Garage Door Replacement Questions

I currently have a heavy old wood garage door. In January I replaced the door opener. Since then it has been having trouble opening the door and twice the company that has installed it has had to come out and reattach the rail system to the door because the bolts break off on the arm.

The company that installed it said I need to either: replace the door or replace all of the rollers/hardware.

I just called some companies for quotes on new doors and one company told me that it looks like it was installed poorly. The rail from the opener to the door is not level. Where it attaches to the garage header it is about 5 inches higher than where the opener sits so the rail slopes down to the opener. That guy told me this was a big reason why it would create so much tension and snap the bolts on the arm. He recommends a new door and because there isn't much headroom a low headroom track system. - which would also fix the slope.

My second quote told me that the rail system was fine and it doesn't matter if it isn't level. He also said that I don't need a low headroom track system.

I'm really frustrated with the conflicting information and trying to google what is right but having a heck of a time coming up with answers. Any thoughts on what should be done? Does the rail need to be level?

 

I've installed 4 or 5 doors, and the tracks have always been level. But I don't see how having the track slope down toward the opener would increase the tension on the opener attachment...if anything, it should reduce it as gravity is helping the opener a little during opening. Unless he meant that the slope was putting stress on the bolts because of the angle of the arm with respect to the door.

Does the door open smoothly and reasonably easily when detached from the opener? If not, then there is likely a problem with rollers and/or spring tension, and that should be addressed.

If you don't have a dual track low headroom setup now, I doubt you need one for a new door. If headroom is just a bit too low, quick turn brackets may be needed, but dual track systems are only used in really low ceiling applications.

If you visit the web site for one of the major manufacturers, like Clopay, and look at the installation instructions for their doors, it will call out the minimum headroom needed for the door itself. Then you need a couple more inches for the opener.

 

Your door tracks are supposed to be level to within an inch up or down... The opener track should be pitched down in the back or at most level. The higher it is above the door, the less it pushes forward and the more it tries to push the top section towards the garage floor. I pitch them down when I can (been doing this for 20 plus years). the opener rail should be about two inches above the door when in open position. On a standard 12 inch radius door it should be mounted at about 13 inches above the top of the door when closed.
Post some pictures or give me a floor to ceiling measurement and door opening height measurement and existing door height measurement and I can tell you if you need low headroom track.