Garage doors use cable for several purposes. Many people might refer to this as ‘aircraft cable’ – it is a pliable twisted cable of a number of strands of stainless-steel wire. As opposed to galvanized wire, stainless-steel lasts longer and does not transfer rust. The primary use for this is a part called a ‘lift cable’. This cable is attached to the bottom bracket and then routed to the counterbalance spring as required by the type of counterbalance on your door. The secondary use for cable on many doors is a ‘safety cable’. This cable goes inside the extension spring to prevent it from shooting across the garage and damaging something or injuring someone. This cable is used on overhead type doors along with extension springs.
Rollers are the little wheels that ride along the track on your garage door, and most 7′ high garage doors have 10 of them. There are several types and their purpose is to allow rolling doors to roll.
Repairing cables or rollers on your own can be very dangerous, so if you need maintenance or replacements in your garage door system, be sure to call your local garage door repair experts.