When the End of a Shaft Breaks - DDM Garage Doors Blog

When the end bearing plate of a garage door is improperly secured, it is common to see the end of a shaft wear. Left unattended, the end bearing plate can remain pitched, and the bearing can cut off the end of the shaft.

End Bearing Seizing

Sometimes the end bearing will seize and cut off the shaft. A customer recently emailed us explaining that the left end of his shaft had broken.

As a result, the end of the tube was hanging lower than normal. The cable came off the drum, and the left side of the door hit the floor. However, the right side of the door would not close.

Several years ago, I ran into a similar problem with an ADH bearing that had seized. I was unable to close the door without bending the right vertical track, so I opened the door and reinstalled the cable on the drum.

Replacing the End Bearing Plates

Then I supported the door, and I raised the drum to its normal position. This was easy to do because there was hardly any tension on the springs and cables. Then I inserted a winding bar through the bearing and into the shaft. This allowed me to close the door without bending the tracks.

The door did not need a new shaft because the end of the shaft was not broken. I unwound both springs, loosened the cable drums, and I slid the shaft left about two inches. I also replaced the end bearing plates.

This is dangerous work for most homeowners. Therefore, we recommend carefully following the necessary steps in our Torsion Spring Replacement Instructions. In addition, you can view our YouTube video titled, “How To Replace Garage Door Torsion Springs.”

We also recommend replacing your end bearing plates if they are marked with the letters “ADH.” These were part of a huge batch that came out of China several years ago. To replace these, you may find our End Bearing Plate Replacement instructions helpful.

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