Garage Door Torsion Spring Adjustment

One Spring Vs Two Springs

Many manufacturers will only include one torsion spring in their models. However, if the dimensions of your garage door are 16 x 7 or larger, we highly recommend getting a second spring. Using two torsion springs instead of one will greatly increase the life span of your garage door. Also, it will greatly reduce the risk of accidents, should the torsion spring break, and will reduce or eliminate any downtime that may result from a torsion spring breaking.

Converting your garage door from one spring to two springs does not cost much money and, if you plan on keeping your garage door for many years, it will save you money in the long run.

Choosing The Correct Replacement Spring

When purchasing a new spring, measurements from the old spring must be taken to ensure the proper replacement is used. Buying any spring can result in a door flying open from too much torsion or crashing down from too little. The measurements that need to be taken include the inside diameter of the existing spring as well as the length and the wire size.

We recommend watching this video for how to measure your garage door springs:

To calculate the wire size, measure 10 compressed coils and divide that length by 10. For instance 1-3/8 would be a .1378 spring width or 2-1/2 would be a .250 spring. Having this information as well as the garage door height will help the supplier provide the correct spring system.

Common Garage Door Hinge Problems And Solutions

There are a surprising number of things that can and do go wrong with garage door hinges. Lets take a look at five of the most common problems we encounter on a regular basis.

You May Like: How To Program Ford Garage Door Opener

Garage Door Springs Adjustments In 7 Simple Steps

Garage Door Spring Adjustments: Garage doors can open or close too quickly, slam shut at the wrong speed, or close unevenly by leaving a gap between the door and its opening. If this is the case, you may need to fix your door. This means that its springs need to be checked. Garage door springs can be adjusted if you are the know-how. You can solve this problem on your own if you have the know-how.

However, the style of the door you have will determine whether or not you have a simple fix on your hands or a more complicated one. The type of springs in the door you are using can depend on which one you have. Look at this video before we go on and talk about them. To watch, youll have to spend less than a minute of your time, but youll know a lot about adjusting the springs on your garage door after going through it. So it will also be easy to understand the steps below.

Torsion Springs And Torsion Cables

Torsion springs use torque force to lift the garage door.

Its positioned at the top of the door frame.

The spring rotates around the rod and carries over the garage doors.

The door is connected to torsion cables that wind up around a drum that connects to the torsion spring.

If you have loose torsion cables, they will jam the cable drum, and loose cable lengths may cause some damages.

Adjust the torsion spring and cables by doing some simple steps.

1. Turn off the garage door opener and disconnect the garage door.

Open the garage door manually for the adjustment.

Using some c-clamps or locking pliers, lift the garage door and keep it in place.

2. Locate the winding cone of the torsion spring and use the winding bar to loosen the hold.

There should be enough space for the winding cone to adjust the length of the torsion spring around the rod.

3. Adjust the force of the torsion spring by turning the winding cone clockwise or counter clockwise around the rod.

Depending on the ending point of the garage door spring, loosening or tightening the spring will be different.

4. Move the winding cone to stretch out the torsion springs a bit.

5. Reposition the winding cone and if there is another winding cone, make the same adjustment respectively.

Ensure that the other side has the same position as the first torsion spring to avoid unleveled garage doors.

6. Run the cable length along with the cable drum and spot any loose length.

Higher positions will give you tenser cables.

You May Like: Garage Door Repair Buford Ga

For Help With Your Garage Door Spring Adjustment Call Rcs Carolina Garage Doors

Making adjustments to your garage door can be hazardous for inexperienced homeowners, so when you need to tighten your garage door springs and cables, trust the highly trained and knowledgeable technicians at RCS Carolina Garage Doors. We have decades of garage door repair and maintenance experience throughout North and South Carolina, including the Charlotte, Huntersville and Matthews areas.

If a broken garage spring or cable is causing an inconvenience for you and your family, you can rely on the technicians at RCS Carolinas to be equipped with the tools and training to get your garage door back in working order, and dont forget about our 24/7 emergency response service. We look forward to serving all your garage door needs, including repairs, maintenance, and replacement garage doors.

To learn more about our garage door spring adjustment and repair services, call us today at or complete our online contact form to request services.

