Cable Repair & Replacement
A cable that has frayed, jumped its drum, or snapped leaves the door hanging crooked and unsafe to operate. We replace lift cables in pairs and re-set the drums the same day.
Why This Happens
Garage door lift cables run from the bottom bracket of the door up to a grooved drum on the torsion shaft, and they carry the entire weight of the door once the springs have counterbalanced it. They fail in three common ways: the strands fray where the cable rubs a worn pulley or bracket, the cable slips off the drum when the door is forced or hits an obstruction, or it snaps outright after a spring breaks and dumps the full door weight onto it. The tell-tale signs are a door that sits visibly crooked in the opening, a loud slap or bang from one side, a cable coiled loose at the bottom of the track, or a door that will only travel a few inches before binding. Because the cables and springs share the same load path, a snapped cable very often means a spring is also at the end of its life, so we check both. Replacement means fitting new cables in a matched pair, re-spooling both drums to identical tension so the door lifts level, and running a full balance test before the opener is reconnected.
What We Do
Both cables replaced as a pair so the door lifts level, never one side at a time.
Cables re-seated and drums re-spooled to matching tension after a slip.
Worn drums, end bearings, and torsion shafts replaced when they caused the failure.
Rusted or bent bottom brackets swapped out — the anchor point cables pull against.
Seized pulleys on extension-spring doors replaced to stop repeat fraying.
Full balance test plus spring inspection, since cable failure often follows a spring.
How It Works
Describe what you see — crooked door, loose cable, loud bang.
We check cables, drums, springs, and brackets, then quote in writing.
New matched cables fitted and both drums re-spooled to equal tension.
Door cycled and balance-tested, with a written parts & labor warranty.
Pricing
Cost depends on whether one or both cables need replacing and what caused the failure.
| Service | Typical Cost |
|---|---|
| Cable off drum — re-seat and re-spool | $130 – $190 |
| Lift cable pair replacement | $160 – $250 |
| Cable pair + drum replacement | $220 – $340 |
| Cable replacement alongside spring repair | Quoted together — see Spring Repair |
Includes parts, labor, drum re-spooling, and balance testing. Confirmed in writing before we start.
Common Questions
The clearest signs are a door that hangs crooked in the opening, a cable coiled loose beside the track, a loud slap or bang from one side, or a door that binds after travelling a few inches. Stop using the door and call for repair — running the opener will make the damage worse.
We always replace lift cables in pairs. The second cable has taken the same number of cycles and the same wear, and mismatched cables make the door lift unevenly, which chews through rollers and the track.
Re-seating a cable that has come off the drum typically runs $130–$190, while a full lift cable pair replacement is usually $160–$250. If the drums are worn and need replacing too, expect $220–$340.
Yes. Once a cable fails, the door weight is carried unevenly and the door can drop or twist in the opening. Do not force the door by hand or with the opener, and keep people and vehicles out from under it until it is repaired.
Springs and cables share the same load path. When a spring breaks, the full weight of the door lands on the cables and drums, which frequently snaps or unwinds them. That is why we inspect the springs on every cable call.
Related
Call now for a free estimate — Yakima's local, licensed garage door technicians.
📞 Call (509) 555-0142