Skip to content
LoclisBeta
Sign up
TroubleshootingDoor Alignment

Why is my garage door crooked when it opens?

A door that rises crooked usually has a track that has shifted or bent, loose track supports, a worn roller or bent hinge on one side, or springs and cables that no longer lift evenly. Look from inside with the door closed, note which side lags, and stop using the opener. Anything touching the springs, cables or bottom brackets is for a pro.

Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.

By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished

Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.

Step by step

Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.

  1. Step 1: Stop using the opener

    Press the wall button to stop the door and leave it alone if it is leaning or jammed; operating a door with damaged track could be hazardous.[1]

  2. Step 2: Note the pattern

    Write down which side rises late, where along the travel it tilts, and whether it rubs, scrapes or squeals.

  3. Step 3: Look at the vertical tracks

    With the door closed, look up each side for a dent, a kink, a gap that is wider on one side, or a track that has pulled away from the jamb.

  4. Step 4: Compare the gap

    Compare the space between the door edge and the track on the left and right; Clopay leaves about 1/2 inch.[1]

  5. Step 5: Check the tops of the tracks

    Measure from the top of the door to the top of each vertical track; the tops of the vertical tracks must be level with each other.[1]

  6. Step 6: Look at rollers and hinges

    Check each roller you can see for broken wheels, bent shafts or wear, and each hinge for bending or loose screws.[1]

  7. Step 7: Check the balance by hand

    With the door closed and the opener detached by its quick-release cord, lift the door by its handle a short way and see whether it stays put when stopped.[2]

  8. Step 8: Call a door pro

    If you find a bent track, a door that will not stay put, or anything near the springs, cables or bottom brackets, stop and book a technician.

Garage door parts on a white background: two long torsion springs, cable drums, bearing plates, coiled cables and a set of rollers
Photo: Blizzard6204, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

A garage door that rises crooked is almost always being held back or pushed unevenly on one side. The usual causes are a track that has shifted or bent, loose track supports, a worn roller or bent hinge, and springs or cables that no longer lift evenly. You can find out which with a careful look from the floor, but you should not fix the last of those yourself.

The usual causes

A shifted or bent track. The tracks guide the rollers, and Clopay's installation manual leaves about 1/2" between the edge of the door and the track, and warns that forcing the track too tightly will make the door bind.[1] A car bumper, a loose bracket or years of vibration can move a track so the gap is tight on one side and wide on the other. The same manual says the tops of the vertical tracks must be level with each other.[1] If one is higher, that side catches or lags.

Loose or missing supports. Along the ceiling, the rear track hangers should hold the horizontal track level and square to the door.[1] When hanger screws loosen, the track sags or spreads and the door twists as it turns the curve. Clopay's annual maintenance list says to "Check the door and track supports for loose or missing bolts, screws, etc."[1]

A worn roller or bent hinge. A roller with a broken wheel, a bent shaft or worn bearings drags on its side. Clopay's annual maintenance list says to "Check roller for broken wheels, bent shafts, or worn out bearings."[1] A bent hinge does the same. Replacing rollers and hinges has its own cautions; see how to replace garage door rollers.

Uneven lift. Springs and cables do the lifting. If one side is slack or weak, that side rises late. CPSC describes the test: a properly operating door is "balanced," which means it will stay in place when stopped in any partially-open position.[2] A door that fails it needs a technician.

Check it safely

Start with the opener. Clopay warns that if the garage door or any of the supporting track are damaged, operating the door could be hazardous,[1] so a leaning or scraping door should stop being run on the opener. Then look, from the floor and with the door closed.

Walk both sides. Look for a dent or kink in the track, a gap that is wider at the top than the bottom, or screws that have backed out of the jamb. Compare the left and right gap, and measure from the top of the door to the top of each vertical track to see whether the tops are level.

Check the balance last. With the door closed, pull the quick-release cord to detach the opener, lift the door by its handle a short way and let go. If it stays put, the springs are probably doing their job. If it drops or rises, stop: CPSC says a severely unbalanced garage door could unexpectedly crash to the floor possibly striking someone under the open door.[2]

Do not grease the track to quiet it. LiftMaster's maintenance schedule says not to grease the door's tracks.[3]

What a pro will do

A technician measures the gap and level of both tracks, checks the horizontal track for square, tightens or re-hangs supports, replaces rollers and hinges, and tests the balance with the door secured. What realigning a track involves walks through the work, and what track alignment costs in Virginia covers the price drivers. Ask for the quote in writing and for the problem found, not just the fix.

Stop and call a pro if

  • The track is bent, cracked or pulled from the jamb. Clopay's annual maintenance list says: "Check for bent track. If bent, call an authorized professional dealer."[1]
  • The door is not balanced. CPSC says doors that are not "balanced," or that bind or stick, should be serviced by a professional.[2]
  • You are near the springs, cables or bottom corners. Clopay warns that the brackets at the bottom corners are "under great tension" and that springs, cables and bottom fixtures are "under strong spring tension."[1] Do not loosen their fasteners.
  • A roller has come out or the door is off the track. Leave it where it is and read what to do if the door comes off its track.
  • The door leans to one side and will not move freely by hand.

Getting help in Virginia

Browse licensed local companies under garage door repair or read more garage door repair answers. When you are ready, describe the problem once and local garage door pros will quote it.

Common questions

Why does only one side of my garage door go up first?
The side that lags is usually held back by something: a dented or shifted track, a roller that is worn or stuck, or a spring or cable on that side that is not lifting its share. Watch which side rises late and note it for the technician; it narrows the cause quickly.
Is it safe to keep using the opener on a crooked door?
No. A door that tilts is binding somewhere, and the opener keeps pushing against the bind. Clopay's manual says that if the door or any supporting track is damaged, operating it could be hazardous. Stop using the opener and open or close the door by hand only if it moves freely.
Can I just tap a bent track back into shape?
It rarely works and it is risky. A tapped track can leave a kink the rollers catch on, and the fasteners around the track are not all safe to loosen. Clopay's own maintenance list says that if a track is bent, call an authorized professional dealer.
Could a broken spring make the door lopsided?
Yes. If one spring has broken or stretched, the door can lift unevenly or feel heavy. Do not examine or adjust springs yourself. If the door will not stay in place when stopped partway, treat it as unbalanced and call a pro.
Will greasing the track fix the tilt?
No, and it can make things worse by collecting dirt. LiftMaster's maintenance schedule says not to grease the door's tracks. A tilt means something is out of line, not that the track needs lubricant.

Sources

  1. [1] Avante Garage Door Installation Instructions, Clopay Building Products. Checked October 27, 2026.
  2. [2] Non-Reversing Automatic Garage Door Openers Are a Hazard (CPSC publication 523), U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Checked October 27, 2026.
  3. [3] LiftMaster Residential Maintenance, LiftMaster. Checked October 27, 2026.

Want a pro to handle it?

Describe the job once. Licensed local businesses send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.