Quick answer
High-lift track is garage door track with extended vertical sections that make the door rise straight up some distance above the opening before it curves back into the horizontal track.
DASMA defines high lift as the distance from the header to the underside of the horizontal track. It frees ceiling space near the door for car lifts, storage or tall vehicles, but needs taller walls and special drums.
Quick facts
The key facts about High-Lift Track, with sources:
Key takeaways
- High-lift track lets the door travel up the wall before turning back under the ceiling.
- It frees space for car lifts, overhead storage or tall vehicles.
- It needs tall walls: headroom of the high-lift distance plus about 9.5 inches.
- Conversions need high-lift drums, longer cables, new springs and track.
- Openers often change to wall-mount units.
What high-lift track is
On a standard door, the track curves back just above the opening. On a high-lift door, the vertical tracks continue up the wall, so the door climbs higher before turning.
DASMA defines high lift track as track and hardware that causes the door to rise vertically some distance above the top of the door opening before it levels out into a horizontal position 1.
DASMA also uses “high lift” as a measurement: the distance from the header to the underside of the horizontal track when high-lift track is needed 1. A quote may say “high lift 36 in,” meaning the horizontal track sits 36 inches above the header.
Clopay describes high-lift tracks as a favorite for homeowners who use car lifts, need vertical workspace or want overhead storage 2.
How high lift changes the door’s balance
On a high-lift door, the whole door hangs on the cables for much longer as it travels up the wall. Only when it reaches the curve does weight start shifting to the horizontal tracks. The springs must carry full weight over a longer travel and then less weight later.
That is what high-lift drums are for. DASMA defines a high-lift drum as a cable drum contoured to balance a high-lift door 1. The cable winds on a straight section first, then on a tapered section, changing the pull to match the load 1.
More travel also means longer cables and more spring turns. Springs, drums and cables must be specified together from the door maker’s chart.
- ClosedDoor hangs on the cables
- Vertical riseClimbs extended vertical track 1
- CurveTurns through the radius
- HorizontalRests under the ceiling
- BalancedHigh-lift drums match pull to load 1
Source: [1]
High lift vs nearby options
Example: how much wall a high lift needs
Using Clopay’s guideline that high-lift track needs the high-lift distance plus at least 9.5 inches of headroom 2.
| High lift | Headroom needed | Ceiling above an 8-ft opening |
|---|---|---|
| 24 in | 33.5 in | About 10 ft 10 in |
| 36 in | 45.5 in | About 11 ft 10 in |
| 48 in | 57.5 in | About 12 ft 10 in |
Ceiling height = 96-inch opening + headroom, rounded. Your door maker’s chart is final. Check the rest of your space with the garage size tool.
Where you see high-lift doors
In garages with tall ceilings: car-lift bays, RV and boat garages, shops, and homes with vaulted garage ceilings. You can spot one when the vertical tracks run well above the top of the door before curving.
On paperwork, look for “high lift” with a number of inches, and for high-lift drums in the parts list 1.
Openers on high-lift doors
A trolley opener pulls the top section along a rail at ceiling height. On a high-lift door, the top section climbs far above the header before turning, which can put the rail in the wrong place or make it very long. Many high-lift doors use wall-mount openers that turn the torsion shaft.
DASMA notes that extended vertical tracks can help keep cable tension when jackshaft openers are used on otherwise standard doors, at the cost of more headroom 9, and that door and opener makers’ instructions must be followed 9.
Choosing the high-lift distance
The high-lift number is a design choice. Start from what you want under the ceiling: the top of a car on a raised lift, a storage rack, or a tall van’s roof.
The open door has to sit above that, with its horizontal track clearing it, and the track still needs room above to curve.
Clopay’s rule of high lift plus 9.5 inches of headroom sets the ceiling height you need for a given choice 2.
More high lift is not always better. A very high lift moves more of the door’s travel onto the cables, needs longer vertical track that must be braced well, and may push the horizontal track so close to the ceiling that lights or sprinklers get in the way.
Pick the smallest number that clears what you need, with a margin for the door’s rollers and hardware.
If the goal is to keep the whole ceiling clear and the walls are tall enough, compare with full vertical lift, which Clopay says needs headroom of about the door height plus hardware but much less backroom 2.
Track supports on tall walls
High-lift vertical tracks are longer and carry the door for more of its travel, so they need firm attachment along their full height. DASMA’s code inspection guidelines check that vertical tracks are securely connected to structurally sound material and that horizontal tracks are securely connected to load-bearing members 3.
The rear of the horizontal track is held by back hangs, which DASMA defines as hangers made from angle iron that attach the end of the horizontal tracks to the roof structure or ceiling 1.
DASMA’s jackshaft guidance adds that horizontal track that sags or twists with the door up should be stiffened with angle braces or back hangs 9. On a tall garage, those hangers can be long and need bracing against sway.
Inside a high-lift drum
A high-lift drum has two zones. While the door climbs the extended vertical track, the cable winds on a straight, constant-radius part of the drum, because the door hangs fully on the cable.
When the door reaches the curve and starts shifting weight to the horizontal track, the cable moves onto a tapered part where the radius shrinks.
DASMA’s terms for this are the moment arm, the radius at the cable peel-off point, and rate of rise, the change in moment arm per revolution 1.
That is why high-lift drums are made for a range of high-lift distances. The drum, the spring and the high-lift number have to agree, or the door will be heavy at one point and light at another. A good conversion quote lists all three together.
