How to Adjust a Garage Door: Balance, Tracks, Opener Limits

A garage door that shudders, rubs on the stop moulding, leaves a gap on one side or stops and reverses for no obvious reason is frustrating — and it’s often a sign of simple misalignment or incorrect opener settings rather than a failed door. Left unchecked, those symptoms can chew through rollers and tracks, strain the motor and compromise safety.

The good news? With a careful, step‑by‑step approach you can diagnose the cause and make precise adjustments that restore smooth, quiet operation. We’ll show you how to work safely, isolate the opener from the door, check balance without touching dangerous torsion springs, straighten tracks, and fine‑tune travel limits, force and sensors. Most fixes are small, measured tweaks followed by testing — not major rebuilds.

This practical Australian guide covers both sectional and roller doors and focuses on DIY tasks a competent home owner can handle. You’ll learn what to adjust (and what to leave to a pro), the tools you’ll need, and the order to do things for reliable results. Start by making the area safe and diagnosing the fault, then follow the steps to bring your door back into alignment and your opener back into tune.

Step 1. Diagnose the problem and make it safe

Before you touch a spanner, slow down and size up what the door is doing. Most “how to adjust garage door” fixes are small alignment or opener‑tuning tweaks, but safety comes first — torsion springs are under extreme tension and must not be loosened by DIYers. Start with the door closed and work methodically so you don’t turn a minor niggle into a bigger problem.

Close the door fully: If it’s stuck mid‑travel or won’t stay down, stop and call a pro.
Isolate power at the GPO: Turn the opener off; don’t pull the red release cord yet (that’s next step).
Inspect, don’t touch: Look for bent tracks, loose brackets/lag bolts, frayed cables, worn rollers, and rub marks on the stop moulding or a side/bottom gap.
Check sensors: Note if photo eyes are misaligned or dirty — you’ll clean and align them later.
Prepare tools and protection: Ladder, socket/wrench set, screwdriver, spirit level, rubber mallet, silicone spray, safety glasses and gloves.
Secure the door before loosening hardware: Place a C‑clamp or locking pliers on each track just above the bottom roller to prevent movement.
Critical warning: Do not loosen torsion spring set screws or attempt spring tensioning — that’s a licensed‑tech job.

Step 2. Disconnect the opener and test the door manually

To pinpoint whether you’re dealing with track/alignment issues or opener settings, you need to feel how the door moves by hand. This isolates the mechanism from the motor. Only do this with the door fully closed and the area clear.

Release the drive: Pull the red emergency‑release cord down and back to disengage the trolley from the opener.
Remove any track clamps you set earlier so the door can move, and station a helper if available.
Lift the door by hand through its full travel. It should move smoothly without scraping, jerks or stalls. Don’t let go.
Note problem spots: Rubbing on the stop moulding, a side catching, or sticking mid‑travel points to track/bracket alignment.
Lower gently and recheck: If the door is extremely heavy or shoots up, flag this for the balance test in the next step.
If the door won’t move or cables look loose/frayed, stop and call a professional.

Step 3. Test door balance (do not adjust torsion springs yourself)

Before you adjust a garage door any further, confirm the counterbalance is doing its job. With the opener still disengaged, you’re checking whether the springs are carrying the weight so the door moves and holds position smoothly. Springs on sectional and roller doors are highly tensioned — testing is safe, adjusting is not. If balance is off, stop and book a technician.

Half‑open test: Lift to about waist height and let go carefully. It should stay put. If it drops, the spring is under‑tensioned; if it rises, it’s over‑tensioned.
Fully open test: Raise to the top. It should remain open without drifting down.
Feel for even weight: Jerky, uneven lift or one side feeling heavier hints at cable/drum issues — call a pro.
Broken spring signs: Gap in the coil, slack cables or a door that’s suddenly very heavy. Do not proceed.

If the door passes these tests, move on to track alignment.

