End Bearing Plate Replacement
On a guestbook entry, a customer asked for a write-up on what to do with his noisy bearings. Garage door bearings wear due to insufficient lubrication. Initially, the bearings pop and grind, and the balls lose their shape. As the bearings continue to deteriorate, they eventually freeze up. Often they can be freed with lubrication, but some times they have to be replaced.
The following instructions will show you a quick and easy to replace the end bearing plates of your garage door. It is possible to replace just the bearing and reuse the plate, but special tools are needed, so we do not recommend it. See the End Bearing Replacement tutorial to learn how to replace the end bearing by itself.
First, open the door with the garage door opener garage door opener. The opener will hold the door open as you replace the end bearing plates. We also replace the bearings with the door open because there is only about a turn of tension on the garage door springs.
Next, unplug the opener.
If you have a similar type of bearing plate, remove the lag that secures the top of the bearing plate to the header. This bearing has "ADH" stamped on it. If you have this type of bearings, we recommend you replace them.
Loosen the nuts at the bottom of the bearing plate.
Remove the nuts and the bolts. Notice the rusty steel filings from the bearing that are on the angle just beyond my fingers.
Lower the end of the shaft and the bearing plate.
Raise the end of the shaft and rotate the plate 90 degrees.
Remove the old bearing plate.
Slide on the new plate. Lift the shaft and rotate the plate as needed to get it beyond the horizontal track angle.
Install the bottom bolts, but do not tighten them at this time.
Check to make sure the cable is still on the drum and reinstall it if needed.
Secure the top of the end bearing plate.
Align the top of the bearing plate as needed. The plate should be plumb and secure.
Tighten the lower nuts and bolts at this time.
Lubricate both sides of the bearing.
Follow the same procedure for replacing the end bearing plate on the other side.
Check to make sure both cables are on the drums. Disengage the door from the opener and close the door manually to make sure the door works properly.
Last, reengage the opener, plug in the power cord, and run the door electrically with the opener.
The following instructions will show you a quick and easy to replace the end bearing plates of your garage door. It is possible to replace just the bearing and reuse the plate, but special tools are needed, so we do not recommend it. See the End Bearing Replacement tutorial to learn how to replace the end bearing by itself.
First, open the door with the garage door opener garage door opener. The opener will hold the door open as you replace the end bearing plates. We also replace the bearings with the door open because there is only about a turn of tension on the garage door springs.
Next, unplug the opener.
If you have a similar type of bearing plate, remove the lag that secures the top of the bearing plate to the header. This bearing has "ADH" stamped on it. If you have this type of bearings, we recommend you replace them.
Loosen the nuts at the bottom of the bearing plate.
Remove the nuts and the bolts. Notice the rusty steel filings from the bearing that are on the angle just beyond my fingers.
Lower the end of the shaft and the bearing plate.
Raise the end of the shaft and rotate the plate 90 degrees.
Remove the old bearing plate.
Slide on the new plate. Lift the shaft and rotate the plate as needed to get it beyond the horizontal track angle.
Install the bottom bolts, but do not tighten them at this time.
Check to make sure the cable is still on the drum and reinstall it if needed.
Secure the top of the end bearing plate.
Align the top of the bearing plate as needed. The plate should be plumb and secure.
Tighten the lower nuts and bolts at this time.
Lubricate both sides of the bearing.
Follow the same procedure for replacing the end bearing plate on the other side.
Check to make sure both cables are on the drums. Disengage the door from the opener and close the door manually to make sure the door works properly.
Last, reengage the opener, plug in the power cord, and run the door electrically with the opener.
