Garage door rollers: nylon vs steel, and when to replace them

Rollers carry the door up and down the tracks, and the type you have affects noise and wear. This guide compares nylon and steel rollers, lists the signs of a worn roller you can spot from the floor, and explains why replacement is work for a technician.

A roller is a small wheel on a stem that sits in a hinge on the edge of each door panel and rides inside the track. Garaga says the rollers should roll in the track, not slide. They keep the door moving along the track.

A worn roller adds friction. Clopay lists worn rollers among the causes of a door that struggles to close, and Creative Door says worn rollers may make the door vibrate more than usual. Extra friction also makes the opener work harder, which can make a door reverse or stop. See opener reverses or stops partway.

Creative Door also says both materials are durable and have comparable lifespans, and that most experts recommend nylon. That is a vendor view, not independent testing. Garaga adds a third type, black rubber rollers without ball bearings, which it recommends only for doors under 10 feet wide.

Creative Door says that the more ball bearings a roller has, the longer its life, and that plastic rollers without bearings should be replaced as soon as you can. Clopay suggests that if metal rollers are noisy, nylon rollers are a quieter upgrade. Exact lifespans vary by brand and use, so we do not quote a number.

You can check most of these from the floor with the door at rest, or learn of them by ear.

• Squeaking or screeching as the door moves. Clopay ties squeaks to dry moving parts or worn rollers or hinges.
• Grinding. Creative Door attributes grinding to poorly lubricated or worn-out rollers.
• Extra vibration or a rough ride.
• A door that lurches or sticks, which Creative Door says can come from a damaged roller.
• A roller that is chipped, flat-spotted, wobbly or seized, or one that slides rather than rolls.
• A roller that has come out of the track. Do not operate the door. See garage door off its track.

Worn rollers are one of several causes of noise. For a full list by sound, see why a garage door is noisy.

These steps keep you clear of the springs, cables and brackets. Only do them if the door is level, sitting in its tracks, and not stuck.

1. Look at the tracks along each side for debris, dirt or a roller that sits out of the channel.
2. With the door at rest, look at each visible roller. Note any that look cracked, flat or loose.
3. Listen to the door as it moves under the opener's power, if it runs normally. Note where along the travel a noise appears.
4. If the door is noisy but otherwise normal, lubricate the rollers. Clopay and Creative Door both advise silicone-based spray or lithium grease and say WD-40 is not a lubricant. Garaga says oil-based products are the worst for squeaky rollers and to wipe off excess right away.
5. Photograph the rollers and the pattern of noise for a technician.

Do not lubricate or touch the springs, cables or bottom brackets. See what to lubricate on a garage door.

Garaga states that replacing garage door rollers is dangerous and homeowners should not do it themselves. Springs are under high tension. The bottom roller sits in the bottom bracket, which anchors the lift cable and carries the spring load. One door company calls the bracket one of the most dangerous components on the door and says replacing a bottom roller is a professional-only job.

DASMA states that brackets should be adjusted or loosened only by a trained door systems technician. Garaga describes a technician working with the door down, replacing one roller before removing the next because the hinges and rollers hold the door in place, and unwinding and rewinding the springs where needed.

• A roller is out of the track, or the door is crooked or hanging lower on one side.
• Noise continues after lubrication. Clopay's page says to call a professional if noise persists after basic maintenance.
• Rollers are chipped, flat, loose or seized, or plastic rollers are present.
• The door is hard to lift, sticks or drops, or you heard a bang. See signs a spring is broken.
• You see a frayed cable or bent track. See frayed or snapped cable.

Our technicians inspect the rollers, hinges, tracks and springs together, confirm the cause first, and replace rollers. See roller replacement and maintenance and tune-ups. Garaga says other parts often need service at the same time.

• Garage Door Roller Replacement
• Garage Door Maintenance and Tune-Ups

• Creative Door: How to choose between steel and nylon garage door rollers
• Garaga: Steps a professional door installer takes to maintain or replace rollers
• Clopay: How to fix a noisy garage door
• Creative Door: Troubleshoot a noisy garage door by type of noise
• Affordable Door Co: Garage door bottom bracket safety
• DASMA: Garage door safety information