The Lubrication Schedule by Component

Lubrication is the one maintenance job everybody attempts and the one most often aimed at the wrong places. It is set out as a schedule by component in the guide Orange County Garage Door Tune Up, CA ageducate keeps, because a garage door has parts that want a light oil, parts that want grease and parts that want nothing at all, and treating them as a single job is how a well meaning owner empties a whole can of aerosol into an Orange County garage and still hears it squeak.

Hinges and Roller Stems

Twice a year, a white lithium or silicone spray, one short burst at each hinge knuckle and each stem where it enters the hinge. Wipe off the run. These are plain bearings under light load and they are the source of most of the noise a door makes.

The Springs

Once a year, a light coat along the length of the torsion spring. It is less about friction between coils than about keeping water off the steel, which is what actually decides how many cycles a spring reaches in a coastal garage. A long nozzle or a spray bar reaches it without a ladder trip per coil.

End Bearings and the Shaft

Once a year, grease at the bearing plates on each side and at the centre bearing. These carry the whole shaft and they are the part that starts to howl. If a bearing has already begun to whine, oil quietens it for a fortnight and does not save it.

The Opener Rail

A chain drive wants a light grease along the rail where the trolley runs, applied thinly, once a year. A belt drive wants nothing on the belt at all. A screw drive wants a specific lithium product on the thread and is the one that genuinely fails if neglected, so check what is overhead before buying anything.

The Lock and the Keypad

A graphite or dry lubricant in the lock barrel, never oil, which gums up with dust. The keypad and the remote need nothing beyond a battery, and a wall button that has become sticky is a switch problem rather than a lubrication one.

The Two Places to Leave Dry

The inside of the track, which needs wiping and nothing else, since oil there collects grit into a paste that grinds at every roller. And any sealed bearing, including modern nylon wheels, where the product cannot get in and only attracts what will wear the outside. If a sealed part needs oil, it needs replacing.