Garage door torsion spring relocation project (Status = Not going well)

[DD_BobK]

Dear DADD-

How think was your "metal plate"?

Puzzler:

If it was steel & 1/4" or thinner... it's NOT the same as 3/4" plywood. :(

Stick to the 10-key and stay away from the power tools.

[Danny D.]

Agreed that the metal plate is (much) thinner than the plywood.

But there was no room for 3/4" plywood under the flags at the top of the vertical tracks either.

The good news is that the steel plate, now bolted with four 5/8" nuts at the top and secured with screws at the bottom appears to be working just fine.

This is a summary of the repair:

1. The torsion spring was upgraded from 0.243" to 0.250" wire gauge.
2. The newer longer spring was relocated to the right by a foot.
3. The spring anchor plate was securely bolted to the angle iron.
4. The angle iron could only be lag screwed at the very top & bottom!
5. A steel bearing was added to the spring anchor plate.
6. The left track flag was bolted to the overhead storage area supports.
7. The right track flag was securely bolted to a steel plate bolted by four 5/8" steel studs at the top and wood screws at the bottom.
8. Everything but the tracks were lubricated, including hinges, rollers, the GDO chain, and the non-galvanized torsion spring.

[DD_BobK]

DADD-

You never offered the thickness of the "metal plate".

From my examination your photos....there are no angle iron & no metal plates involved in your "repair".

If its less than ~1/8" it ain't "angle iron"..... it's merely sheet metal angle.... notice how easily it bends?

[DD_BobK]

DADD-

How thin was it?

[Danny D.]

Probably! :)

I had two basic choices:

- Rip it up, or,

- Cover it up.

I opted for the simplest solution - which I realize belatedly, many here fault me for.

At least, when Dan Musick looked at the pictures, he admitted it was a difficult situation and that my solution (which followed his advice) will last longer than I will.

What more can we hope for than that! :)

[Danny D.]

OK. Agreed. The (thin) sheet metal was only on the right side:

The sheet metal angle was strong thick stuff that Dan Musick had sent me. That angle iron was used to secure the left side cable drums.

Here, for example, is me asking you guys earlier how best to use it:

Here is the resulting use along with three Simpson "L" plates: You'll notice there is absolutely no substantial wood anywhere in that picture except(of course) the overhead storage shelf itself.

The first sheet metal angle was lag bolted horizontally to that overhead storage shelf. Everything else was tied to that.

It's hard to see, but on the right side of the picture, the second sheet metal angle is vertically bolted to the horizontal sheet metal angle.

The three Simpson L plates were added to shore up both the vertical sheet metal angle (which had nothing underneath it that was substantial) and to tie in the second (much larger) garage door (which you see to the left in that picture above).

It's ugly. But it's what Dan Musick suggested. And, it's working. (Of course, the old door setup was working also - but this is working better.)

I'm sorry if you don't like the solution. I'm not perfectly happy with it myself; but it's what I came up with given what I had to work with, and, it's better than it was before - and - perhaps most importantly - it should last my lifetime (which is as much as I can ask for it to last).

[DD_BobK]

DADD-

You've done nothing but tap dance.....

HOW THICK WAS THE "PLATE"? (ie sheet metal)

HOW THICK WAS THE "ANGLE IRON" (ie sheet metal angle)

Do us all a favor & stop the name changes.... that way people can avoid joining your future threads w/o having to re- identify you.