Garage Door Cable Repair
Rusted, frayed or slack lift cables replaced and wound evenly on both drums so the door closes level again.
A lift cable is braided steel wire anchored at a bottom bracket on each side of the door and wrapped around a drum on the spring shaft; as the spring unwinds, the cable winds in and raises the door. When one frays, slips off its drum or snaps, one side of the door drops and the other hangs, which is why the door looks crooked and jams in the track. DASMA's safety guidance reserves cable replacement for trained technicians, because the whole system is under spring tension.
We secure the door and release the spring tension in a controlled way, then replace both cables rather than only the broken one, since both have carried the same load for the same years. Drums are checked for grooving, bottom brackets for rust, and the shaft and bearings for wear, and the door is re-tensioned until it rides level and balanced in its opening.
How a Failing Cable Shows Itself
- Frayed strands near the bottom bracket
- The bottom edge sits lower on one side than the other
- A cable lying slack or hanging off the drum
- The door jams partway and the opener strains
- Rust bloom or broken wires on the cable surface
- A cable that has unwound or bunched on its drum
🌊 The Hurricane Coast Factor
Corrosion is what shortens cable life here. The American Galvanizers Association lists tropical marine air as its own exposure class and says the rate of attack follows sea spray, repeated wetting and drying, and the length of time steel stays damp. A lift cable is made of many thin wires, so moisture can sit between the strands and work from the inside before anything shows on the surface. We look at the cable ends, the bottom brackets and the drum grooves, the places where a cable bends and holds moisture.
How We Handle It
Make the door safe
Door clamped closed and spring tension handled by the book before any cable is touched.
Replace both cables
Both lift cables replaced with the correct length and rating for the door.
Check drums and brackets
Drums, bottom brackets, bearings and the shaft inspected while the tension is off.
Level and test
Cable tension set evenly, door leveled in the opening and cycled with the opener.
Starting Prices: Garage Door Cable Repair
| Garage Door Cable Replacement | from $150 per cable |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic Service Call | $0 with a completed repair |
Cables are priced individually; the technician tells you whether the second one is worn enough to change too.
Questions about a figure? Reach the Miami office, compare every line on the services page or look through the photo gallery.