Garage door openers/Lifts

[Tim B.]

Want to buy a lift for my garage. To make extra room, thought I'd have the garage door track re-hung so the door goes more vertical and less into the interior of the garage. It is a two car garage door & opener is in the center.

Was going to continue using the opener in the center, just raise closer to the ceiling and more towards the opening of the garage. A gargae door company came today and said I had to get a set-up where the motor is on one side of the track. Refused to discuss an opener in the center.

Has anyone had a problem using a opener in the center of the door with the track installed as mentioned? Anyone familiar with the motor on the side?

Thanks

[James B.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

Timothy,

I too have a garage door opener in the center, but to obtain extra clearance, I had the garage door company install extra high tracks. This brought the door up an additional 6~8 inches (and to within 4~5 inches of the ceiling). For additional clearance of the garage door opener, yes, a side opener is an option. For example, the Liftmaster 3800 Residential Jackshaft Garage Door Opener.

Jim

[Gary J.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I know that Lift Master makes an opener that you are talking about. I have a friend that converted 4 garage doors to this opener. No problems, what I really like about this unit is when it is in the close postion it throws a pin.

If I were converting the ones on my house this is what I would used.

[Alan D.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I installed a Hi Lift kit. It is about an eighteen inch extension added to upright at a slight angle to get more height. The added track is in the center of upper wheel in the picture.
Sometimes one forgets the car is on the lift and may open door - it will chop off antenna.

As for motor in center, don't think that will work at all so door company is correct. Naturally the side motor needs the springs in the center which is much better anyways. Go on web site for Liftmaster.

[Daniel K.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

Tim,

My doors use a torsion bar and springs to lift the door. Motors are on the side and are LiftMaster openers. These are the residential openers and come with a remote, remote light and a automatic door locking devise. Openers in operation are very quite and smooth running. If you can eliminate the center position door opener, it will be money well spent.

Dan K.

Also, do a search on "Over the Lift" and there is a wealth of information in this thread.

[Gerard F.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

Want to buy a lift for my garage. To make extra room, thought I'd have the garage door track re-hung so the door goes more vertical and less into the interior of the garage. It is a two car garage door & opener is in the center.

Was going to continue using the opener in the center, just raise closer to the ceiling and more towards the opening of the garage. A gargae door company came today and said I had to get a set-up where the motor is on one side of the track. Refused to discuss an opener in the center.

Has anyone had a problem using a opener in the center of the door with the track installed as mentioned? Anyone familiar with the motor on the side?

Thanks

Timothy,

I've got one of those side mount openers on one of my garage doors. Had to do it because of a cross beam in the garage about 8' back, where I couldn't mount a center one.

The side mount works on the torsion bar, and depending on the model, the motor is mounted on the side, or on the torsion bar itself above the door (as mine does).

They sure save a lot of space in not having the track and motor down the center. As they work on torsion, they also work much smoother and quieter. There is less push/pull on the door with a chain or belt drive running up and down the track.

Also, I think some models have a DC motor, where you can use a battery backup, in case of power failure. They also have an emergency release.

Compare to the two other center ones I have, I would go with the side one next time around.

[Tom R.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

My ceiling height is 9'4" and I'm using a four post lift. At first I used my existing center mount opener but it restricted the height and I found it difficult to work under. So I ordered a Liftmaster 3800 side mount opener and installed it myself. Very easy, quiet and it has a solenoid operated deadbolt that securely locks the door when closed.

I have more height now and can park my wife's car under it with my 63 on top. I usually work while sitting on a small rolling stool with a parts tray below it I bought from Sears. Very comfortable and you can do anything with it in that position. Didn't have to touch the door or it's tracks.

[Michael J.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

Here is a door you might want to try. I put these doors and lift units in my new garage I designed since I needed the overhead clearances, and the rollup units do that. I think they make all size rollup doors, and they are as strong as you need.

[Dennis C.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

Timothy,

I did exactly what you are looking to do and kept the same center mounted opener I had prior to installing the hi lift extension to the garage door.

I raised the mounting of the opener so it was once again above the door and added an extension bar between the door mount and the opener carrier. It took a bit of adjusting to get the proper mounting position, but I have had it in operation for over 5 years.

I have had no problems with my arrangement.

Regards,

Dennis

[Harry S.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I have the same setup as Alan. My garage door clears the ceiling by 1/2 inch on the way, no room for a center opener. I purchased the side opener on eBay for about $300.00. It's easy to install.

The hardest part of the change was for the garage door company to determining the correct spring to use. Since the door went vertically higher prior to turning, the original spring was too weak for the job.

[Gerry P.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I too had to raise the garage door tracks to clear the car on the lift and used the a side lift Liftmaster jackshaft opener. I got a couple of quotes and went with the more expensive one which called for re-arching the tracks above the garage door opening to accommodate the way door closes and seats itself in the down position. The installer explained that there is more to it than merely adding an 18" extension to the existing tracks. The tracks above the door need to pull away from opening so the door doesn't rub against the opening when being raised. As I recall he also put in a little wider arch at the top to relieve stress on the garage door.
Gerry

[John H.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I have a 12' ceiling in my garage, and had the 18' x 8' sectional door in front of my lift bay converted to the "high-lift" configuration; the horizontal rails are about 7" from the ceiling, and the center operator rail is about 2" from the ceiling. They added a dummy panel to the top of the door to solve the geometry issue, and it's worked like a charm for eleven years; cost about $500, and took four hours to make the conversion - uses the original opener.

[Paul J.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I had the installer put in high tracks, about a foot below the 14' ceiling. The lift motor is about 6" below the ceiling, and the opener chain track is 3" below the ceiling at the wall. The geometry of the lift arm was such that this was necessary to keep the arm from hanging below the door when open. The system works perfectly. The openers are LiftMaster.

[Wes S.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

My ceiling is 15 feet 8 inches, switched the doors last year to go straight up, CHI was the only one I could find to do them that way. The doors are insulated R-14, really glad I did it Garage is much cooler in Summer and warmer in the winter. The Liftmaster door openers way to go. With doors right next to one another you can stack openers, bottom box is battery back up so door will open in a power outage.

[Paul H.]

Re: Garage door openers/Lifts

I extended the tracks and moved them closer to the ceiling. I still have the electric motor in the middle (moved closer to the ceiling) but moved it a few feet forward so it is positioned over the hood of the car rather than the roof. That allows you to move the lift higher. My ceilings are 11 feet and I can stand under the car with no problem. 4 post lift.