How hinges, wheels and rollers carry a gate
A swing gate opens like a door, hanging from two or more hinges on a post. Its weight pulls the top hinge away from the post, so the far end slowly drops over the years. Then the latch stops lining up, and the bottom rail starts to scrape the driveway.
A slide gate rolls sideways on grooved wheels that ride a ground track, often a length of angle iron set in the concrete. Guide rollers near the top hold it upright, and stops at each end keep it from running off the track. Sand, leaves or one bent section of track can be enough to make it jump.
This page is about the gate and the metal parts it moves on. When the motor, battery or controls are at fault instead, see gate operator repair.
On a gated driveway, the two kinds of trouble feed each other. A gate that drags overloads its operator, and an operator set to push too hard can bend a hinge or a bracket. We look at both before deciding what to fix.
Signs of worn gate hardware
Hardware wears slowly, so the warnings are easy to miss until the gate stops. Look for these:
- The latch end of a swing gate has dropped and drags, or leaves an arc worn into the concrete.
- The latch no longer meets its catch, or you have to lift the gate to close it.
- The gap between gate and post is wider at the top than at the bottom.
- Hinges squeal, grind, or bleed rust from the hinge barrel.
- A slide gate wobbles, rumbles, or climbs off its track.
- Wheels have flat spots or no longer turn freely.
- The gate drifts open or shut on its own when nothing is pushing it.
- The operator stops partway or reverses for no clear reason.
A drifting gate usually means the hinge post has leaned or the hinges are out of line. It is worth fixing early, because a loose post works looser each time the gate swings.
What we repair on swing and slide gates
Driveway gate hardware repair is mostly careful adjustment plus a few worn parts. We fix the hardware the gate already has, and we tell you what we found before any work starts. Typical repairs:
- Sagging swing gates re-hung: hinges adjusted or changed for matching ones, the leaf brought back level, and the latch lined up again.
- Seized or worn hinges: cleaned and greased, or fitted fresh in the same style.
- Slide gate wheels and bearings: worn or flat-spotted wheels changed, axles freed, and the gate set back on its track.
- Guide rollers and brackets: bent or loose top rollers straightened or renewed, so the gate stays upright.
- Ground track: cleared, fastened down again, and bent sections straightened where the metal allows.
- Latches, drop rods and stops: latches realigned, the drop rod (the pin that holds the second leaf of a double gate to the ground) freed, and end stops reset.
- Posts: checked for lean. A post that has shifted in the ground is a bigger job, and we explain what it involves.
Once the hardware is right, the gate moves with less effort, so we check the operator’s force setting as well. A setting that suited a dragging gate can be far too strong for one that rolls freely.
Storms, salt air and sun on gate hinges and tracks
Tampa Bay weather is rough on gate hardware. Humidity rusts hinge pins and wheel bearings, and homes near the bay add salt air to that. Long summer sun dries out grease until hinges groan.
Storm season brings its own damage. A closed swing gate catches wind like a sail, which strains its hinges and the post they hang on. Falling branches bend frames and tracks, and high water leaves sand and debris packed into the track.
After a storm, look the gate over before you run the operator. If the frame has bent, the wheels have left the track, or the leaf hangs crooked, leave the gate where it is and call us. If the storm also hit your garage door, hurricane garage door repair and storm damage garage door repair cover that side.
What to leave alone, and where we work
A gate that has jumped its track or lost a hinge can fall, and even a small one is heavier than it looks. Don’t try to lift it back on, unbolt a hinge, or jack up a sagging leaf. Keep people and cars clear, and if an operator moves the gate, switch it off the way its manual describes.
We repair existing gates only; we don’t build gates or set new posts. Gate hardware work takes us all over Tampa Bay, including Lutz, Odessa, Citrus Park, Wesley Chapel, Valrico and Plant City.
Gate stuck shut? Read common reasons a driveway gate stays closed. For a gate that slows down toward evening, see gate opener power and batteries.
How a visit goes
- Tell us how the gate behavesCall (813) 836-7187 or book online and say whether it sags, drags, jumps its track or won’t latch, and whether an operator moves it.
- Check from post to latchWe look at the posts, hinges, wheels, track, rollers and latch, and at how the operator connects, then explain what we found.
- Repair the hardwareWe re-hang, align, loosen or renew the worn parts so the gate moves by hand without binding.
- Test by hand and under powerWe swing or slide the gate through its full travel, then run the operator and check its force.