Lift cables run from the bottom corners of the door up to the drums or pulleys, and they work with the springs to carry the weight of the door. If a cable frays, slips off its drum or snaps, one side of the door loses support. The door may hang crooked, jam or stop moving.
Signs to look for include a cable hanging loose beside the door, strands splitting along the cable, a door that rises unevenly with one corner higher than the other, a door that stops partway, a cable that has slipped off its drum and a snapping noise. The guide on signs your garage door cable is damaged is a checklist you can follow from the floor with the door closed.
Cables are under tension, and the brackets at the bottom corners are connected to that tension. Do not loosen a bracket, pull on a cable, tape it or try to put it back on the drum. Stop using the door and keep people and vehicles away from it.
A damaged cable often shows up together with other problems, such as an off-track door or a worn spring, because the door has been moving unevenly. Mention anything else you noticed, such as noise, a door that sticks or a corner that sits lower than the rest.
When you call, your call is connected to an independent local service provider. Ask for the price before work starts and ask what the visit includes, including whether the springs and tracks will be checked at the same time.
How it works
- 1
Stop using the door
Do not run the opener. A door with one cable down can twist or jam.
- 2
Check from the floor
With the door closed, look at both sides. Note which side looks different, without touching the cable or brackets.
- 3
Call and describe it
Say which side looks wrong and what the door did. Ask for the price before work starts.