspect the situation. Check to see if it’s the wheel that is coming off the track, or if it’s the door itself causing the wheel to come off the track. There are times that the garage door or a part of the door may become bent or damaged, and this is the reason your wheel is coming off your track. If this is the case, you may need to have a garage door repair expert come in to look at your door for solutions to the problem.
If your door is fine and not the reason for your derailment, next check the track for damage or dirt. Something may have gotten on the track and is causing the wheel to come off, or a dent in the track may be causing problems for your wheel. The best place to start when inspecting the track is the place where the wheel usually comes out. If you don’t see anything immediately, then try opening your garage door manually and watching carefully for signs of a problem. Remember that any time you’re going to be working on or handling your garage door, turn your automatic opener off.
If the problem affecting your wheel or roller is a bent track, the easiest and cheapest solution is to take a hammer and gently tap the track until the bend is repaired. If you find that there is something stuck inside the track, or there’s dirt that’s causing the wheel to derail, then cleaning your track or removing what’s in the way will fix all your problems.
If you’ve gone through all these steps and you are still having trouble with keeping your wheel or roller on the track, then it may be the wheel itself that’s the problem. Your wheels may have to be oiled so they’re back in working condition, or in the worst case, replaced so that they’ll work properly again.
These fixes can be done easily by you in your home, unless the wheel off track causing problems is the bottom wheel. These wheels are the most dangerous to replace, and should be done by a professional. If you need help diagnosing your garage door problem, or you know what’s wrong but need help correcting it, call Chameleon Overhead Doors—we’ve got the skill to turn your garage problem into an issue of the past.