Garage door one side hangs lower than the other
This is almost always a cable off the drum, or a broken lift cable. Repair costs $140 to $260 and takes 45 to 60 minutes. Safe to operate: No.
Why this happens
A door sitting crooked has lost cable tension on the low side. Running the opener from here can pull the door fully out of its tracks, bend the sections, and turn a cable repair into a door replacement.
The cable should sit wound in the drum's grooves. Once it jumps out, that side of the door has nothing holding it up — which is why the door goes crooked and why you should stop using it.
Less likely, but possible
- A broken spring on a two-spring door, which unloads one side first
- A bent or loose track bracket letting that side drop
- A failed bottom bracket, which is under full cable tension and is dangerous to touch
What happens if I ignore it?
Running the opener drags the door diagonally through the tracks. A $180 cable repair becomes bent tracks and creased panels, and often a full replacement at $1,200 or more.
The repair: cable repair
Garage door cable repair costs $140 to $260 and takes 45 to 60 minutes. A door hanging lower on one side has lost cable tension and must not be operated — running it can pull the door out of its tracks entirely.
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