Measure The Inner Diameter And Length

Measure the inner diameter of the broken spring as shown. Loosen the setscrews on the broken spring and slide the broken portion over to meet the stationary section. Measure the overall length of the springs .

Most home centers don’t carry all the replacement parts you’ll need for garage door spring replacement, and most garage door service companies won’t sell you springs. So you may have to order the parts online and wait for the shipment to arrive. Garagedoorpartsusa.com and stardoorparts.com are two online sources . First, inspect the condition of your cables and brackets. If you see any frayed strands on the cables or rust on the bottom brackets, replace them now before they fail. Bottom brackets cost about $15 per set. Premium-quality cables last much longer than economy cables and cost only about $4 more. So it’s smart to buy the better cables for about $12 per set.

Standard torsion springs have a service life of 7,000 to 10,000 open/close cycles. However, you can buy double-life replacement springs for about $65 per spring. If you have a two-spring setup and one spring breaks, the second spring will break soon. So replace them both at the same time. To get the right springs for your door, you’ll have to provide the supplier some details. Here’s how:

Also Check: Replacement Genie Garage Door Opener

Tension Springs And Tension Cables

Tension springs are usually parallel to the garage door opener or side-mounted on the frames.

Tension springs are under tension when they hold down the garage door.

Never attempt to disconnect the tension spring when the garage door is closed, as it may fly off inside the garage and hurt you.

One end of the tension spring hook is hooked to one end of the tension cables.

The cables travel through the cable drum and trace back down towards the bottom to support the garage door.

Adjust the tension spring and cables by doing these simple steps.

1. Turn off the garage door opener and disconnect the garage door.

Open the garage door manually for the adjustment.

Using some c-clamps or locking pliers, open the garage door and keep it in place.

2. Remove the end of the tension spring from the garage door frame.

You can use a plier or an adjusting wrench to loosen the bolt that holds the spring in place along the frame.

3. Pull the end of the spring hook higher in the garage door frame.

The higher you place the tension spring, the tenser it is.

The lower it is from the original slot placement, the less tense the spring is.

4. The tension cables follow the path of the repositioned tension spring, but they may have loose parts.

To solve this, unhook the end of the cable that is connected to the tension spring.

Pull the cable to fit it along the path and around the cable drum.

5. Hook back the end of the cable to the end of the tension spring.

How To Adjust Side Mounted Springs

In this configuration, the adjustment procedure will affect the spring and cable at the same time, so no additional correction will be required. First, raise the door as far as it will go. Adjustments to extension or side-mounted springs can be made in two different ways. If needed, you can make both adjustments or just one.

For this adjustment, you will need the following tools:

The first way to increase or decrease the tension is to simply relocate the S hook located at the end of the spring into a different hole in the track. Since the track is usually perforated the entire length, finding just the right spot should be simple. Moving the S hook closer to the door will increase tension while moving it further away will decrease the tension. The key to success is making sure there is no tension on the spring while the adjustments are being made.

Don’t Miss: Garage Door With Glass Panels

Fixing A Garage Door Thats Ice Cold

You know the struggle is real when its freezing outside and you need to get your car into the garage and close the garage door before all that indoor warmth escapes. That isnt always possible if you havent been paying attention to your garage door.

The garage door can get stuck to the floor when it gets cold enough and theres enough moisture in the air or a puddle on the floor. Other times the connection between the garage door opener and the door itself freezes over and all it takes is the press of a button to sever that connection.

Pressing the button to open the garage repeatedly may break the gears or burn the motor. So the only way out is to use a hairdryer or heat gun to melt hat ice at the connection junction. Be careful if you try to chip the ice away with a flat shovel when the garage door is stuck to the floor. You may end up damaging the door or its seal when if you are careless about it. Clear out the remaining ice when you get it open and see to it that the door closes at the same position where it used to before it got stuck to the floor.

There are just some times when you need the help of a professional for complex problems with your garage door. Let us know if you need one. And for the future, regular maintenance on time is the best way you can avoid costly repairs.

The Door Does Not Stay Up After Opening It

Did you know that your garage door springs do nearly all of the lifting when you open and close the door? You can watch for signs that your door is having an issue with the tension by watching it when it opens and shuts to see if it is acting differently. If the door does not stay open, then you have a tension issue that needs addressing. When your door only opens a few inches and stops, then it is likely that your spring is broken instead of being loose.

