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My garage door is loud. I didn't realize this until I visited a friend who has a garage door that's nearly silent. He says he has a belt-driven door opener and nylon door wheels, while I have chain-driven opener with metal wheels.

Are these really making his garage door quieter, or is my noise generated by something else?

If so, are these parts user-replaceable?

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    Do you run up to your room and try to fall asleep while your garage door is closing? The loud ones are usually loud because they are old and people didn't care. And most importantly they are old and still working fine. I just had a spring replaced in my door and the guy working on it gave me some compliments on my circa 1967 belt driven tank of an opener. He said the new ones average 10-12 years by design.
    – DMoore
    Apr 14, 2015 at 5:17
  • Is the noise coming from the whine of the motor or the screech of the actual door or slides? typically those old motors also made lots of noise!
    – Hightower
    Apr 14, 2015 at 6:21
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    lubrication in the correct places will also help, though that requires you to tell where/what noise it is
    – ratchet freak
    Apr 14, 2015 at 10:43
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    Another source of sound could be vibrations transmitted by framing. Btw, @DMoore - in some households one person may go to work or school while others still sleep.
    – TomG
    Apr 14, 2015 at 21:21
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    @aaron You lube the bearings in the rollers (and anywhere else there are bearings), all the hinge joints, and the top of the trolley rail. You do not lube the track, you clean the track. You can use lithium or silicone lubricants, but don't use things like WD-40.
    – Tester101
    Apr 16, 2015 at 16:38

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I repaired and installed residential garage doors and openers as well as commercial and industrial doors and operators for twelve Years. The steel rollers don't make a really big differance. They will click as they turn if they are a year or more old but that can usually be stopped by using a lubricant. WD-40 is great for cleaning out the grime/dirt but doesn't leave a residue being that will keep them quiet.

You are going to notice a big difference if you change your opener/operator to a belt drive though.

My recommendation is to buy a belt drive operator from a dealer. I say a dealer because they get the solid one-piece rail, whereas the 'sears' ones have to be assembled and retightened once every year or twp.

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  • I don't understand what clicking you are talking about. The bearings/bushings in the rollers? Or is it sound that comes from the surface of the roller that runs against the track?
    – Mads Skjern
    Apr 17, 2020 at 17:19
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ATOH did a quick video on limiting the vibrations: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1631898,00.html

Mount the opener floating from some thick rubber straps

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I used lots of grease in the tracks where the wheels of the doors roll. That has helped. If you have the time and energy, try the following:

Take the door completely off and replace the wheels with smaller ones; with the wheels about 1/2 inch smaller than the inside diameter of the tracks.

Line the tracks with strips of 1/4 inch thick rubber. Be sure to include the insides of the curved edges as well as the track.

Reinstall the door.

I have seen this done somewhere a long time ago and it made an enormous difference.

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