Garage door issue - need advice please

[Mike]

So last night I hit the button on the remote control to close my 30 year old garage door. Just as the door was about closed, I heard a loud pop. Turns out that the one of the wires that attaches the one of the long springs to the door has broken, leaving me with only one of the big springs still working. The opener will still open and close the door, but I can tell it's working a harder than it used to. How urgent is the need to replace the thick wire that attaches the spring to the door? Is this something that a garage-door rookie can do? I know garage door replacement is something best left to the pros, but I'm hoping I can handle this repair on my own.

Thanks for any info...

Mike

[Mike]

Just now doing some googling....which perhaps I should have done prior to posting here....these are extension springs. I believe the springs are okay, but the sheave (pulley) on one side is the issue. Actually, the pulley might be okay, but the wire that runs through the pulley is what snapped. Has anyone replaced that wire?

Mike

[HeyBub]

Extra strain on the motor will shorten its life - sometimes dramatically.

Yes, you can do it yourself.

Go to the box store and, if they don't have a repair kit, get twice as much of the same guage wire rope as was destroyed, plus ample connectors.

Raise the door and prop it open with a board.

Restring the whole thing, following the path of the original or using the unbroken one as a guide. Inspect the working spring/cable assemply for any kinks, fraying, etc. If found, replace that cable connections also.

While you're working on it, string some cable THRU the spring and secure both ends. This is a safety feature to protect your family, pets, neighbors, and strangers walking down the street from the shrapnel if the spring breaks.

There is a very small safety issue if the tension on the springs has been released by the door being raised.

[Doug Miller]

What he said. Been there, done that, just that way. Not difficult, and not particularly dangerous, either -- much less so than torsion springs.

[Eric in North TX]

Though our garage was empty, so no injuries, when one of the springs broke, it still did a lot of damage, it broke a healthy 2" X 4" in half for one thing. By all means secure those.

[Jason Bourne]

Jeebus man, if you know so little about garage doors that you'd even consider operating the door with only one spring, you'd better hire a pro right quick!

[DerbyDad03]

A co-worker's garage *wasn't* empty when one of his springs broke.

The garage contained - wait for it... *him*!

The spring caught him in the side of the face, knocked him unconscious and broke his nose and cheekbone.

He was out of work for 2 months while he recuperated.

[NoSpam]

That's scary. I just checked mine and they have a torsion (vs stretch) springs that have a steel rod running through it. Whew! If I were installing a new door, I would certainly look for that kind.

Now I am c>>>

[hrhofmann]

Torsion bars can be just as big a problem when they break, and MUCH mor difficult to fix.

[LSMFT]

It's not scary if you have a safety cable going through the spring.

[FatterDumber& Happier Moe]

If I remember correctly, with a automatic opener the springs should be adjusted to the door stay put about 1/2 way open with the opener detached. I was in a garage once working on an old garage door when one of the stretch springs broke, it slapped the back of the garage pretty hard. Watch for rust on the springs, that's what does the damage to allow them to break.

[clare]

I wouldnt have a garage door with cabled tension springs for all the tea in china. I'll take the hassles of replacing and adjusting torsion springs and day over a tension spring setup. I've seen too many cars with severe body damage from a tension spring letting go to take a chance with my life.

The garage door on my current garage has tension springs - but they are vertical, directly connected to the lift arms of a one peice swing-up stanley steel garage door and are comparatively harmless. I've replaced lots of torsion springs on ro;;-ups in both domestic garages and on the service bays at various servive garages I've worked over the decades - they don't scare me any more.

[hrhofmann]

If a steel cable/rope is run thru the tension side springs, and SECURED to something that is very strong, then if one of the side spings does break loose, the cabkle running thru it wil limit the distance it can fly. The OP needs to look at an up-to-date side spring installation, take a few photos, and then go replace his spring and cable assembly. Springs are color-coded if I remember correctly, if he can find a color code on the broken spring he is in good shape.

[krw]

Replace them in pairs! If one went, the chances are very good that the other one isn't far behind. Even if it doesn't fail, the old one will be a lot weaker than the new.

[hrhofmann]

Very good point. Also, take one of the old springs with you to try to find a replacement of the same size spring wire and spring length.

[hallerb]

after a garage door at my then rental home got damaged I found calling a garage door speciality company was a real bargain..... the track costr a fortune.

they came in and fixed it cheap added safety cables and a new pener for less than the parts would of cost me.

my opinion. they mark up the parts a LOT to discourage DIYers./

anyhow it worked for me....