Garage Door Rollers

Garage Door Rollers are one of the key components to keep your garage door functioning smoothly and increasing the life of the garage door and garage door opener. Garage door rollers run in the tracks to help hold the door in the proper position or alignment. The smoother the roller operates the less resistance while opening or closing the garage door. There are many types and strengths of garage door rollers.

The rollers themselves can be made of steel (with or without ball bearings), plastic (without ball bearings) and nylon wrapped steel rollers with ball bearings and totally sealed ball bearings. The standard sizes for the wheels are 1″ inch, 2″ inch and 3″ inch. Most standard residential rollers are 2″ inch, which actually measure 1 3/4″ inches.

The stems which the wheels attach to can be made of steel, zinc plated steel or stainless steel and come in different lengths and diameters for residential and commercial applications as well as rust proof/resistant types. Standard stem lengths are 4″ inch and 7″ inch and the standard stem diameter is 7/16th” inch.

Maintaining the rollers on your garage door will help extend the life of the garage door and garage door opener. It will also help with noise created when the garage door opens and closes. Proper maintenance includes visual inspection for wear or damage to the roller , checking for play in the roller itself and the bearings, and lubrication of the bearings (if bearings are present and not sealed).

Nylon Rollers

 

Nylon rollers are steel rollers encased in nylon that have ball bearings attached to the stems. The number of ball bearings will determine the weight per wheel and will affect the efficiency of the roller. Nylon rollers with 10 ball bearings are rated at 75 pounds per roller with a 10,000-15,000 life cycle rating. Nylon rollers with 11-13 ball bearings are rated at 100+ pounds per roller with a life cycle rating of 50,000. Nylon rollers are as durable as steel rollers with the benefit of the nylon coating to make them much quieter than steel.

Pros:

Nylon rollers combine the strength of steel rollers with the quietness from the nylon. Nylon rollers like steel rollers will need periodic maintenance(oil) to maintain a smooth quiet function.

Nylon Double Sealed Rollers

 

Nylon double sealed rollers provide all the benefits of the nylon rollers on quietness and strength with the added benefit of being totally sealed. The weight rating for double sealed nylon rollers is 100+ pounds per roller with 50,000-75,000 life cycles. The double seal makes this the perfect roller for very wet and or dirty applications as the roller and bearing are completely sealed, allowing little if any outside moisture or dirt to enter the roller or bearings.

Pros:

Strength and durability of Double Sealed Rollers compared to standard steel or nylon rollers as well as sealing out moisture and dirt from the roller and bearings.

Steel Rollers

Steel rollers are simply steel wheels attached to the end of the shaft. Steel rollers can have ball bearings and in most cases do but some steel rollers do not have ball bearings. (visual inspection required to determine if ball bearings are present or not) Steel rollers are strong and will not break easily under normal use. Steel 7 ball bearing rollers are rated at 35 pounds per roller with a 5,000-7,000 life cycle expectancy. A life cycle is one full up and down cycle. Life cycles are not absolute, thus the range of cycles could be more or less based on climate and maintenance of the roller. Steel 10 ball bearing rollers are rated at 75 pounds per roller with a 10,000-15,000 life cycle expectancy.

 

Pros:

Steel rollers are strong and durable.

Cons:

Noisy and require periodic maintenance(oil).

Plastic Rollers

Plastic rollers are just that, plastic wheels attached to the end of the shaft with no ball bearings. Plastic rollers should last 2-3 years under normal use and are rated at 30 pounds per roller.

Pros:

Inexpensive builder quality

Cons:

Will wear out very quickly and there is no real maintenance to increase the life cycle of plastic rollers.

 

Roller Stems

 

Residential garage door roller stems are typically 7/16th ” inch diameter and are either 4” inches or 7″ inches long. Most residential garage doors only require 4″ inch long stems to support the weight of the garage door effectively, however if the garage door is extremely heavy or a carriage style door it may require 7″ inch long stems. Carriage style garage doors often use a double hinge system that requires use of the 7″ inch stems.

Note: Some garage door companies have begun using 7″ inch stems as replacements, with the belief that if the door goes off track the extra length off the stem will help prevent the rollers from falling out and ultimately help keep the door from completely falling.

Veteran Garage Door carries a wide selection of nylon rollers to fit your garage door needs and desires. We have cost efficient products if cost is your primary concern as well as products that will operate smoothly and quietly. The choice is yours.