How to adjust the chain for Chamberlain, LiftMaster, or Sears Craftsman Garage Door Opener

I ended up having to do this on my opener and figured it would be an excellent video topic to upload. If anyone has any additional questions, let me know. Also let me know of any corrections or if I missed anything.
Today's Shoutout goes to Garage Door Fan 52
Thanks for watching! Remember to like, comment, and subscribe!
Stay healthy
-TBHD724

[@kennithmorella2693]

Great video. Your step by step instructions are easy to understand and to the point. Thanks to your video I adjusted my loose chain like a pro. Have a nice day from Buffalo New York. 🇺🇸

[@gregmichels6506]

worked great. Key comment was making sure the chain stays square to rail, after adjusting

[@eddiethompson1326]

I just followed these instructions, SUPER helpful. Worked like a charm and removed 50% of my noise. the rest is from the wheels and joints.

[@TBHD724]

Some silicone on the hinges and springs should get rid of most of that noise

[@jpmanilla]

Thank you. Your video just saved me the cost of a new garage door opener! I my case the bigger issue was the bolts that attached the braket from the trolly to the door were loose. Once I tighened them, the door worked again. We were not able to lower the door until I tightened up the bracket.

[@michaelmeyer7867]

What a fine instructional video. You thought of everything and explained it in an easy to understand manner. And the video was clear and professional. I was able to tighten my loose chain easily following your instructions. I wish every KZbin video was as good as yours.

[@TBHD724]

Thanks, Michael!

[@josecollazo2210]

Great step by step, clear video. Got my chain adjusted in minutes.Thank you.

[@respthergu]

Thank you so much. The chain slap has been driving me crazy forever and I had no idea how easy it was to fix this. Something that helped me too was I used pliers to keep the chain from twisting instead of my fingers as my fingers couldn't hold it with enough force to stop it from twisting

[@loniebrown9646]

Thank you, my garage door was hopping upon opening.. My pannel bolts on the hinges have come lose over time, solved that with lock tite and wrapping wire arround the bolts to make that secure... Helped a tinny bit, than I lubercated the door rollers...no effect... So the last process was the chain on the garage door opener.. Door worked excellant when using manually.. Looked at the chain flopping hazily after watching your video... If you have two wrenchs that are the same size as your bolts.....quick 30 seconds or less... The blot facing your door is the one that adjusts the chain tension... Lubericate the chain too.... Thanks again.

[@telefunkenyou47]

Hey kid. Are you the man of the house? You’re doing a good job! Everyone makes their own deal & don’t let people push your buttons.

[@championplayerdo7604]

Thanks I was able to actually see how it was supposed to be and get it together. Much appreciated nice video

[@Mind69420]

Thank you for this! I was able to fix my garage door issues quickly thanks to your informative video :)

[@carmike692000]

Thanks for this video! Very clear instructions accompanied by great explanations of other relevant factors!

[@laz7354]

Ty. My chain was slapping around and I had no idea the fix was this simple. 👍

[@joby602]

Thanks dude, great video. My chain was hanging below the rail a couple of inches! Wouldn't have been long before it skipped I think.

[@Sandy2044]

Excellent presentation. I liked the correction was using typed correction. You gave information I couldn't find elsewhere.

[@TBHD724]

I try to make my videos so that even somebody that doesnt know the first thing about garage doors can follow them. Glad I was able to help

[@PaulCarillet]

Great video, professional and easy to understand! Thanks!

[@kerker8]

Thanks for reminding me on the bolts, been a few years.

[@frankie-3598]

Thanks for the info. Doing 2 of these with no instructions on installation and adjustments.

[@chrismaki8396]

Great job and loved the clamp on rail idea. I’m gonna steal that idea and stop with jamming piece of foam in rail.

[@patryn605]

Thank you for this excellent video. I followed your instructions and it worked perfectly. Keep up the informative videos!

[@SquatsAndThoughts]

Little bro, you're doing home repairs?? Respect.

[@TBHD724]

Wanted to do garage doors ever since I was little. Now I've been working with a door company for 4 years

[@fidenciocruztorres2039]

Thank you for making this video young man.

[@rebeccajoe6811]

Thank you so much. very clear instructions. chain adjusted

[@pascalolesen5187]

Thank you brother. My chain was sagging and they will charge you 75 bucks to come and do 5 mins work!

[@Zoofactory]

There is hope for the future.👍

[@Jdujfrewqadc]

Huh 💀

[@JSureWould4226]

You sound young, but that's awesome to see someone so young, being professional, and out there being a hands on problem solver. Also, you were very informative, I only had to watch once to understand. Thank you for your time, skill, and effort!!! ...all the way from the heat of AZ. Now, where did you come up with your name? Hahaha 😆 😂

[@TBHD724]

Thanks, I was 13 when I made this video I made my account in 4th grade, one of my friends told me to name my channel this way lol

[@THEHERMANATORANDSPURGLE2833]

Excellent instructions. Thanks. 🇺🇸✌️🇺🇸

[@zacksgaragedoorserviceandr1208]

I’m happy asf that u made this video good work

[@TBHD724]

Thanks :)

[@ktp0913]

@@TBHD724hey dude, this guy Zack made a video about your video regarding the chain adjustments. He thinks your chains are too tight. Did you know about? I’m just curious that’s all.

