The door travels straight up past the header for a set distance, the high lift, then turns through the radius and runs horizontally. Standard in car washes, where the door has to clear dryers and blowers, and anywhere you need clearance under the horizontal track.
High lift adds a section of vertical track above the opening before the radius. The door rises that distance straight up, then turns horizontal. The horizontal track sits higher in the building, which is the whole point: whatever is below it, a dryer arch, a vehicle lift, a mezzanine, stays clear.
Headroom needed is the high-lift amount plus room for the radius and spring assembly, typically the lift plus about 12 inches. High lift runs on dedicated high-lift cable drums (400-54, 5250-54, 5750-120, or 6375-164 depending on door weight and lift) and a high-lift head plate, and the springs are sized for the extra cable travel.
In a car wash this is the configuration that dies first. The radius and the extended vertical sit in the spray, and galvanized track goes in a couple of seasons. 304 stainless is the fix.
The lift amount drives the rest of the package: track lengths, drums, cable length, and spring turns.
Extended stainless verticals, radius, and level horizontal track. The lift is set so the bottom of the horizontal clears the equipment below with margin.
Best for: Most car wash and shop doors
The extended vertical is built in bolted sections so a damaged length can be replaced without pulling the horizontals, and so track can be installed around obstructions.
Best for: Car wash doors that take hits, and buildings where serviceability matters
2-inch for lighter commercial doors, 3-inch track and rollers for tall or heavy doors and high-cycle openings. The extended vertical makes stiffness matter more than on standard lift.
Best for: 3-inch on doors above about 14 feet or heavy insulated panels
Track plus high-lift drums, stainless head plates with greaseable bearings, stainless cables cut for the added travel, and springs sized to the lift. One quote, one BOM.
Best for: New installs and full stainless retrofits
The single most useful number is the height of the tallest thing below the horizontal track. We set the lift from that. Photos of the equipment from inside the bay help.
Not sure how to measure? The Track ID Guide shows where each dimension is taken. Photos of the opening from inside help more than anything else.
Enough that the bottom of the horizontal track clears the tallest thing below it, plus a couple of inches of margin. Tell us what the door must clear and we set the lift; you do not need to work it out yourself.
Yes. More cable travel means more spring turns, so springs are sized to the lift and the door weight. If you are converting an existing door, plan on new springs.
Usually, on the same panels: vertical extensions, high-lift drums, longer cables, head plates, and springs. Send photos and measurements and we will confirm what carries over.
Long sections ship LTL freight, curbside, and may need an appointment. Shorter runs and hardware ship UPS. The quote states the shipping method, the lead time, and whether a liftgate is needed.
