1:50 video with Jacob Swenson
Why a Garage Door Goes Crooked (and How It's Fixed)
When a door hangs crooked, the most likely cause is a lift cable that came off its drum. Jacob explains how a pro gets the cable back on and the door level again.
Key points
- The usual cause: one lift cable has slipped off the drum at the top of the door.
- The fix uses a cable puller and a come-along hooked to the track on the side that still has tension, the side that's sitting higher.
- Once the cable has slack, it's fed back into the groove on the drum. Locking pliers clamped to the cable can add weight to hold it in place.
- Releasing the come-along brings the door back down level.
Jacob says it plainly: these are tools most homeowners don't have. A crooked door is under uneven spring tension and can fall, so leave it closed, unplug the opener and call a pro.
Filmed in 2012. The basics haven't changed, but newer doors and openers may differ a little. Springs and cables are under high tension, so never adjust them yourself.
Door acting up? Talk to Jacob.
Tell us what's going on and get a straight answer and a clear price. $19.95 off any repair for new customers.