Garage Door Rollers - Important Info + How To Change Them

Garage Door Rollersusually show some signs of wear and use with some added noise and other maneuvering difficulties. Most rollers can be made a range from a solid nylon wheel with no ball bearings to high end sealed ball bearing wash rollers. For the overhead garage door rollersthey come in two standard sizes with 2 inch rollers being utilized for residential or lightweight industrial doors. The 3 inch rollers are for carriage style wood doors or the heavy commercial overhead doors. Despite which door you have or which roller you use this article will give you some beneficial information on both using, utilizing, replacing, and purchasing new garage door rollers.

Where to Purchase new Garage Door Rollers

Overhead Garage Door Store

• It has one of the largest lines of quality yet cost effective rollers available online. Below are the sizes they offer, but not all of the variations available. A brief mention will give you an idea of what they have on hand.

  • 2 inch Nylon

    • 4 inch and 7 inch ZP stems available, variable quantity packages

    • $1.99 - $5.99 each

  • 2 inch Steel

    • 4 inch, 7 inch, and 10 inch ZP stems available, variable quantity packages

    • $1.99 - $18.49 each

  • 3 inch Nylon

    • 4 inch, 7 1/4 inch, and 9 inch ZP stems available, variable quantity packages

    • $7.49 - $11.99 each

  • 3 inch Steel

    • 4 inch, 7 1/4 inch, and 9 inch ZP stems available, variable quantity packages

    • $7.49 - $11.99 each

• This store is located in Oregon City, Oregon, but they operate all their business from their online store front.

• Purchases may be made from both international or national locations with adjusted shipping rates per location.

• Guaranteed lowest price available with this store because they will price match any identical products found in other locations. This is not limited to online purchases, but it covers those in local advertisements or catalogs.

• They also offer a quantity pricing quote for those looking to purchase for their business and need more than a couple rollers or items. Contact the store directly to get a “Request Quantity Pricing Quotation” application.

• Should there be any problems, they offer a 30 day return policy after receipt of purchase as long as you return the item in “new” condition.

Garage Door Parts, LLC

• From $0.99 to $5.18 each, this company offers at least 15 different types of Garage Door Rollers. This seems quite a bit less than the above options, but it does offer some of the lowest prices.

• This company is out of Passaic, New Jersey, but they offer only an online storefront.

• They offer shipping only with 48 connecting states and the shipping is based on your entire order despite if it shipped in different boxes. If you need to order for international they have connections to help you get that done.

Pro Door Supply

• The list here is shorter than the other three with prices from $0.99 to $3.67. You will get a 10% discount if you buy ten or more at one purchase.

• This company is based Bemidji, Minnesota but is an online storefront like the other two.

• Their customer support is phone based and they offer a warranty of 90 days on all of their products. This is with a no questions asked guarantee.

If you want to step outside of a typical garage door parts supplier, then you can shop for your rollers on Amazon, eBay, Menards, and eCrater. You next option is to shop locally at a hardware store. Some shops will specialize in doors and garage doors but others will offer a little of everything making a small roller difficult to find. You will want to ask for help finding these in this type of store. Another option is to check suppliers like Home Depot or Lowes for them. The best part of these stores is that they carry so many items and the ones they do not they know how to get quickly or point you to get it.

Garage Door Roller Considerations

1.  The Size Of The Roller

Garage door rollers usually come in the 2” or 3” variety, although mostly 2”.  Additionally, you’re going to want to know how long the stem is, is it 4”, 7”, 9”?  Once you know that, then there is also the diameter of the shaft which is usually 7/16”, but it can also be found in other sizes.

2.  Steel or Nylon?

The other thing you’re going to want to figure out is if you want just a plain steel roller or one that has a nylon coating around the roller.  When it comes to commercial garages, this isn’t often a consideration and either or will do, however if you’re looking for a quieter and vibration free operation, you’re going to want to go with the nylon.

