Why Your Garage Door Shakes or Jerks When It Moves

A garage door should move in one smooth, steady motion. When it starts to shudder, hitch or jerk, something in the system is fighting it. Sometimes that is just dirt and dry parts. Sometimes it is a sign of a bigger problem. Here is how to tell the difference.

Watch it move first

Stand inside the garage, clear of the door's path, and run the door through a full cycle. Watch both sides. Ask yourself:

• Does it shake the whole way, or only at one spot?
• Do both sides rise and fall at the same pace?
• Does the shaking come with grinding, popping or squealing?
• Does the opener sound like it is straining?

A door that shakes at one spot often has a problem in the track at that spot. A door that shakes the whole way may have worn rollers or a balance problem.

The usual causes

• Dry or worn rollers. Rollers that don't spin freely drag through the track and make the door shudder. Worn rollers may wobble, crack or develop flat spots. Our garage door rollers guide shows what to look for.
• Dirty tracks. Built up grime and old grease can make rollers catch and release, which feels like a jerk.
• Bent or misaligned tracks. A dent from a car bumper or a bracket that has pulled loose can cause a hitch at the same spot every time.
• Loose hinges and brackets. Every cycle shakes the door a little, and over time hardware loosens. Loose hinges let panels flex and rattle.
• A balance problem. If the springs are not carrying the door's weight evenly, the opener ends up pushing and pulling against the door. That can show up as jerky movement.
• The opener drive. A chain that slaps the rail or a worn drive can make the door move in a stop and start way.

Simple checks you can do

Unplug the opener before you work near the door or the rail.

• Wipe the tracks. Use a dry cloth on the inside of each track. Don't grease them.
• Lubricate hinges and roller bearings. Use a lubricant made for garage doors and wipe off the extra. Our post on how to lubricate a garage door shows where.
• Tighten hinge and track bracket screws. Snug them with a hand tool. Don't touch the bottom brackets at the lower corners, which hold the cables.
• Look for damage. Check for dents in the tracks, cracked rollers and frayed cables. Look, don't touch.

Plug the opener back in and run the door. If it is smoother, keep up with lubrication a few times a year. If nothing changed, a part is likely worn or out of adjustment.

Check the balance carefully

Balance tells you how well the springs are doing. If the door feels heavy from the start, you can see a gap in a spring, a cable looks frayed or loose, a roller is out of the track, or the door hangs crooked, skip this test and call a professional. Otherwise, with the door fully closed, pull the red emergency release so the door is off the opener. Lift the door by hand to about waist height and gently let go, keeping your hands ready.

A balanced door stays about where you left it or drifts slowly. If it drops quickly, shoots up or feels very heavy, the springs likely need adjustment. Lower it, reconnect the opener and call a professional.

When to stop using the door

Some signs mean the shaking is more than wear. Stop using the door and keep everyone clear if:

• One side rises or lowers ahead of the other
• The door hangs crooked or a roller has come out of the track
• A cable looks frayed, loose or off its drum
• You heard a loud bang from the garage
• The door suddenly feels heavy

These point to springs, cables or the track, and all of them are jobs for a professional. If the door has come out of its track, see garage door off track: what to do first. For cables, see garage door cable warning signs.

Why shaking is worth fixing

A door that shakes puts extra stress on everything it touches. Hinges loosen faster, rollers wear unevenly and the opener works harder than it should. Left alone, a little shake can turn into a door that comes off track or an opener that wears out early.

A yearly tune-up checks rollers, hinges, tracks and balance, and lubricates moving parts. It is one of the easiest ways to keep a door running smoothly. See what a garage door tune-up actually checks.