Overhead Door Preventive Maintenance & Inspection - DDM Garage Doors Blog

The following checklist is for maintenance technicians who can perform preventive maintenance on overhead doors from some type of lift. If you are working from a ladder, you will have to alter some of the steps. Exercise caution when servicing any type of overhead type door as there are many dangers involved in servicing them.

For safety, close the door and turn off the power to the operator if one is present.

Preventive Maintenance from the Floor

Begin to perform overhead door preventive maintenance at the bottom left side of the door.

1. Inspect the seal across the bottom of the door.
2. Also, inspect the bottom of the jamb to confirm that it is straight and secured to the floor.
3. Inspect the bottom of the vertical track angle to confirm that it is straight and secured to the jamb.
4. Afterward, inspect the bottom of the vertical track to confirm that it is straight and secure. Check for loose track bolts and nuts.
5. Inspect the bottom of cable for frays, corrosion, and rust.
6. Then, inspect the bottom fixture for damage from the section being hit and for scrape marks from misalignment.
7. Inspect the bottom roller and confirm that the wheel can be turned with fingers. Check for wear.
8. Lubricate the bottom roller stem, wheel, and bearing.
9. As you spray with your right hand, with your left hand inspect the next roller up for wear and to make sure it turns inside the track.
10. Inspect the first end hinge from the bottom for cracks, wear, bends, and damage. Then, check the screws to make sure they are tight. Lubricate the first end hinge and roller from the bottom. Spray both hinge points, and spray lube the roller stem, wheel, and bearing.
11. Repeat this process as you work your way up the left side of the door, going as high as you can, usually eight feet. Inspect jamb, track angle, track, hinges, rollers, and fasteners as you go. Then, lube each roller and end hinge as you go up the side of the door.

Continue Inspection and Lubrication of the Overhead Door

12. Move to the first row of inside hinges. Starting at the top lubricate the hinge and inspect for loose screws, wear and damage.
13. Also, move down the door lubing and inspecting each hinge.
14. Move to the right and, starting at the bottom, lube and inspect each hinge as you rise to the highest hinge you can reach.
15. Then, move to the next row of hinges, and starting at the bottom, repeat this process, inspect and lubricate all the hinges.
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16. When you reach the right side of the door, move up or down and inspect the jamb, angle, track, cable, bottom fixture, hinges, rollers, and fasteners. Lubricate the hinges and rollers.

Overhead Door Preventive Maintenance from the Lift

Begin the overhead door preventive maintenance at the bottom left side of the door.

As you rise on the left side of the door, inspect the jamb, angle, track, cable, hinges, rollers, top fixture, and fasteners. Lubricate the center hinges, end hinges, and rollers.

Rise to the Left end of Torsion Spring Assembly on the Overhead Door.

1. Inspect the end bearing plate to ensure it is plumb and secured to the jamb.
2. Then, inspect the end bearing for wear.
3. Inspect the shaft for wear and ensure that it is straight.
4. In addition, inspect the cable for frays. Check to ensure the end of the cable properly sits in the slot of the cable drum, and that it follows the outside groove of the drum.
5. Inspect the drum for cracks and wear. Afterward, check to ensure the neck of the cable drum is touching the race of the end bearing.
6. Inspect the key to ensure it is properly seated between the drum and shaft keyways. Tighten the cable drum set screws.
7. Lubricate the end bearing on both sides and allow some of the oil to get between the shaft and the race of the bearing.
8. Moving to the right, inspect the winding cone, but DO NOT TOUCH THE SET SCREWS. (These rarely come loose, and it is good to avoid the danger of accidentally turning a set screw the wrong direction.) Never touch a set screw without first inserting a winding bar into the winding cone.

Move to the Center of the Torsion Spring Assembly on the Overhead Door.

9. Inspect the spring anchor brackets to ensure they are plumb and secured to the pad. Never replace or secure a pad or the spring anchor bracket without first unwinding the spring.
10. In addition, inspect the stationary cones for cracks.
11. Inspect the bearings for wear.
12. Then, inspect both sides of the coupler, keys, and keyways for wear.
13. Tighten the coupler set screws. Afterward, check to ensure there is a lock nut on the set screws that are tightened to the key and tighten these lock nuts as needed.
14. Lubricate the bearings and the shaft inside the bearings that are inside the stationary cones.
15. Lower the lift, inspect and lubricate the upper inside hinges.

Move to the right side of the Torsion Spring Assembly on the Overhead Door.

16. Inspect the cable, drum, end bearing & plate, shaft, and key. Then, tighten the cable drum set screws and lube the bearing as you did on the left side. Inspect the spring winding cone of the torsion spring, but DO NOT TOUCH THE SET SCREWS!
17. As you lower the lift on the right side of the door, inspect the upper jamb, angle, track, cable, hinges, rollers, top fixture, and fasteners. Lubricate the center hinges, end hinges, and rollers.

If the Overhead Door has an Operator…

18. Tighten and check all the collar and sprocket set screws.
19. Then, tighten and secure drive coupler or drive chain and sprocket as needed.
20. Lube the chains and bushings.
21. Test the operator clutch and adjust as needed.
22. Adjust the operator travel or limits. If you are servicing a door in a part of the country where there is snow in the winter, be sure to leave some coast as the operator ends its close travel.

Check the Overhead Door Balance

23. Disconnect the overhead door from the operator and check the door balance. Adjust the springs as needed so the door will stay at any point in its travel without having to hold it. Finally, re-engage the operator.

We hope that these instructions are helpful. You can also watch our YouTube video on “How to Lubricate Your Garage Door,” or read our blog post about minimizing garage door noise.

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