Pros and cons
Limits
High lift cannot exceed your wall height; the door also needs room above it to turn. It does not remove the need for backroom; Clopay says standard backroom, door height plus 18 inches, usually still applies 2. And it is not vertical lift: the door still ends up under the ceiling.
What drives conversion cost
No prices on this page. See the cost guide.
- Extended vertical track and new horizontal track.
- High-lift drums and longer cables 1.
- New springs sized for the travel.
- Opener change, often to wall-mount.
- Framing for track and bracket supports.
How a high-lift conversion is done
- Measure headroom and confirm the wall can carry the track 2.
- Choose the high-lift distance and get the door maker’s parts list.
- Technician unloads springs and removes old track, drums and cables.
- Installs extended track, high-lift drums, cables and new springs.
- Balances the door and tests the opener’s reversal 4 8.
- Ceiling height measured
- High-lift distance chosen
- Wall framing for tracks
- Opener type decided
- Drums, cables, springs in the quote
- Backroom still sufficient
Upkeep
Warning signs
Cables slack at the top of travel, the door drifting down from open, rollers leaving the track at the curve, or vertical track flexing. Do not run the door; have a technician look at it 5.
Conversion means spring work
A high-lift conversion requires unloading and replacing springs, drums and cables under tension. DASMA says this belongs to a trained door systems technician 4.
Rules
Code inspectors check that vertical and horizontal tracks are securely connected to sound framing and that installation follows the maker’s documents 3. On wind-rated doors, the track must match the certified drawing 6.
High lift vs related terms
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| High-lift track | Door rises up the wall first 1 |
| Track lift type | All the track path options |
| Cable drum | High-lift drums are contoured 1 |
| Vertical track | Extended on a high-lift door |
| Headroom | Must cover the high lift plus clearance |
Myths
- Myth High lift is just longer track.
- Reality Drums, springs and cables change too 1.
- Myth High lift removes the door from the ceiling.
- Reality That is vertical lift; high lift still ends horizontal.
- Myth Any opener works.
- Reality Many high-lift doors need wall-mount openers.
Where it is common
High lift appears in tall garages built for RVs, boats, car lifts and workshops. In wind-rated areas, any conversion must keep to the certified door’s drawing 6.
Should you go high lift?
If you want a car lift or ceiling storage and have the wall height, yes. Measure headroom, pick a high-lift distance, and get a package quote including drums, cables, springs and opener. See all lift types.
Plan the lift and door together
If you are adding a car lift, give the lift’s height and footprint to the door installer so the high-lift distance clears it.
Questions about High-Lift Track
What is high-lift garage door track?
Track that makes the door rise up the wall some distance above the opening before turning back under the ceiling, per DASMA.
How much headroom does high-lift track need?
Clopay says the high-lift distance plus at least 9.5 inches. A 36-inch high lift needs about 45.5 inches.
Why convert to high-lift track?
To free ceiling space for a car lift, storage or tall vehicles, as Clopay notes.
What parts does a high-lift conversion need?
Extended track, high-lift drums, longer cables and new springs, plus often a wall-mount opener.
What is a high-lift drum?
A drum with a contoured groove sized to balance a high-lift door. DASMA lists it under that name.
Can I keep my trolley opener with high lift?
Sometimes, but many high-lift doors use wall-mount openers because the door rises above where a rail would sit.
Is high lift the same as vertical lift?
No. High lift still turns back under the ceiling; vertical lift goes straight up with no horizontal track.
Does high lift need more backroom?
Clopay says standard backroom, door height plus 18 inches, usually applies.
Can I install high-lift track myself?
No. It requires spring, drum and cable work under tension, which DASMA says belongs to a trained technician.
Does high-lift track help with a car lift?
Yes, that is one of its main uses. Pick a high-lift distance that puts the open door and horizontal track above the raised car, then confirm the ceiling height with the door maker’s chart.
Is high lift harder on cables?
The door hangs on the cables for more of its travel and cable runs are longer, so cables and drums deserve closer checks at yearly service.
What does “high lift 36 in” mean?
The horizontal track sits 36 inches above the header. DASMA measures high lift from the header to the underside of the horizontal track.
Sources
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #160, Sectional Garage Door Terminology, retrieved .
- Clopay, Residential Garage Door Track Options: headroom, sideroom and backroom specs, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #151, General Code Inspection Guidelines for Sectional Garage Doors, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #167, Residential Sectional Garage Door and Electric Operator Checklist for Home Inspectors and Consumers, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #174, Building Occupant: Checking a Residential Sectional Garage Door for Damage, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #181, General Code Inspection Guidelines for Wind Load, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #364, Installation Location of Photoelectric Sensors on Residential Garage Doors, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #369, Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Automated Residential Garage Door Systems, retrieved .
- DASMA Technical Data Sheet #1501, Standard Lift Garage Doors with Jackshaft Operation, retrieved .
Expert review
Written by the HyreGarage Research team. Not yet reviewed by an outside expert. We say so rather than imply a review that has not happened; see our editorial policy.
How the numbers were checked: Definitions from DASMA TDS-160; clearances from Clopay’s published specs; inspection from TDS-151 and 181; jackshaft note from TDS-1501; headroom arithmetic from Clopay’s rule.
Suggest a correction. We fix errors and say what changed.