How to replace torsion springs?

[kingbigbig]

How?

[Joseph Meehan]

If you are thinking garage door, the answer is the yellow pages. This job is dangerous for someone who does not know what they are doing.

[yourname]

Why is it that people are so damn afraid of springs. Are you afraid to change the shocks on your car? Damn

you need: 2 bars maybe 30 inches long, not too long not too short. Probably 3/8 or 1/2 inch diameter

wrench to fit the bolts in the outboard spring mount[square head on my doors]

There are 4 holes in the outboard ends of the springs. The bars need to just fit in them.

standing on a very sturdy ladder, you will need to first take the weight of the spring with your shoulder. Stick the bar in the hole that is closest to horizontal.If you let the bar loose it will go flying, break your collar bone or somehting similarly ugly. So you are standing on the ladder, door down, facing the door, bar resting firmly on your shoulder. when you lift the bar you will see the cable slack.

loosen the bolts clamping the spring retainer to the bar. the bar should be weighing on your shoulder, not any space in between you and it.

The force will now be on your shoulder and not on the door. Take the second bar and place it in one of the holes above the one you are using and push it up, away, towards the door/wall.

This will allow you to remove the bar resting on your shoulder.

carefully lower the second bar till it rests on your shoulder

repeat.

When there is no force left on the bar, you can do the other side.

tightening is the reverse process

Note that there is always a bar in the hole, so that the spring can only spin less than half a turn and is not very dangerous unless you put your head in there or use some old rotten piece of tubing instead of a proper solid steel bar.

Completely replacing a spring is a little more complicated than just adjusting, but not rocket science. Note exactly how the cable is wound on the pulley.

[Trajen]

Try this.....

used the above as a guide. Take a few digital photos so you can tell how everything should look when finished. It took me a full day, but I saved $800. Best of luck.

[spamTHISbrp]

Access might be an issue, but wouldn't this be much easier with the door *open* ?

Dave

[George E. Cawthon]

Suggest that you go out and look at your garage door when it is open and closed. The best access will immediately be obvious.

[HeyBub]

## See below

Follow the above instructions exactly. If you don't, you may die. No joke.

These springs have as much as 47,000 ft lbs of energy stored within them. This is enough energy to raise a Volkswagen higher than a two-story house (or fling you a city block), or bake 15,000 pizzas.

[Joseph Meehan]

Because people who are not sure how to do it tend to get injured and sometimes seriously.

I have changed shocks in my car, but then I have some knowledge of what I was doing. I did not have to ask in a news group how to do it.

There are things that not everyone should attempt.

[Doug Miller]

Unless you've done it before, or are feeling exceptionally brave/lucky, your toolkit should consist of exactly three items: Yellow Pages. Phone. MasterCard.

[Doug Miller]

Evidently you're not familiar with changing shocks on a car, or you would not imagine that the two situations are even remotely similar.

[George E. Cawthon]

Yeah, right. They can't even lift my door up 7 feet. I have to lift up at least 50 pounds to get the door up. I think the door weighs a lot less than a Volkswagen.

[spamTHISbrp]

Best access when open, yes. But most stored energy- the spring is under a LOT less tension when the door is open.

Hopefully, I will not have to mess with mine.

-D

[abRokeNegRo]

well, this is good for someone like you and me

BUT...

i seen a dude climb a ladder with the tools you describe

one tool slips...the other tool is fixed on the overhead bar. the bar is loaded from the spring...it spins around and goes into his wrist...it rips out his wrist basically

don't encourage this sort of thing

you should say...

"I am experienced with this sort of thing"

it is not for average homeowner

sure, if they had the right knowledge it could be painless and easy but it's a once in a lifetime matter for most and they should hire a professional

[yourname]

sorry, I agree and disagree.

I believe in giving people appropriate information. I think my description is accurate. Including the door being down. Neither of the doors I deal with can be adjusted with the door up, the door is in the way. PLUS, the door can't fall when it is already down. Anyway, I warned the guy he could break his collarbone, the most likely injury IMO, other than getting scared and falling off the ladder.

Is this guy capable?

I dunno, that is for him to figure out.

I learned by asking and figuring it out myself.

Maybe he learns the same way

If he does, all the 'call a door guy' comments are pretty useless.

You will. On occasion see me tell people to call someone, but this is the one topic that irks me.

A spring compessor in changing a shock is MUCH more dangerous than a stupid garage door. Why? Because it is removed compressed, energy stored. A garage door spring is removed slack, when it is wound, it is restrained by the shaft. If it breaks, it will scare the crap out of you, but it cannot travel anywhere, unlike the 120 lb/in spring on the back of my car

[George]

Just curious, how do car shocks have anything to do with garage door springs?

[Rich]

Before you start the job, inspect your door thoroughly for any damage that may have been the result of the spring's failure. Make sure the center support is securely fastened, as well as the track's flag bracket, jamb brackets and rear track hangers. Any discrepancies should be addressed before you work on that spring.

If your door has only one spring and it is broken then you just:

1. Unbolt the stationary cone from the center support and slide it over towards the drum.
2. Take note of the position of the end bearing plate, then unbolt the bearing plate and slide it off the shaft. (You will probably have to tap it with a hammer and wrestle it off due to indentations made on the shaft by the set screws.)
3. Loosen the drum's set screws and slide the drum off the shaft.
4. This will be a good time to file down any indentations that you find on the shaft.
5. .Slide the broken spring off the shaft.
6. Slide the new spring onto the shaft.
7. Slide the drum back onto the shaft.
8. Slide the end bearing back onto the shaft and bolt it down in the same spot it was originally at.
9. Refasten the spring to the center support plate.
10. Go the opposite drum and ensure that the drum's set screws are tight and that the cable is wrapped properly around the drum. Clamp a "Vise Grip" onto the shaft so that it is up against the wall preventing the drum from turning allowing the cable to go slack.
11. Go back to the loose drum reconnect the cable, turn the drum so that the cable wraps securely around the drum. Tighten the drum's set screws.
12. Check both cable's tautness, they should be the same. Adjust as needed.
13. Wind the spring with a couple of steel rods that fit securely and all the way into the winding plug's four holes. There is a chart at which will tell you how many turns to wind your spring to. This chart is only a guide, you must test your door's balance after the spring is wound and adjust the tension as needed.

If your door has two springs that share the center support then you MUST remove the tension from the spring that is not broken before you undo the stationary cone from the center support.

As you may have realized by now, this repair is not rocket science. Anyone can do it provided they have a little mechanical aptitude, use caution and common sense.

If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me.

Rich ==================================== Garage Door Parts, LLC

[abRokeNegRo]

no apologies needed

in general, it is the square holes where you put your bars that become very dangerous..

even if it looks simple it is not

i know this because, i know the torque behind it... i also know if one does not have strong hands, quick reflexes etc...and are just generally soft handed...they don't wanna fornicate with it...

you end up with 2 bars in your hands with enough pressure to snap dey wrist or break a finger etc...

so get real this is not everyday changing ac filters in the house

[yourname]

my holes are all round.......I'll just leave that one hanging

twas simple fer me

>

[Mark Lloyd]

Which one of those "open"s means "closed"? I guess the first one.

[Jimbo]

Great site - with all the appropriate warnings :) I've bookmarked it.