[@TBHD724]

@ktp0913 yes I knew about his video, he was talking about my aunt's garage door in that video, it had nothing to do with this

[@ktp0913]

@@TBHD724 oh I see. I was just wondering. I thought you asked him a question about the tension of garage chains after making your video. Anyways, I have a question for you. I have a chamberlain 1/2 hp chain and cable driven. The chain is hanging down about 1 inch from the bottom rail when the door is down and when the door is up, the chain will be on the other side. How would you measure the distance of the chain from the middle of the rail when the door is in the way?

[@TBHD724]

@@ktp0913 you can pull the red cord to disconnect the opener and run the trolley to the up position without the door connected to get a measurement

[@supercharge7100]

Thanks bro your super smart may God guide you younging

[@chrislinnon4476]

Great video. Thank you very much.

[@mikeb5793]

Great job young man!

[@TBHD724]

Thank you!

[@jenniferroehsler5229]

Excellent video !

[@smestel]

Great video!!!! So helpful

[@benmok3880]

it works beautifully.

[@nategelman4803]

Very helpful video and wish I was aware of this sooner. My chain actually came off the sprocket. I was able to get it back on but no the garage door is working but seems to keep stoping at the half way point. So every time I hit the button, the garage door closes but then goes back up and stops at the half way mark. I was hoping using the screw adjusters would allow me to reset but when I turned them it didn't change it at all. I have a feeling it's something to do with where the chain is lying on the sprocket and me putting it back on in not the precise spot. Hoping you have an easy idea for fix or video reference. Thanks!

[@TBHD724]

When you're talking about the screw adjusters, are they the blue ones near all the wiring or the white ones on the side of the opener? The blue ones adjust the force, and the other ones adjust the travel limits. The issue you're describing sounds like a need to adjust both of them, it sounds like the door is going down too far, so i'd start with turning the travel limit screw for the down in the opposite direction of the arrow, until it stops on the ground without reversing, and make sure that the rail doesn't bow very much because that puts stress on the drive shaft and can break off the sprocket. If the door stops halfway open take the blue screw for the open force and turn it clockwise, 5 is usually a good starting point, and if the door opens normally at 5 i'd leave it there, if not keep increasing the force slightly until the door opens fully. You are correct, when the chain comes off the sprocket, it can mess up the adjustments if it doesn't go back in the same spot, so if you're still having problems what I do is I take the chain off the sprocket, and cycle the garage door opener until the sprocket turns clockwise and stops, that means it's at the down limit, then re-install the chain and make limit and force adjustments. Hopefully this helps, at the moment I don't have a video on it, the soonest I could get one up would be in a couple weeks.

[@nategelman4803]

@@TBHD724 Wow, thanks for the quick reply. I've only tried adjusting the white ones for the limits not the force. The thing is the door is half way open. So when i'm hitting the button to open/close the garage it is starting by going down, fully closes, but then comes back up to that half way point. I can try to play around with the closing adjustment and see if I can get it to stop at the bottom without coming back up at all. I was just hoping it wouldn't require me taking off the chain and putting it back on because it was a real pain to do by myself

[@TBHD724]

Having done it myself before it's definitely not fun having to take the chain off. It makes it way easier if the chain is loose. Let me know if you have other questions

[@henryparrott2447]

Great job thank you

[@6speedguy845]

I heard a bang like noise when the opener first started

[@solamiking28]

Is the chain supposed to rub the moving metal bracket on the other side of the tensioner while moving?

[@TBHD724]

Good question. It doesn't really matter whether it rubs on the trolley or not. Yes it makes extra noise, but if you tighten the chain just to get rid of the noise it'll more than likely end up too tight and break the sprocket off the top of the opener. Some people will tell you it shouldn't drag at all, but the way I see it it's better if the opener lasts longer even if it makes a bit of extra noise

[@garageauto5275]

Great video man!

[@TBHD724]

Thx

[@dustinmcdonald9645]

Just to clarify for myself…At the end of the video when you checked for the 1/2” gap between the t-rail and the chain, do you have to do it with the garage door engaged or disengaged? Also, do you check for the 1/2” on the right or left side of the t-rail (if you were to be looking out of the garage)? Thank you in advance. Great video by the way.

[@TBHD724]

The trolley should be disengaged, with the door closed you should measure on the right side of the rail

[@dustinmcdonald9645]

You’re the man! Thank you!

