Regular
The default. Used wherever the building doesn't impose obstacles at or near the header, or back along the horizontal track. Multiple horizontal radius sizes are available for tighter headroom situations.
Track ID Guide
How to identify and spec the right overhead door track.
A reference for installers, dealers, facility managers, and specifiers. Covers the five core track configurations, jamb mounting types, and the trade-offs between them, so you can match the right track to the building, not the other way around.
Chapter 1
Track basics.
Spec'ing a track system starts with picking the right track size for the rollers it'll carry. Two diameters dominate the industry: 2" and 3".
- 2" track is appropriate for residential or lighter-duty commercial doors that don't see frequent cycling.
- 3" track is the call for high-cycle commercial and industrial applications, larger or heavier doors, and any installation where structural integrity in the track itself is non-negotiable.
Every track assembly comes down to a vertical track up the side of the opening, paired with a horizontal track that returns the door into the building (or doesn't, if it's a full vertical lift). The vertical leg gets mounted with a continuous wall angle, a wall angle with clips, or independent track brackets, whichever best matches the jamb material and door weight. The lower vertical track is angled about 1/8" per foot of door height away from the opening to match the hinge graduations: that taper lets the door seat tightly when closed, and break away cleanly from the jambs when it's in motion.
Track configuration selection comes down to five physical realities of the building: headroom, backroom, sideroom, jamb material, and obstructions (overhead structure, lighting, ductwork, equipment, anything in the path the track or door will need to clear). Get those measurements right and the right track type usually picks itself.
Materials
Every track configuration on this page is available in two finishes. Specify stainless steel for corrosive or wet environments (wash bays, wastewater facilities, salt-storage buildings, coastal sites) or galvanized for standard exposures.
Chapter 2
Jamb mounting types.
Three vertical-track mounting styles cover almost every commercial and industrial install, plus residential. The right one depends on jamb material, sideroom, and whether the door needs to overlap the jamb or sit flush within the finished opening.
Leg-in with 1" lap
Standard for commercial and industrial doors mounted to steel, wood, or wood-covered masonry jambs. The door overlaps the jamb by 1" on each side. Available with clip-mount or full-angle vertical track.
Leg-out with 1" lap
Most often used on commercial or industrial doors mounted to wood or wood-covered masonry jambs. Same 1" overlap on each side. Clip or full-angle vertical track.
Leg-out without lap
Reserved for residential doors or commercial/industrial installs on wood or wood-covered masonry jambs where the door must sit the same width as the finished opening, with no overlap. Compatible with clip, full-angle, or bracket-mounted vertical track.
Chapter 3
Standard lift.
Standard lift is the default. If the door height is reasonably close to the ceiling and the door doesn't need to clear an obstruction past the header, this is the right track 90% of the time.
The geometry: a vertical track up against the wall, a 90° radius at the top, and a horizontal track that runs back beneath the ceiling and lands on a bearing plate near the header. When the door is fully open, the sections sit nearly flat under the ceiling.
Wear on the door's hinges, rollers, and other hardware is minimal. Sections track smoothly through the radius, with no awkward transitions to chew on the components.
Operator compatibility
Trolley-type motor operators are recommended. Jackshaft-type operators work with a pitched track, when the door isn't fully opened, or when pusher springs / another effective cable-tensioning device is in place.
Three standard lift configurations
Pitched (follow-the-roof)
For buildings with sloped or pitched ceilings, especially those greater than 3:12 with standard headroom. The horizontal track rises to follow the roof angle, maximizing usable space and avoiding obstructions toward the back of the run.
Dual shaft
Specified when the door needs more shaft length than a normal standard-lift design provides. Typically high-cycle, large, or heavy doors that require additional spring capacity to balance.
Chapter 4
High lift.
High lift is the go-to when the ceiling sits well above the door height and you want to use that vertical space, or when an obstruction at the header forces the door to climb past it before turning back.
Mechanically, this is a variation of standard lift: 90° radius at the top, but more vertical track and less horizontal. The door rides up past the header before transitioning to horizontal. When fully open, a portion of the door rests in the vertical leg.
Wear on hardware stays minimal because the door tracks smoothly through the radius, same as standard lift. Jackshaft-type motor operators are the recommended pairing for high-lift designs.
