Garage door loud grinding or rattling when it moves
This is almost always a worn rollers, dry bearings, or a failing opener gear. Repair costs $130 to $290 and takes 45 to 60 minutes. Safe to operate: Yes, but book it.
Why this happens
Grinding is usually metal rollers that have lost their bearings, or dry hinges and shaft bearings. It is not an emergency, but it accelerates wear on the track and the opener, so the cheap repair becomes an expensive one if it is left.
Left: builder-grade steel with no bearing cage — what most doors ship with, and why they are loud. Right: nylon with a sealed bearing, which lasts two to three times longer for about $40 to $80 more per set.
Less likely, but possible
- Dry hinges and torsion shaft bearings, which is a lubrication issue not a parts issue
- Loose track fasteners vibrating against the wall
- An opener drive gear beginning to strip, which sounds harsher and comes from the motor rather than the door
What happens if I ignore it?
A roller with a failed bearing drags instead of rolling. That load transfers into the track, which wears and eventually bends, and into the opener, which draws more current on every cycle. A $200 roller set left two years commonly becomes rollers plus track work plus a shortened opener life.
The repair: roller and hinge repair
Garage door roller replacement costs $130 to $290 for a full set of ten to twelve, and takes about an hour. Grinding and rattling is the usual sign, and worn rollers accelerate wear on the track and the opener if they are left.
Read the full roller and hinge repair guide →Get a tech dispatched
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