The drive over
Steveston Highway to Highway 99, over the Oak Street Bridge, up Cambie Street and across the Cambie Street Bridge, then through downtown and over the Lions Gate Bridge. Plan on 35 to 55 minutes. We bring cable for your door height so the trip is not wasted.
Why cables go early here
West Vancouver sits right on the water. Salt air settles on bare metal and gets into the strands of a lift cable, mostly where the cable bends at the drum and the bottom bracket. The strands rust and break one at a time until the cable lets go.
Cable replacement West Vancouver doors need
When you call about a door that jerks, hangs crooked or made a sharp ping, we look at the whole cable path first. We check for broken strands at the drum and bracket. We look for kinks or flat spots where the cable rubbed a track that is out of line. White or green crust on the cable is corrosion. Uneven tension side to side usually means one cable has already stretched.
We also check the drums. On older doors in this damp the drum grooves wear and act like a file on new cable. If the drum is scored we replace it at the same time.
How we replace a cable
We clamp the door so the spring tension is held. The old cable comes off the drum and the bottom bracket, and we note how it was wrapped and anchored. The new cable goes on with a proper fitting at the bracket, never a loose loop that can pull through. We wind it onto the drum with the right number of wraps and tighten the set screws. Then we take the clamps off, run the door and check it stays put halfway up by hand.
Doors with high lift track take longer because the cable length and drum size are different.
Cables and old springs
Cable replacement West Vancouver homeowners book on an older door is a good time to look at the springs too. If the springs are original to an older house, it often makes sense to replace them with the cables. A lot of the work overlaps. We show you both prices and you choose.
Cable replacement West Vancouver FAQ
How can I tell a cable is about to snap?
Fraying at the drum or the bottom corner, or a door that sits crooked in the opening. Either means the cable has lost a lot of strength.
Can I run the door with a broken cable?
No. The other cable and the spring are carrying the whole load. Running the opener can bend the track or snap the second cable.
Can you replace just one cable?
We replace them in pairs. The other one has the same age and the same salt on it.
Call us
Book cable replacement in West Vancouver at (778) 873-7282. We answer 24/7. The on site assessment is free. A surcharge may apply depending on the area, and we quote it before we come out.