Nylon vs. steel rollers
Steel rollers are the original equipment on most builder-grade doors. They're cheap and they work, but the metal-on-metal contact between the roller and the steel track is loud, transmits vibration into the wall, and wears the bearing surface over time.
Nylon rollers wrap a steel hub with a hard nylon outer surface. They're 80% quieter, don't need lubrication on the contact surface, and last longer because the nylon absorbs shock instead of transferring it. They're our standard upgrade.
10-ball vs. 13-ball bearings
The number refers to how many ball bearings are in the sealed cartridge inside the roller hub. More bearings spread the load across more contact points, which means smoother roll, less bearing wear, and longer life. 10-ball is standard residential. 13-ball is what we install on heavy doors and any door cycled more than 6 times a day.
Sealed bearings are non-negotiable on Kansas doors — open-bearing rollers pack with dust, lawn debris, and moisture and seize up within 5 years.
Why we replace all 10 at once
A residential 7-foot door uses 10 rollers (2 per section, 5 sections including the top fixture). They all came from the same factory batch and have the same cycle count. New rollers next to old rollers run unevenly — the new rollers have less drag and the door tracks crooked.
Roller replacement on a typical residential door takes about 45 minutes and runs $120–$220 for the full set installed.
How long they last
Quality nylon rollers with 13-ball bearings typically last 15–20 years in residential use. Steel rollers last 8–12 years before bearing failure. If you're hearing roller noise, that's usually the bearings — replacing them is cheaper than letting them fail and pull the door off the tracks.