The cable drums are the grooved wheels at the top corners of your garage door that wind and unwind the lift cables as the door opens and closes. When a drum is worn or damaged, the door can sit crooked, bind in the tracks, or stop working entirely. David’s Urgent Garage Door Service replaces cable drums across the Twin Cities and gets the door lifting evenly again.
Signs of a Bad Cable Drum
Watch for a door that looks uneven or tilted as it moves, cables that slip off or unwind unevenly, or a grinding sound near the top corners of the door. A drum problem often shows up right after a cable snaps or a spring breaks, since those parts all work together. If the door is hanging crooked or the cable has come loose, it’s safest to stop using it and call.
Common Causes of Drum Failure
Drums generally fail from years of normal cycling and the wear that comes with it. A snapped spring or frayed cable can damage a drum quickly, and a door that’s out of balance puts uneven strain on one side. Grit and corrosion can also wear the grooves over time. Replacing a worn drum together with fresh cables keeps both sides of the door pulling evenly.
What Our Customers Say
4.9 ★ average across 300+ Google reviews
“I left a message about a broken spring on my garage. Within a minute David called me back and came by that day. The garage needed the complete spring system replaced and David had everything he needed. My garage door has never operated this smoothly and quietly in the 9 years I’ve had it. Super dedicated, trustworthy and professional.”
— David K., Google Review
“Honest and reliable. A couple things you don’t see much of anymore. 110% recommended.”
— Mike C., Google Review
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Other Services
Because drums work hand-in-hand with the cables and springs, David inspects all three together. He also handles spring repair, doors off their track, opener repair, noise reduction, worn gears and sprockets, and routine maintenance and tune-ups.
Need a garage door cable drum replaced? Call David today at (763) 265-7671.
Drum and cable work is done by David personally — owner-operated, licensed and insured in Minnesota. More about David and how the company works.
Related reading: what happens when a cable snaps and the door hangs crooked, and why a door jumps its track.
Drums and cables are replaced together on most Minnesota doors – the salt-rusted bottom bracket is usually the real culprit. See garage door cable replacement.
A cable that jumps its drum is one of the reasons a door slams shut or drops too fast – the balance test in that guide takes thirty seconds.
A snapped cable or a cable that jumped the drum usually leaves the door crooked and stuck – if it happens at night, use our 24/7 emergency garage door repair line and do not force the door.