Lubricating 9x7 Garage Doors

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Since I have broken a torsion spring and am having to replace it, I am gonna do a few upgrades on my garage doors. Doors have been up since 1994 and are noising as heck. Wind blows them as I have a lot of slop in the current wheels.

I am considering purchasing the nylon sealed roller bearing and maybe get new end plates. Gonna get the next "higher" spring size to double my cycles from 10k to 21K

$25 per door for the sealed lifetime roller bearings.

But, is there a consensus as to what to use to lubricate the torsion spring and chain drive?
 
I've use the spray on tacky grease (it foams and goes into the links) that you use on motorcycle chains. I would think it would also work on the springs too.
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
They make one just for it.


Which one is it?
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
They make one just for it.


Which one is it?
smile.gif



They sell it at Home Depot where they have the openers and parts. Blue spray can.
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
They make one just for it.


Which one is it?
smile.gif



They sell it at Home Depot where they have the openers and parts. Blue spray can.


Gotcha!
 
It's just simple silicone spray lube. You can buy specialized "garage door" spray lube for excessive prices, or you can buy generic silicone, but it's the very same stuff.

I usually use PB Blaster Silicone lube because I can find it for about three bucks a can.

By the way--if you're replacing one spring because it broke, you might as well replace the other one at the same time. It's gone through the same number of cycles, and presumably it's the same age.
 
I used to always use WD-40 when I lived in a house with a garage. I would just apply when I started to hear the squeaking again which was usually after 8 months to a year. I started using it when I had the door serviced by a professional garage door service. I asked the guy where I could buy the spray he was using. He said WD-40 was similar and cheaper. I would likely use the real product now if not an outrageous price.
 
I just had all the rollers replaced last year when I had my new door opener installed. The installer told me to ONLY use a silicone based garage door lube, and nothing else. He was quite insistent about it. He installs several garage doors a day. So I figure he's seen it all, and has no reason to misdirect.
 
The place where I am buying my torsion springs told me to use 40 weight nondetergent Motor oil. Isn’t it amazing how many different points of view you can get from the professionals?
 
less lube is better too much just gets all nasty with dirt.

Make sure you read how to do it.. most people spray on wrong stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Isn’t it amazing how many different points of view you can get from the professionals?


Probably depends on how cold it gets in the winter.
 
Except that the video is only half right. If you have a brand new garage door (or replacing parts that have never been lubed) then you should use lithium spray grease. If you're completely cleaning all the old grease out (who does this?) then you should use lithium spray grease. If you are just applying more grease, there are situations where oil is better.

If you instead have an existing garage door, surely it was already lubed in the past. The problem becomes that the original lube had the oil it in separate and leave a hard grease deposit. behind. Adding a SMALL amount of oil to that grease deposit and working the joint to blend the two works fine. Cleaning all that old grease out then only using oil would not.

On some areas if you just apply spray lithium grease to an area that had existing grease that hardened, the result becomes a very thick grease, that can become so thick that it provides MORE resistance than no grease when it gets very cold, like the dead of winter. This is especially true of the center slide rail, more spray grease can make the opener torque limiter kick in and the door won't even open until that grease is thinned out. With oil.
 
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Fresh motor oil works well as a lubricant but once it loaded with grime, unavoidable in a garage environment, isn't much of a lubricant any more. I use Dupont Chain Wax, used for motorcycle chain lubrication, which dries to a non-tacky film and does not get loaded up with dirt.

The video is good but the spray grease used will also attract dirt.
 
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Isn’t it amazing how many different points of view you can get from the professionals?


Probably depends on how cold it gets in the winter.


Point taken. My garage will never get below 40 F.
 
As a matter of opinion, the owner of the torsion spring company where I'm getting my springs (DDM Garage doors in Chicago) told me about the 40W oil. He said they see too many situations where the white lithium grease is all over the joint, bearing, etc but the joint, bearing etc is worn out. He's got a few videos like most everyone else.

Motor oil? What gets me is he could sell a lube and make money. He told me he didn't operate that way. Interesting. Makes me believe him.
I got my oil can coming from the Wizard of Amazon on Monday. I'll get my Carquest 40W non-detergent after church.
 
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Originally Posted By: George7941
Fresh motor oil works well as a lubricant but once it loaded with grime, unavoidable in a garage environment...


George, not in MY garage... I was eating a bologna sandwich in my garage one day and I had too much Miracle Whip on it. The piece of bologna slipped out and fell on the floor of my garage. All I did was reach down, pick it up and mash the slice of bologna between the 2 slices of bread and kept on eating.
 
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