A gear kit assembly is the part of the internal drive system that turns the belt or chain that operates the opener. The gears on the drive assembly are made of plastic. There are 2 different gears. One is a worm gear and it’s made of a different material than the plastic gear with teeth. The plastic gear with teeth will deteriorate a lot faster when the opener is over worked by a garage door that is to heavy. Since the worm gear is made of a different kind of plastic which is a harder compound than the other gear with teeth. The gear with teeth will deteriorate faster. I can’t remember when I have ever had to replace the worm gear. They just don’t wear out. When the metal sprocket completely breaks off that is caused by a chain that is far too tight and puts too much pressure over time on the sprocket. This most likely happens at the time of the opener unit being installed. The tell tail sign of a sprocket on its way out is a sagging chain.

replace the gear and sprocket kit

It is always better to replace the gear and sprocket kit than the whole opener unit because it is less cost to you. Gear and sprockets typically last 10 to 15 years. If the replacement kit is done right than the gear and sprocket will last another 10 to 15 years. The critical part of replacing gear and sprocket is the metal bushings that the assembly slide into. If this bushing is not replaced then it will not last that long. When the metal bushing wears unevenly than it creates spacing that makes the metal post that the gear is attached to move around and the gears won’t line up correctly and cause other problems. If this occurs then you will hear a ticking sound when opener is operating. Also when gears are replaced they need to be properly greased for lubrication. The first time I replaced a gear and sprocket kit I did not grease the gears and had to replace it again 2 weeks later.

gear kit replacement cost

A gear kit replacement should cost about $175 and a new opener will cost 300 to 400 dollars. So as far as cost replacing parts is better for your wallet. If you don’t care about cost and want more peace of mind than just replace the whole unit. This will avoid dealing with other internal issues besides gears in the future.