Horizontal Track

The horizontal track is the section of garage door track that runs parallel to the ceiling from the top of the curve (the flag bracket area) toward the back of the garage. It is the final segment the door sections ride through before the door reaches the fully open position, where the bottom of the door typically rests about 12 inches above the door opening's top edge.

Horizontal track connects to the vertical track at the flag bracket via the curved radius section. The track is typically formed from the same roll-formed galvanized steel channel as the vertical track—two-inch or three-inch channel depending on the door weight. It is supported by horizontal track hangers (straps or angle brackets) bolted to the ceiling joists at intervals, usually every 4 feet.

Track pitch—the slight downward slope from the flag bracket toward the rear of the garage—is critical. Standard installation calls for about 1/4 inch of pitch per foot of horizontal track length. Too little pitch allows the door to roll back on its own when the opener releases it; too much pitch causes the door to slam into the open stops. Most technicians set this during installation and verify it by releasing the door in the middle of the opening to see if it stays put.

The end of the horizontal track is closed by a stop bolt or bumper that the door's rear roller strikes when the door is fully open. This stop must be positioned so the door's top section does not contact the ceiling and so the opener's open-limit switch triggers at the correct point in the travel.