Garage door rollers
Box wrench or open-end wrench
Lightweight lubricating oil
2 locking pliers or vise grips, as needed
Masking tape or marker, as needed
Stepladder
Flashlight, as needed
If your garage door no longer raises or lowers smoothly, it could be time to replace the track rollers. Rollers that have slipped from the track, steel rollers with shot ball bearings, and chipped nylon rollers will impede the smooth operation of your door. Replacing all but the two bottom garage door rollers is straightforward. The bottom two require more work and safety precautions because the brackets that hold them are usually attached to the lift cables and the highly tensed counter-balance springs.
Start replacing rollers from the top down, and work on only one roller at a time. Perform all replacements, except those for the two bottom rollers, with the door closed. (Fig. 1)
