Clean and lubricate garage door rails

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I have a garage door with a rubber belt drive. I would like to know the correct way to clean and lubricate the rails as it is screeching a bit when opening and closing. Can I wash out the rails with soap and water and lubricate the rails and wheels with WD-40 or 3-in-one machine oil?

Here are some photos of the door.

Best Answer

I just had an installer come out a couple weeks ago to lubricate my door and show me all the contact points to lubricate because my <1 year old door was doing the same. He recommended using silicone spray lubricant (which dries onto the applied surfaces), and lubricating twice a year - before and after winter.

He didn't mention anything about washing the rails, and I'm not sure why you would want to do so in the first place. Unless they're really clogged full of grease or debris (which they don't appear to be from your pictures) I wouldn't bother.

The lubrication points that he recommended hitting were:

  1. The rollers and roller pins
  2. The hinges on the door (next to the rollers and in the center of the door)
  3. The entire pulley assembly
  4. The entire counter-balance spring (the long black tube above the door)

He mentioned that lubricating the spring in particular is less about lubricating moving parts, and more because the lubricant acts to protect it from corrosion and rust.

He also recommended as more of an optional point that he liked to spray a small amount of lubricant (a quick spray) in the belt track just keep the track and operator components lubricated (but not too much, the operator relies on friction to grip the belt). When asked about the rest of the operator, he said that nothing else needs to be regularly lubricated.

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