Garage door cables, or garage door lifting cables, are used in residential, commercial, and industrial sectional doors. They are attached to the spring system, either an extension spring or a torsion spring, and have specific characteristics regarding strength, flexibility, durability, and safety. Picking the right garage door cable for both extension and torsion spring systems can be tricky. The following are some of the basic selection criteria for garage door cables.
Length of Garage Door Cable
When replacing garage door cables, you need to understand the proper length. You can purchase cables specific to torsion spring doors for specific heights. The cable length is longer than the garage door’s design height.
For example, a 7’ high garage door would come with a 8’6” cable in some designs.
Thickness is also specified for the garage door cable to be installed, typically you will find about ⅛” cable thickness for these garage door cables.
With Different Door Max Weights Comes Different MBS
Garage door MBS is the minimum breaking strength associated with the garage door. With increases in door weight, increases in cable diameter may be required, with the cable associated.
For example, from 1/16” to 3/16” cable diameters, MBS(minimum breaking strength) is to increase.
Garage door cables or wires are noted as per the number of strands and wires per strand, which, indicates the strength of the cable itself.
For example, a 7×7 garage door cable has 7 strands and 7 wires per strand. As the diameter of a 7×7 garage door cable increases, the MBS will increase, too. Another standard garage door cable is 7×19, which has 7 strands and 19 wires per strand. Typically, any 7×19 garage door lifting cable will be stronger than a 7×7 lifting cable and have a higher MBS.
Table below is for two cable systems.
Torsion Spring vs. Extension Spring Cables
In the torsion spring system, garage door cable loops to the cable drum from the bottom of the garage door. As the door opens, the torsion spring unwinds, working with the garage door opener, and rotates the cable drum. The cable drum starts wrapping up the lifting cable until the door is completely open. During this time the cable is under tension.
Extension spring cable attaches to the reach of the track and the frame of your garage door system. The extension spring is under tension, with the extension spring on the garage door, as the door opens / closes. Extension spring cables are looped back on themselves, from the spring to the drum, parallel with the ceiling of your garage door.
Necessary Length of Cables
The length varies on the style of the garage door. For example, the high-lift and vertical-lift doors on commercial overhead doors may need longer garage door cables.
But for your typical residential garage door the cable length is typically the height of the door plus about 18”. You can get garage door cables pre-assembled, meaning they come with sleeves and loops, for easy installation, or you can buy the parts separate.
Most cable lengths for 7’ or 8’ high garage doors come with pre-assembled connections, etc.
Summary
We Carry Cables in Bulk
Our team has garage door steel cable in bulk to suit various purposes. We are full service garage door repair technicians. Generally when dealing with garage door technicians, expect for cable to be provided in bulk.
Garage Door Cable Elements
As we noted previously, you buy the rope or cable when you buy garage door cables. But the cable is broken out into strands, and those individual strands are broken out into wires. The more wires, then the more strength the cable has.
When you trust a professional garage door service technician for your garage door cable replacement or repair work, they will both select the right cable and adjust accordingly for the right length. The cable tension is critical with torsion spring and extension spring garage door systems for overall balancing the garage door installation.
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