A garage door shakes or jerks when something drags or loosens: worn rollers, loose bolts or brackets, a misaligned track, an unbalanced door or a loose opener chain or belt. Disconnect the opener and move the door by hand. If it moves smoothly, look at the opener. If it binds, look at the door.
Start by splitting the door from the opener
The fastest way to narrow it down is to separate the two. Chamberlain says to close the door, disconnect it with the manual release and open and close it by hand. It should move easily with one hand. If it sticks or binds, the problem is in the door, and Chamberlain says to clear obstructions, lubricate and call a professional if it continues.
If the door moves smoothly by hand, run the opener with the door disconnected. Chamberlain suggests this to find out whether the opener alone is noisy. If it is, check the chain or belt tension in the owner's manual.
Symptom to likely cause
| What you see or hear | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Door catches or jerks at the same spot each time | A misaligned or dented track, or a worn roller | Look at the track and rollers at that spot. A track out of alignment is a technician job |
| Door is smooth by hand but jerks with the opener | Chain or belt tension, or the opener's drive | Check tension and the manual, or have the opener looked at |
| Door binds, feels heavy or drops by hand | Out of balance: a spring or cable problem | Stop and call a technician |
| Rattling and shaking together | Loose bolts, hinges or mounting brackets | Tighten carefully and recheck |
| Squeaking and a rough ride | Dry hinges or worn rollers | Lubricate hinges and non-nylon rollers, replace worn rollers |
A guide to narrowing it down, not a diagnosis. Look at the door in person before you decide.
Five checks you can do safely
- Watch from the side. Note where the shake starts: the top, the middle, one side or the whole door.
- Disconnect and move the door by hand, as above, and stop if it is heavy or crooked.
- Look at the rollers and hinges. Clopay says rollers are often the first parts to wear out, and worn rollers or hinges can squeak and rattle.
- Wipe the tracks with a damp cloth. Clopay says to clean the tracks and not lubricate them, because lubricant makes the rollers work harder. Lubricate hinge pins and non-nylon rollers with a silicone-based product.
- Check for loose hardware. Vibration loosens bolts and brackets. Tighten by hand and do not overtighten, which can strip threads or damage the door.
These parts are under high tension. Clopay says bottom brackets must not be removed while the door is under tension and that spring and cable work belongs to a professional.
What a track problem looks like
Clopay says misaligned tracks are a common reason a door catches or sticks, and that a professional should adjust tracks that are out of alignment. Look for a gap between the rollers and the track wall, a dent or bend, or a track pulling away from the wall. A door that is shaking because its track is bent can come off the track, so do not keep running it. See bent or misaligned tracks and what to do if the door comes off the track.
Quick answers
Why does my garage door shake when it opens?
Common causes are worn rollers, loose bolts or brackets, a misaligned track, an unbalanced door or a loose chain or belt on the opener. Disconnect the opener and move the door by hand to tell the door from the opener.
Should I lubricate the tracks?
Clopay says to wipe the tracks clean and not lubricate them, because lubricant makes the rollers work harder. Lubricate hinge pins and non-nylon rollers instead.
Is a jerky garage door dangerous?
It can be. A door that binds, feels heavy or drops by hand is out of balance, and Chamberlain says that needs a trained technician. Stop using it.
Can I adjust the track myself?
Clopay says a professional should adjust a track that is out of alignment. You can check that it is firmly fastened to the wall, but do not loosen the bottom brackets.
When the opener is the problem
If the door runs smoothly by hand and the jerking comes only with power, the drive is the suspect. Chamberlain lists chain tension, belt tension and, on screw drives, lubrication as things to check. If the door and opener are each quiet alone, it also says to confirm that the header and door brackets are in the right places. Clopay says a chain that sounds like it is dragging needs expert attention. Our opener repair page covers what we replace.
What a fix costs
A set of rollers, new sensors or a tune-up is $150 to $350 with us. A door that has come off its track is $175 to $450. A 12-point safety inspection is $89 and covers the springs, cables, rollers, tracks, sensors and opener. We confirm the final price after we see the door.
Get it checked
Emil Garage Doors repairs doors and openers across Southern California, for example in Goleta, Chowchilla and Beaumont. Call (213) 340-4232 or send the estimate form, and tell us where the shaking starts and whether the door is smooth by hand.
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