[@hollyhamilton1297]

Thank you for the clear video! When doing this should the door be open, or closed?

[@TBHD724]

Either way will work fine. If the door is closed, make sure it's disconnected from the opener. I always do it with the door open, just because usually openers are sloped downward, making it closer to the ceiling near the header.

[@scottjohnson8316]

I have a chamberlain whisper drive with a belt not a chain and apparently the spring has to be adjusted to 1.25 inches?

[@TBHD724]

Thats what the manual says, but what I like to do is tighten the belt so it sags just a little bit when the door starts to open. It's better to have the belt a little too loose then a little too tight

[@ej2085]

Can you please point the camera on the other side of the screw? i just want to know where the chain sits. Thanks

[@TBHD724]

The chain should be sitting just barely above the trolley if the door is fully closed

[@donlawrence7722]

When I tightened the screw, only one side of the chain is tightening up, the other side of the chain (the side without screw) still sagging. I tried to pull the chain to this side. It did not work. What can I do? Thanks!

[@TBHD724]

Is the door disengaged? If the door is engaged to the opener it can keep the trolley from moving if it's closed tight enough

[@williamthomas4125]

I have the same issue and I did disengage the trolley.

[@caroljovanelle]

This vídeo is ALMOST what I need. I was adjusting the limits of my door and accidentally open the door with release handle disengage. The rail went all the way to that big bolt just before the power head and got stuck in there. Now nothing moves 😡. Any suggestion?

[@TBHD724]

First thing to try is re engage the opener and then pull down on the door as you hit the button to see if you can get it unstuck, if not go up to the chain adjustment on the trolley and loosen the nut that has the washer on it (closest side to opener) and run the opener, once the door gets closed decrease the down limit some so it doesn't run into the bolt again, and tighten the nut back up.

[@LukeDoorMan]

Thanks for the video! I need to loosen the chain on my grandma's Liftmaster 1245. It's been wiggling for a while, and now it's starting to slap. I might go over there today and try to loosen it. Also, my door hits the bottom of the rail, but I think its because the rail flexes because of the down limit. Do I need to tighten it?

[@TBHD724]

The rail flexing doesnt have anything to do with the chain tension

[@LukeDoorMan]

@@TBHD724 So I should tighten it? I looked at it, and it hits the top of the bottom of the rail. I might fix it eventually.

[@TBHD724]

You could try adjusting it

[@deadlykatanasins]

so I have a chamberlain c400, which the trolley system is different to liftmaster openers and the trolley on my opener only has 1 outer nut instead of 2, how to I tighten the chain on my opener if I only have 1 nut?

[@TBHD724]

There should be 2 nuts regardless of what kind of rail you have but if you just have 1 then it's the same process, turn towards the floor to tighten and towards the ceiling to loosen

[@deadlykatanasins]

ok thanks

[@hollyhamilton1297]

Very nicely done! Which position should the door be in?

[@pascalolesen5187]

To adjust? Bring door up as in the video

[@marrkkkkk6124]

Aloha! My garage door horizotal track bends towards the ceiling when I open and close it. Any tips how to fix it?

[@TBHD724]

When you say it bends toward the ceiling, do you mean that the track moves when you run the door? If it's not moving when you run the door, its not a problem, it's pretty common for tracks to have a slight upward pitch

[@marrkkkkk6124]

Yes the track bows like crazy upwards and making noise like it’s about to break. It’s didn’t use to do that. Does the tension on the belt have something to do with it bowing upwards? Mahalo for the reply

[@TBHD724]

Now that you mention belt tension, is it the operator rail that's bending or the track that the rollers are in? Either way belt tension shouldnt have anything to do with it

[@brianduchowicz5321]

Good job

[@brianduchowicz5321]

Helped me out a lot.,my neighbor left way too much slack in the chain now it's quite and smoother operating..keep up the good work

[@NewYears1978]

Every video shows this metal type, mine doesn;t have this it has some plastic piece but at the wall is a bolt thing..unsure how to adjust this.

[@TBHD724]

That bolt at the front of the rail is what you use to adjust it. Just turn it one way or the other to tighten or loosen it, it's really straightforward. Just make sure you disconnect the opener from the door first so you know what the chain adjustment is at

[@NewYears1978]

@@TBHD724 Cool I did figure it out. Turns out the opener has some other issues so we're replacing the whole unit. This unit was 15 years old.

[@abozaid1961]

My chain is dragging (and actually hitting the door) I adjusted to the max on bolt but still sagging and hitting the rail. Ant thoughts ?

[@TBHD724]

What I would do is take some links off the chain, until it's about where it should be, there is a master link that connects the chain to the trolley on the header side, you can take that off to get the chain out. Before you do it, mark where the trolley is on the rail or where the chain is on the sprocket so you won't have to do as much adjusting when you put it back together. When you finish you might have to adjust the limits some, they will be either 2 screws on the left side of the opener if you are facing the door, or there will he buttons on the side where the antenna is.