Step 4. Align vertical tracks and correct side gaps

Now you’re ready to straighten the vertical tracks and set an even gap to the stop moulding/weather seal so the door neither rubs nor leaves daylight. This is a precise, low‑force job: small movements, test, then lock it off.

Close and secure the door: Fit a C‑clamp/locking pliers on each track just above the bottom roller.
Loosen one side only: Slightly loosen the lag/track bolts so the track can slide; don’t remove them.
Plumb the track: Tap the track with a rubber mallet until it’s perfectly vertical; confirm with a spirit level.
Set the side gap: Aim for a uniform ~1/4 inch (about 6 mm) between the door edge and stop moulding/weather seal.
Centre the rollers: Ensure rollers sit squarely in the track without pinching.
Tighten and repeat: Re‑tighten bolts, then mirror the adjustment on the opposite track.
Hand‑test travel: Remove clamps and move the door by hand; it should glide without rubbing or binding.

If you need excessive force to “pull” a track into position, stop and check for bent brackets or a warped frame.

Step 5. Set horizontal tracks and back-hangs (sectional doors)

With the verticals plumb and the side gaps even, turn to the horizontal tracks. Their job is to carry the door smoothly overhead, so they must be straight, level and firmly supported by back‑hangs (ceiling hangers). Work gently — small tweaks prevent twists that cause binding or noisy runs.

Secure the door open halfway: Clamp the tracks below a roller so the door can’t move while you work.
Check level and straightness: Use a spirit level along each horizontal track. Sight down the track to spot kinks, twists or sagging.
Match both sides: Measure between the horizontals at the front and rear; distances should be equal so the tracks are parallel.
Adjust back‑hangs: Loosen hanger bolts and lengthen/shorten the perforated angle to remove sag and keep the track straight. Re‑tighten into solid framing.
Square the joint: Ensure the curve (radius) and the horizontal meet the vertical track smoothly with no step or gap at the joint.
Recheck fasteners: Tighten all track bolts without over‑clamping the track against the rollers.
Hand‑test travel: Remove clamps and move the door fully open and closed; listen for rubbing or jerks and fine‑tune as needed.

Step 6. Centre the roller door curtain and set guide alignment (roller doors)

On roller doors, adjusting alignment starts at the side guides. If the curtain rubs or drifts, centre it by shifting the guides — never the spring barrel or drum set screws.

With the door closed and power isolated, disengage the opener and slightly loosen one guide’s fixings.
Shift that guide to centre the curtain, keeping even daylight both sides; tighten, then repeat on the other side.
Hand‑run the door. If it still walks or rubs, don’t touch the barrel/drums — call a pro.

Step 7. Adjust opener travel/limit settings (open and close height)

With the door running smoothly by hand, set the opener’s travel limits so it opens fully and closes with light compression on the bottom seal. Adjust travel/limits first — don’t “cheat” with force settings to fix a height issue; force comes next.

Re‑engage and power up: Reconnect the trolley to the door and restore power.
Find the limit controls: On most motors these are labelled UP/OPEN and DOWN/CLOSE (screws or dials). Check your manual.
Set the open height: If it stops short, turn the UP limit clockwise to increase travel. Make tiny moves (¼ turn); on many Chamberlain units one full turn ≈ 5 cm.
Set the close height: Turn the DOWN limit to bring the door to the floor with gentle seal compression. If it hits and reverses, reduce down travel slightly.
Cycle and fine‑tune: Run 2–3 full cycles from the wall button/remote and listen for any end‑of‑travel strain.

Step 8. Adjust opener force/sensitivity and test safety reversal

With travel limits set and the door running freely by hand, fine‑tune the opener’s force so it uses just enough effort to move the door and always reverses on obstruction. Too much force can mask mechanical problems and is unsafe; too little causes random stops or mid‑travel reversals.

