I think I want to replace my side mounted garage door springs myself. I have searched the web for instructions and found 1 semi-useful site
Side mounted extension springs are very easy to change, quite safe compared to torsion drive, since you work with no spring tension. Roll the door up. Use a C clamp on each track to hold the door up (or vise grips). The spring is now just hanging there with no tension. Unhook the cable, remove and replace the spring and hook the cable back up. Try to get equal tension on each side, just barely enough to hold the spring horizontal.
If it is a recent door there will be a safety cable down the center of the spring that you will need to remove and replace also. And if it doesn't have a safety cable, put one on, they are availabe at any Home Depot along with the springs.
Here is Clopay's instructions, lots of other stuff on their site:
I'll do a fair amount of stuff myself. Garage door springs with energy and tension to shoot through my chest, however, aren't among them. They're among the more dangerous goodies in a home IMO.
Don't wanna chase you away from saving money, but if you screw it up you could end up disabled or dead without too much imagination.
Best Regards,
-- Todd H.
Doh--disregard -- I wasn't aware side springs were so easy to work with and weren't under tension all the time like the coils I've seen so often.
-- Todd H.
All I might add to what DT said and the link he gave you is to make sure you get the proper strength springs to match your door's weight.
Sometimes the springs are color coded with paint, to assist getting the correct replacements, but the most certain test is to carefully lower the door onto a bathroom scale with the door's springs disconnected. (This may take a couple of husky guys to help you with.)
If the weight of the door exceeds the scale's range, you can easily double that range with a simple lever made out of a foot or two length of 2 by 4 and a brick. Put one end of wood on the scale and the other on the brick and place that rig so the door gets lowered onto the center of the piece of wood, then just double the scale's reading.
Once you know the weight of the door, just buy springs with a rating close to that weight.
HTH,
Jeff
One of the reasons that I was looking for graphic instructions is that I have a solid, one piece door not a roll up door. Because it is not a roll up door I do not have those 'tracks' that all the instructions I have read tell me to C-Clamp to hold the door in place.......so that makes me wonder what else I do have or do not have that the instructions are not addressing. I think you are correct, in that there is not nearly the danger in working with side mounted springs as there is in working with tension springs. My existing springs have the safety cable running down the center - does that cable wear, should that be replaced too? The reason I want to replace the springs is first they are 12 years old, and second I recently replaced the sprocket on my garage door opener and the garage door seems much less balanced than it did prior to that replacement. Especially when moving downward when closing the door - the door moves from side to side. So I thought the springs might be the next thing to conquer! Thanks for your prompt response. But I would still like some photos/pictures showing all the parts and location of those parts that need to be replaced. Sue
"DT" wrote in message news:1IidnXJCl-oy3wHYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@wideopenwest.com...
I've never worked on that style door. There are probably points where the mechanism can be clamped to lock it up, but as long as it has an opener, just run her up and turn the power off to the opener, it will hold the door fine.
It doesn't really sound like the springs are part of the problem you described, sounds more like worn bushings.
The safety cables don't wear out in my experience, but check them for any rubbed areas.
OK - where are the bushings you speak about? Any chance I can handle that myself?
Get the right spring. Home Depot has a small selection. Door companies have more and are more expensive. Open the door and tie it open. The new spring may have a different fastener than the old spring. Some old springs have "S" hooks on the ends. The new ones are like a "D" so the spring can't fly if it breaks. The new spring will also have a cable in it to keep it there if it breaks. Anyway, attach the bottom of the spring to the door frame, and then pull the spring up and attach the top. This is the hard part. I use a small come along and a big screwdriver. My whole subdivision had Holmes doors, most have been replaced with overhead doors now. I've changed a dozen of these springs with no problems.
Al
You can get the springs for your one-piece garage door here:
Doordoc
Sue wrote:
We are looking to replace single steel door with sectional door. The side springs look different from all others I have seen with a long bolt in the end of the spring. How are these removed? Can you recommend website with video or pictures please.
Carefully, perhaps?
Prop up the door to remove w/o tension; unless you've got adequate help use a mechanical aid such as a comealong or winch to then lower the door.
Clamp a vice grips on the track when the door is up, so it cant go down. I usually prop a 2x4 under it too. Remove spring(s). Normally, this is when you install some new springs. But of you are removing the door, lower it by lowering the vice grips on alternate sides. In other words, put vice grips 8 or 10" lower on the other side of the door, remove th first vice grips and let the door down to that other vice grips. Keep doing that until it's all the way down. A comealong or winch will surely help too.
Or use the farmer method. Stack hay bales under the door, and remove them one row at a time as you lower the door. Yes, I did that once and it also worked well.
Don't get your back up but- if you have to ask that question, the replacement job is probably above your pay grade. Garage doors and springs are real dangerous for amateur DIYs to work with.
Check with the local distributor of the brand of door you want to buy for the names of a couple of good installers. They'll steer you to the right guys.
Well worth the money- cheaper than an ER visit or damage to your garage or new door;-)
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.