I have a budget sectional roll-up garage door. The center brace or stile on the top panel is connected to the garage door opener. Over time the brace ripped at the point of contact to the garage door opener. I found a reinforcement bracket that cost about $25 with shipping. There is a cheaper way and is the reason for this instructable.

You will need:

Work gloves
3x7 Nail-in plate
Sheet metal screws
Hacksaw
Drill
Metal snips
Metal file (optional)

Note: Use extreme caution since metal edges could be sharp and rusty

Step 1: Prep the Brace and Nail Plate

Disconnect the garage door opener from the top brace of the garage door panel. Remove the brace from the garage door. Trim and flatten the sharp edges of the brace. In my case, the nail plate was larger than the width of the brace, so I used the extra as reinforcement instead of cutting it away. To achieve the bend, I screwed the nail plate to a 2x4 piece of wood and bent it (use a hammer to finish) along the long edge into a L shaped bend.

Step 2: Fix the Plate to the Brace

I cut away an inch at the top edge of the nail plate to make way for the lip of the panel. Fix the plate to the brace using sheet metal screws.

Step 3: Connect the Brace to the Garage Door Opener

Fit the 'refurbished' brace to the garage panel door. I added a small wooden support to the top door panel so that the brace is screwed into something more than a thin metal strip. Finally, attach the garage door opener to the brace. All done!!