Garage door lift cables are the wire ropes that connect the bottom bracket of the door to the cable drum at the top of the vertical track. They translate the spring's stored torque into lift force. When one snaps, the door tilts, hangs sideways, or crashes depending on when in the cycle it failed.
The Immediate Rule
Stop using the door. Unplug the opener at the ceiling outlet. A door with one snapped cable is unbalanced — running the opener now can snap the remaining cable, bend the top section, or send the door out of its track.
Signs You Just Had a Cable Snap
- Loud twang or bang from the garage
- Door tilted diagonally when at rest
- Frayed or hanging cable visible along the vertical track
- Door heavier on one side than the other
- Opener straining or reversing partway
Do Not Yank the Bad Cable
Some homeowners try to pull the frayed cable clear or wrap it. Don't. The cable is under residual tension from the spring even at rest — grabbing it can whip the end into your hand. Wire strands slice fingers like a razor.
What We Replace on a Cable Call
- Both cables as a pair — matched length, gauge (usually 3/32" or 1/8"), and cable-drum compatibility
- Cable drums if they've grooved or scored
- Bottom-bracket fasteners (they loosen when a cable snaps)
- Full cycle-test and rebalance
What It Costs in DFW
Typical cable replacement runs $175–$350 for the pair, installed. Add $100–$200 if drums also need to be replaced (usually only on doors 12+ years old). Includes cycle-testing and warranty.
Why Cables Fail
Three DFW-specific reasons:
- Rust from summer humidity and winter road salt creeping under the bottom bracket
- Misaligned drums that overwrap the cable and create kinks
- Spring failure earlier — when a spring snaps, the shock load overloads the cable, and the cable fails a few weeks later. This is why we always inspect cables during a spring repair.
Once a year, look at both cables where they wrap around the drums. If you see frayed strands, kinks, or rust bloom, replace before failure — way cheaper than an emergency call.