[@ejw1234]

Do you know why my rail would be pressing up and hitting the ceiling? I changed the drive shaft, got the chain back on, but now it's doing this on my Liftmaster 1/2 HP. Anyone have any insights?

[@TBHD724]

The down limit is set too far. There are 2 limit adjustment screws on the left side of the opener when you're facing the door. Turn the one labeled down opposite the direction of the arrow until you have it where you want it, generally speaking the down limit is good when the opener is putting just a little bit of pressure on the door when it's closed so it seals well

[@6speedguy845]

do you like belt, chain, or screw drives the most?

[@TBHD724]

It depends on the situation. I like chain drives for most normal installations, belt drives if theres room above the garage and I do screw drive if it's a really big or heavy door, since screw drives are pretty powerful

[@6speedguy845]

@@TBHD724 my dad has 2 genie screw drives

[@optik678]

What sort of engineer are you going to be when you go to school?

[@TBHD724]

Always liked cars so that's probably what I'll do!

[@optik678]

You're miles ahead of your peers in understanding and terminology. You'll be great! Mechanical or Automotive Engineering sounds like it'll be right up your alley. Good luck! (Mechanical Engineer who likes cars, myself)

[@Liftmasterchannel]

I can’t do this because the door is to heavy can I just run the trolie up?

[@TBHD724]

Yes, the door doesn't need to be open

[@Liftmasterchannel]

TheBrazilianHotDog724 does it have to be disconnected

[@TBHD724]

@@Liftmasterchannel it doesn't have to be but it's a lot easier if it's disconnected.

[@rockyesterline7942]

The door goes one foot from the ground and then back up ?????

[@TBHD724]

Check that the door runs smoothly, otherwise check the down force, there will be 2 knobs that adjust the force control, slightly increase it and try again until the door closes fully

[@rockyesterline7942]

@@TBHD724 thank you I will try it !

[@marysurratt733]

What is the next step if this does not resolve the issue?

[@TBHD724]

It's possible the sprocket bushings could be worn out on the opener, if there is a cover over the sprocket remove it and see if it seems to be angled or bent in any way.

[@marysurratt733]

@@TBHD724 yes I did that and it does not appear to be an issue.

[@TBHD724]

Is the chain adjustment maxed out? Sometimes it's not easy to tell if the sprocket is bad, so you might want to replace the gear/sprocket aseembly. The other thing you can check is if the chain or cable came off the front idler, or if the front idler is broken in any way. If it's an older machine and has an actual sprocket at the front, it's pretty common for the chain to come off if it's loose. If it's a plastic roller or pulley, check if it's cracked in any way. Let me know if you have other questions

[@marysurratt733]

@@TBHD724 thanks for your input. I checked before adjusting the chain to see if the sprocket was damaged. I have maxed out the chain adjustment. This liftmaster is only a year old. I will contact liftmaster for their recommendations and if needed will get a service call. If I have any new learning sO will share. Thanks again.

[@johnnymac7821]

You sound exactly like Nick Bosa

[@Liftmasterchannel]

Hey I tryed but I can not do it...:/:(

[@TBHD724]

Why not?

[@Liftmasterchannel]

@@TBHD724It was to hard

[@TBHD724]

@@Liftmasterchannel what part are you having trouble with?

[@Liftmasterchannel]

@@TBHD724I can''t get the screw to turn

[@TBHD724]

@@Liftmasterchannel hold onto the chain while you do it

[@TheGarageGuy]

My dog is in my room and im watching the video and he is too great video im gonna hopefully tighten the chain on my opener but its gonna depend

[@TBHD724]

Depend on what

[@TheGarageGuy]

@@TBHD724 Tighten the chain on my opener

[@TheGarageGuy]

@@TBHD724 Sorry for late reply

[@TBHD724]

@@TheGarageGuy its fine

[@TheGarageGuy]

@@TBHD724 XD 😁😁

[@Liftmasterchannel]

Thanks:)

[@TBHD724]

No problem

[@odavila03]

Great Job on the video but that didn’t fix it. The chain kept twisting no matter what I did.

[@TBHD724]

You might have to completely remove the chain and get it untwisted. It can help to use a pair of vice grips to hold the chain in place when you tighten it, i do that sometimes.

[@odavila03]

@@TBHD724 yep. Tried the vise grips and it’s really tight even though it sags down. Not sure what to try

[@TBHD724]

You kinda stumped me there too lol

[@RxngerRxptor]

Liftmaster 8365

[@ajremable]

22 MIDLAND

[@charlesdavaro8554]

How old are you like 14

[@TBHD724]

I was 13 when I made this video

[@random8023]

Why am I watching this I have an opener with no chain

[@TBHD724]

Idk