How to tell if your garage door rollers are bad?

You can tell if your garage door rollers are bad by looking for visual, audible, and movement clues that indicate wear beyond what lubrication can fix. First, listen. Bad rollers produce a loud grinding, squealing, or rattling noise rather than a smooth hum, and the noise gets worse as the door moves through the curved section of track. Second, look at them. With the door closed, inspect each roller. If you have nylon rollers, look for cracked, chipped, or flattened tires, or nylon that has worn through to expose metal. If you have metal rollers, look for rust, flat spots, or excessive play where the wheel wobbles on the shaft. Third, test for play. Try to wiggle each roller side to side. A good roller has minimal play and spins freely. A bad roller wobbles loosely, does not spin, or seizes and slides instead of rolling. Fourth, check the tracks. If you see black dust or metal shavings inside the tracks, the rollers are grinding away. Fifth, observe door movement. Bad rollers cause the door to jerk, bind, or hesitate in one spot, or cause the door to come off balance. If rollers are more than 10 to 15 years old, are the original builder-grade metal type with only seven bearings, or show any of these signs, replace the entire set with sealed-bearing nylon rollers for quieter, longer-lasting operation.