Locate force controls: Most motors have labelled dials/screws for UP (open) force and DOWN (close) force.
Set UP force: If the door stalls when opening, turn the UP force slightly clockwise. Test after each small tweak.
Set DOWN force: If the door reverses before the floor (and sensors are aligned), turn the DOWN force slightly clockwise. Avoid large changes.
Safety reversal test: Place a solid object under the door and close it. It must stop and reverse immediately. If not, reduce DOWN force slightly and re‑test, then recheck sensors/balance.
If big increases are needed: Stop and revisit balance/track alignment or call a professional.

Step 9. Align and clean safety sensors (photo eyes)

Photo eyes stop the door if something crosses the opening. When they’re dirty, knocked out of line or loose, the opener may refuse to close or reverse for no clear reason. With the door closed and power on, align and clean them so your safety reversal works reliably.

Locate the two sensor heads near the bottom of the door tracks and inspect brackets/wiring for damage.
Clean both lenses with a soft, dry cloth and clear any cobwebs or debris.
Loosen, square the heads so they point directly at each other, then tighten the brackets.
Ensure both sensors are at the same height and that nothing blocks the beam.
Test: place a solid object in the doorway and command close — the door should stop and reverse immediately. If not, re‑check alignment and retest.

Step 10. Lubricate, tighten hardware and replace worn rollers/seals

With alignment and limits spot‑on, lock in your gains by reducing friction and securing the hardware. This simple tune keeps your “how to adjust garage door” work quiet and reliable. Do this with the door closed, opener isolated, and take your time.

Tighten fixings: Snug hinge screws, track bolts and bracket lag screws into solid framing.
Inspect rollers: Replace cracked, flat‑spotted or wobbly rollers; don’t disturb torsion spring hardware.
Lubricate lightly: Use silicone/white‑lithium on roller bearings, hinges and spring coils; avoid the tracks.
Refresh seals: Replace brittle bottom seal and side/top weatherstrip to remove light/draft gaps.
Clean up: Wipe overspray and debris; spin rollers by hand to confirm smooth, quiet operation.

Step 11. Final checks, troubleshooting and when to call a professional

Run a final systems check. You’re looking for smooth, quiet travel, correct stop points and a reliable safety reversal. Cycle the door several times from the wall button and the remote, listening for rubs and watching the bottom seal meet the floor. If behaviour changes between cycles, revisit the previous steps.

Reverses on close: Clean/align sensors, tweak DOWN limit, use minimal DOWN force.
Stops mid‑travel: Look for binding; recheck track plumb/level and back‑hangs.
Call a professional if: Failed balance; damaged springs/cables; bent tracks/panels; torsion/drum work needed; force must be cranked up or the motor grinds.

Step 12. Build a simple maintenance routine to keep your door in tune

A quick, repeatable routine prevents small issues becoming big repairs — and stops the same “how to adjust garage door” jobs from coming back. Set a reminder every few months and work through this short checklist to keep things smooth, safe and quiet.

Inspect and tighten: Snug track/hinge/bracket fixings into solid framing; don’t touch spring set screws.
Clean and lube: Wipe tracks clean (no grease). Lightly lubricate rollers, hinges and spring coils with silicone/white‑lithium.
Check balance by hand: Half‑open test; if it won’t hold position, call a professional.
Verify safety systems: Clean/align photo eyes and confirm auto‑reverse with a solid obstruction.
Seasonal tune: Recheck open/close limits and bottom/side seals after temperature or floor changes.
Listen and log: New noises or rub marks mean recheck alignment before they worsen.

Wrapping up

A careful diagnose–adjust–test routine is the fastest way to turn a jumpy, gappy or reversing garage door into a smooth, safe, quiet one. You’ve set the mechanics straight, tuned the opener, verified safety reversal and locked in reliability with light lubrication and firm fixings. Keep up a simple seasonal check and most issues won’t return. If balance fails, parts are damaged, or you’re ready to upgrade, choose Australian‑made quality with DIY‑friendly options delivered to your door. Explore doors, openers and accessories at DoorSupply and get the right gear for a cleaner, safer install.