Garage door rollers attach the garage door to the garage door tracks and allow the garage door to open and close smoothly. Rollers come in several designs. Builder grade rollers are typically either hard plastic or steel with no ball bearings. These builder grade rollers should be replaced after about two years as they have no ball bearings and tend to wear out rapidly and can tend to cause the garage door to bind or squeak really bad.
Upgraded rollers are usually constructed of nylon and have ball bearings inside the rollers. The ball bearings can be an open design or a sealed bearing design. If the ball bearings are an open design then they should be lubricated about every 3-4 months to keep them working smoothly and quietly.
Then warranty on these upgraded rollers will vary by manufacturer, but typically from 2 years to lifetime again dependant on the type of roller and bearing design.
Rollers should be inspected at least once per year and recommended lubrication about every 3-4 months or twice a year at minimum. Keeping the rollers properly lubricated will prolong the life of the roller.
When inspecting the rollers you want to make sure the roller is firmly attached to the shaft and the roller should not wiggle or have play in it. If the roller wiggles or has play in it, then it is time to replace the rollers.
You will also want to make sure the roller spins freely on the shaft. If the roller is locked up or feels or sounds like it is grinding, it is time to replace the rollers.
Finally you want to look at the roller and make sure the roller is not cracked and that there are no chunks of rubber or nylon missing from the rollers. Replace as necessary.
Proper maintenance, lubrication and inspection can prevent expensive problems later. Rollers are fairly inexpensive, with good nylon rollers ranging from about $6 per roller up to $10 per roller depending on the type of ball bearings used, the diameter of the roller and the length of the roller shaft.
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