How to Remove a Carriage From a Garage Door

Close the garage door. Set up a stepladder where the garage door opener mounts to the front wall of the garage.

Follow the door arm to the mounting bracket holding it to the garage door. Grasp the ring fastener -- resembles a small key ring -- with the tip of a pair of needle-nose pliers. Turn the ring fastener clockwise until the end of the ring wire slides through the hole of the clevis pin. Continue turning until the ring is free from the pin.

Pull the clevis pin out of the door arm mounting bracket. Repeat the process where the door arm fastens to the carriage of the garage door opener. Set the two clevis pins, two ring fasteners and the door arm in a safe location.

Release the carriage, by pulling down on the thin safety rope that runs through the carriage release arm. Slide the carriage to the front of the garage door track.

Pull the clevis pin from the end of the garage door track. Hold the arm steady. Slide the cap from the end of the track. Set it on top of the ladder. Swing the arm left or right until you have enough room for the carriage to slide from the track. Push the carriage out of the arm.

Push the cap in the end of the arm. Align the end of the arm with the mounting clip. Slide the clevis pin through the bracket hole. Thread a ring fastener through the end of the clevis pin. Failing to secure the arm can result in expensive damage to the garage door opener.