Five high lift configurations
Breakaway with headplate
Built around a headplate that solidly anchors the assembly to the wall, giving maximum structural integrity. An additional vertical extension lets the door break away from the header faster, smoothing the transition.
Straight incline
No headplate. Specified when the high-lift requirement exceeds 13". A single longer vertical track extends the run to reach the desired lift height. Not recommended for doors with exterior section hardware.
Breakaway with wall angle
Pairs with a bearing plate connection rather than a headplate. The vertical extension still gives the door a clean break from the header. Additional track supports usually carry the extension.
Extended vertical
For low high-lift requirements (under 12"). One longer vertical track extends the run just enough to clear the header. Not recommended for doors with exterior section hardware.
Dual shaftline
For high-lift doors that need extra shaft length to balance. Typically excessive high-lift, high-cycle requirements, or larger and heavier doors. Available in pitched / follow-the-roof variants.
Chapter 5
Pitched high lift (follow-the-roof).
The same high-lift family, but with the horizontal track angled to follow a sloped ceiling. Used in buildings with roofs steeper than 3:12, common in agricultural, industrial, and pre-engineered metal buildings.
Same logic as standard high lift: door rises past the header, then transitions to horizontal. Difference: the horizontal radius is modified to match the roof pitch, so the track tracks the ceiling line instead of running flat below it. Maximizes vertical space, dodges most overhead obstructions.
Wear and operator pairings match standard high lift. Minimal hardware wear, jackshaft operators recommended.
Three pitched high lift configurations
Breakaway with headplate
Headplate-anchored design with a vertical extension for clean breakaway. The horizontal track is angled to match the specified pitch.
Straight incline / extended vertical
Single longer vertical track for high lift under 13". The horizontal track is modified to match roof pitch. Not recommended for doors with exterior hardware (handles, locks).
Breakaway with wall angle
Bearing-plate connection in place of a headplate, with a vertical extension for breakaway and the horizontal track pitched to match the ceiling.
Chapter 6
Full vertical lift.
Full vertical lift is what you spec when there's enough headroom above the opening to fit the entire door height plus the spring assembly. Typically warehouse dock doors, large industrial bays, or any application that needs unobstructed floor-to-ceiling movement near the opening.
The track is all vertical. No horizontal return. Two aligned vertical tracks mount to the wall, with the upper section angled slightly away for clearance. Intermediate support brackets prevent bowing in the longer upper run.
Hardware wear is the lowest of any configuration. There's no radius to transition through, so hinges, rollers, and sections see the least mechanical stress. Jackshaft-type operators are the recommended pairing.
Two full vertical configurations
Breakaway with headplate
Solid wall connection via a headplate. Maximum structural integrity for high-cycle dock-door applications.
Breakaway with wall angle
Bearing-plate connection. An angled component links the wall angle to the upper track section.
Chapter 7
Low headroom.
Sometimes called dual track. Specified for buildings where headroom is so constrained that standard lift can't fit the spring assembly, yet a sectional door is still required.
The configuration looks like standard lift with a critical addition: a second horizontal track. That second track lets the top section travel back into the room sharply, using minimal headroom.
This configuration causes the most hardware wear of any track type. Sections, hinges, and rollers don't transition smoothly through the geometry. Use it only when standard lift is genuinely impossible.
Trolley-type operators only. There are also limits on door weight that low headroom can support. Check shop drawings before specifying for heavy doors.
Two low headroom configurations
Front mount
Double horizontal track with the torsion springs mounted at the header. The preferred low-headroom design when there's just enough space for the springs and the door to operate normally.
Rear mount
The least desirable of all track configurations. Double horizontal track with the springs mounted behind the back of the track. Used only when headroom is too restricted for any other option. Extremely hard on door sections and hardware.
Chapter 8
Custom configurations.
The five configurations on this page cover the great majority of installs. The remaining cases get solved with a custom layout: mixed standard and high-lift geometries, runs that climb past one obstruction and below another, doors that have to dodge equipment positioned exactly where a horizontal radius wants to land.
If your situation calls for the door or track to travel above, below, alongside, in front of, or behind objects that a standard track can't accommodate, our engineering team can design a custom configuration that works.