3.  Strength Of The Roller

How much weight can the roller support?  Will it be able to hold up your garage or will it buckle under the weight?  Usually the roller will come with a rating such as “75 Lbs per roller @ 15,000 cycles on a 12’ door”  for instance.  This can vary a lot depending on how tall the door is, it can be 50 Lbs per roller @ 10,000 cycles for an 8’ door or as low as 35 Lbs per roller @ 10,000 cycles on a 8’ door.  You really need to do your research and ensure that you’re buying the right rollers that can support your garage.

4.  Ball Bearings or No Ball Bearings?

Lastly, some of these rollers are going to come equipped with ball bearings while others will not.  You’re going to have to pay a bit more for rollers that have the bearings of course.  The bearings are there to maintain separation between the moving parts within the rollers.  This reduces rotational friction.

If you’re currently repairing your garage you’ll need to decide on if you’re going to just replace 1 or 2 garage door rollers or if you’re going to replace the whole lot of them.  Make sure you refer to the garage door rollers currently installed to find out what size rollers you should be looking for when replacing them.

How to Change Your Garage Door Rollers

Changing your rollers is a great way to keep your door moving smoothly. This is not a difficult project, so do not get too anxious about doing it. A garage door has two bottom rollers, two top rollers and multiple center rollers. You have the choice of replacing the top and center rollers by taking apart the roller hinge connected to the door. However, you should not try to replace the bottom roller without the assistance of a professional, because the bottom bracket has the spring cable attaching to the side. This spring cable has all the door tension and weight on it. Attempting this without a certified professional could be dangerous for you or your door system and always remember that if you feel uncomfortable doing this, get a professional. The following instructions will give you the basic way to change out the top and center rollers.

Tools and Items Need

• 7/16 inch socket wrench

• 3/8 inch socket wrench

• Hammer

• New Garage Door Rollers

Top Garage Door Rollers

• You will possibly need a step ladder to reach the top of your garage door. Make sure it is both stable and safe enough to stand on for a prolonged period of time.

• Next you will want to removed the nut that secures the adjustable roller sleeve to the a-shaped top bracket. You will then remove the bolt. Now pull the sleeve with the roller away from the garage door.

• You will pull the old roller out to place the new roller into the sleeve.

• Put the roller wheel into the track. Then reconnect the adjustable sleeve to the upper part of the top bracket.

• Insert the bolt that secures it through the bottom of the sleeve and tighten the nut onto the bolt to lock in the sleeve to the bracket.

• Repeat all for the other top roller.

Center Garage Door Rollers

• Again, you may want to utilize a step ladder to either sit on or to get you at a safe circulatory height.

• First you will want to remove the nuts that hold the through bolt to the garage door roller hinge. You will utilize a 7/16 inch socket wrench, if your is made from wood. Another wrench may be used if you have another type of door, so make sure to check what you need before moving forward with the installation.

• Using a hammer, tap the through bolt with a hammer to knock it flush with the hinge. Should you have a steel door, your hinges are held in place by a self drilling hex head screws. Either way you will need to remove these hinge screws and the steel door will require you to use a 3/8 inch socket wrench.

• Move the hinge with the roller away from the door. Take out the old roller from the roller sleeve in the door hinge. Now you will insert the shaft end of the new roller into the roller sleeve on the hinge.

• Now you will insert the roller wheel into the track and line up the mounting holes on the hinge with the original mounting holes. If your door is steel, you will reattach with the self drilling screws. Should your door be wood, then you will need a friend to help you. They will then have to tap the bolts through the old holes to your side while you hold the hinge.

• Lastly attach the nuts to the through bolts with your socket wrench.

Remember that this is a basic outline of what you need to do to replace your rollers. Please consult other reviews for your specific garage door to double check for missing steps that may not be mentioned in a general set of instructions. This will keep you safe and your door in the best of shapes. Also, the options for purchasing is not a complete list, but only an example of which garage door rollersare available.