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Had to pick between cable-guided and roller-guided doors on a 1993 Dover last week | Elevator Mechanics - SMM Buzz

Had to pick between cable-guided and roller-guided doors on a 1993 Dover last week

I was dead set on going with rollers cause that's what I've always done, but an old timer at the supply house walked me through the cable setup. After 3 tries getting the tension right, the doors run smoother than any roller job I've done. Anyone else had better luck with cable guides?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben_ross513mo ago

Spent a whole afternoon fighting with cables on an old Dover once. Got so frustrated I almost traded the whole door for a set of roller skates. The tension was either too tight to move or so loose it sounded like a dying cat climbing up the tracks. Eventually I turned the adjustment screw way too far and the cable snapped. Cleaned up my mess, drove to the supply house, bought a set of rollers and had the thing running smooth in under an hour. Guess I'm just not built for that level of finesse.

diana203mo ago

Roller doors always seem like the easier route but man, they wear out way faster on those old Dovers. Tried cables once on a 1980s model and the tension was a nightmare - spent half a day getting it to not bind up at the top. Switched right back to rollers after that and haven't looked back. Cables might be smoother for some but the downtime and hassle of adjusting them just isn't worth it for me.

chen.casey3mo ago

Nah man, I'm RIGHT there with you! The first time I tried cables on a 1995 Dover I wanted to throw my wrench through the wall. That tension screw is SO finicky, I swear it has a mind of its own. I cranked it a quarter turn and the door wouldn't budge, then backed it off just a hair and it was flopping around like a wet noodle. It took me like 7 tries over two days before I got it dialed in. I was about to rip it all out and put rollers back in, but once I finally got it right, the door was dead silent and smooth. I'm not saying I'll never go back to rollers, but for heavy duty use, cables just have this buttery feel that rollers can't match. The setup is definitely a PAIN though.