What is the right lubricant for garage door tracks and wheels?

I have been told by the installers of the garage door that grease is bad. It just collects dirt. A light spray of silicone on the center rail and a little WD-40 on the wheels is all that's needed'

Wd 40 is crap for chain and bearings. My door is apx 70 yrs old , grease packed in the bearings and oil on the chain and door hinges, thats it every few years for the bearings and twice a year for the chain and hinges, and it is then quiet. But honestly I forget so its more like every 5 yrs or when I notice noise.

I wouldn't lubricate the tracks at all. Just lube the bearings with some WD

1. The wheels move so slowly through the tracks that it would hardly benefit to lube them. Also, consider what type of drive you have -- long screw drive or chain -- and lubricate the chain or screw.

In fact, it's harmful. If you lube either the wheels or the tracks, the wheels will slide in the tracks some of the time instead of rolling. This will, in time, create flat spots on the wheels, and then they won't roll at all.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

I've found after cleaning them out, just coat eveything with a thin layer of motor oil(new stuff), works well.

Too much goog, and you are inviting heavy dirt build up and binding.

imho:

Tom @

WD is NOT lube. Common misperseption, all is does is displace water.

-jtpr

"jtpryan" wrote in news:1111600593.918956.49550 @o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

Hence the name, Water Displacement formula # 40 (so the story goes).

Dave

WD 40 does little, as it is not a lubricant, but primarily a rust preventative/displacement chemical. I use household oil to put a drop or two into the wheel ball bearings - they need almost no lubing, and tracks should be kept clean and dry.. For the rest of the door moving parts, hardware stores sell an 8 or 12 oz tube of white silicone grease made for garage door screw drives as well as chain drives. It is stable over larger temp. ranges than lithium automotive grease (any auto supply store), but probably works just about as well. I also use the silicone grease to finger into the pivot hinges. Since I started doing that, the squeaks don't return for years at a stretch, vs light oil or wd40.

Just a word of warning. Don't grease the screw (assuming it's screw drive) with a lot of grease. Too much grease and the motor won't be able to turn the screw. I didn't know this and ended up having to remove the grease I put in there. Cheers, cc