How to Replace Garage Door Rollers

Lead Image for How to Replace Garage Door Rollers
  • 4-5 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 100-150
What You'll Need
7/16-inch socket wrench
3/8-inch socket wrench
Hammer
New rollers
What You'll Need
7/16-inch socket wrench
3/8-inch socket wrench
Hammer
New rollers

Replacing the garage door rollers will ensure smooth operations of your garage door. Usually, a garage door has two rollers each at top and bottom and many center rollers. Though replacing them is not very easy, with the right tools and this guide you will be able to successfully replace your garage door rollers.

Step 1 - Kind of Rollers

The steps are different for the three types of rollers—bottom, top, and center. Step 2 deals with the bottom rollers, steps 3 to 6 talk about the center rollers while the steps 7 to 10 are for the top rollers.

Step 2 - Bottom Rollers

Don’t attempt to replace the bottom rollers as the bottom bracket has a spring cable attached which bears the door weight and tension. Hence, for your safety, it is advised to hire a professional if you wish to replace the bottom rollers.

Step 3 - Center Rollers - Remove Nuts

For the wooden garage door, use the 7/16-inch wrench to remove the nuts that are used to hold the through bolts on the roller hinge. After removing the nuts, use a hammer to knock out the bolts.

In case, your garage door is made of steel then the hinges would be secured with hex-headed screws. Use the 3/8-inch wrench to remove these.

Step 4 - Remove Rollers

Pull out the hinge away from the door and then old roller out of the sleeve in the hinge. Insert the new roller’s shaft into this sleeve.

Step 5 - Insert Roller Wheel

Insert the roller wheel into the garage door track. Align the mounting holes on the hinge with those on the door. The alignment should be perfect for screws to go through.

Step 6 - Screw Hinge

For a steel door, you can use the same self-drilling screws that you removed above and re-attach them using a wrench.

For wooden doors, ask another person to go on the other side of the door and tap in the through bolts while you hold the hinge in place. After this, use the wrench to secure nuts on the bolts.

Step 7 - Top Rollers – Set Ladder

To access the top area of the door, set a step ladder on a side of the garage door. Make sure that the length of the ladder is sufficient and don’t set it too vertical—it may fall.

Step 8 – Remove Nuts

Use a wrench to remove nut which secures the roller sleeve to A-shaped top bracket. Tap out the bolt and pull out the sleeve along with the roller.

Step 9 - Remove Rollers

Use a similar procedure as that for the center rollers to pull out the old roller and to insert roller wheel into the track. Connect the adjustable sleeve to the top of the bracket.

Step 10 - Secure Nuts

Insert the bolt through the bottom of the sleeve to up and secure it by tightening a nut onto it. Repeat the same steps for the other top roller.