Don’t Miss: Learn Button On Chamberlain Garage Door Opener

How To Manually Test Your Garage Door Springs To See If One Is Broken

If you think that you have a spring problem with your garage door, then there is one way that you can check to see if you are right. Follow these steps to see if your springs may need servicing.

• Close the door completely to minimize any risk of injury
• Disconnect the door from the opener by pulling the emergency cord
• Carefully lift your door in the middle to about waist height and see if it stays be careful to release the door slowly to make sure it does not crash down
• If the door stays in the above position, then lift it to shoulder height and check it the same way
• Anytime the door feels heavy, do not release your grip because you could get hurt instead, slowly pull the door back down and call your garage door specialist to inspect the door
• If the door is difficult to keep up, then the spring is probably broken
• If the door stays open for a little time before falling, then the tension is the most likely culprit

References:

Garage Door Torsion Spring Safety Tips

The garage door torsion spring is the large wound spring that runs above your garage doors opening. Often found as a pair, mounted on both sides of the center point, these springs are designed to work in tandem to lift the hundreds of pounds of garage door so that you and your opener only see a small percentage of the load. Garage door torsion spring replacement or adjustment can be dangerous, so read how to stay safe.

Garage Door Torsion Spring Service Life

Basic springs may have a service duty of about 10,000 cycles, which for many people might be 5-7 years of service. Heavy-duty springs may allow 50,000 to 100,000 cycles. If the warranty on your garage door is only 5 years then you might have one of the more basic springs.

You may need garage door torsion spring adjustment or replacement if the door closes improperly, too fast or too slowly.

Replacement or Adjustment is Not for the Average DIYer

This Tiger has Two Heads

Some homeowners pick up the phone or search the internet to find skilled and qualified service professionals for adjusting or replacing garage door torsion springs others may spend many hours researching and planning to complete the task themselves. Whatever camp youre in, garage door torsion springs need to be treated with caution and respect.

Learn More About Your Garage Door

Kevin Stevens writes for networx.com.

You May Like: Garage With Lift For Rent

Calculate The Wire Diameter

Grab a tape measure and press the hook between two spring coils and note the length of 20 coils. Then measure 40 coils. Convert the measurements to a decimal . Divide the two measurements by 20 and 40 to obtain the spring’s wire diameter. Here’s an example: 4.50 divided by 20 = .225-in. wire diameter 9.0 divided by 40 = .225-in. wire diameter. If the two results match, you’ve measured correctly.

If Your Car Is Trapped

If a spring or cable breaks while your cars are parked inside, the garage door won’t open and you’ll be stranded. Getting emergency evening or weekend service from a garage door professional can easily cost $400. However, if you can get your vehicles out of the garage, you can postpone the repair to get normal weekday repair rates.

If you want to do the repair yourself, get several phone estimates first, because rates vary widely among service companies. Most garage doors are heavy , so call in three strong friends to help you lift the door and hold it open while you lock it in the full raised position with a locking pliers. Then move your vehicles and have your friends help you lower the door.

Don’t Miss: Above Garage Door Storage Diy

Adjusting A Torsion Spring Door

An extension spring door isnt under nearly the tension that a torsion spring door is, making them much easier and safer to DIY. When you move into the realm of torsion spring doors, you can cause yourself significant injuries if youre not paying close attention as you work. Like with an extension spring door, youll start by disconnecting the door and checking its balance, but thats where the similarities end. For starters, youll work with the door in the down position.

For maximum safety, place a set of c-clamps on the tracks just above the bottom set of rollers. This will prevent the door from lifting while youre adjusting it — and youll want that safety net. With a set of winding bars and an open-ended wrench sized for the adjustment screws, climb a ladder and position yourself off to the side of the adjustment collar of the spring youre adjusting.

Push one of your winding bars into the most vertical hole on the bottom of the adjustment collar until you hear it snap into place. This will help you hold the tension on the spring so you can safely remove the screws. Loosen the set screws with a wrench while holding the first winding bar, youll feel significant tension as the screws are removed.