Garage Door Spring

Questions and Answers

Garage door spring question?
the spring broke on my garage door and the bracket bent, I installed supports and now it is operational, but I am worried about the opener now that the spring is not helping. Any suggestions? should I get the spring replaced? can I do it myself?

Posted RJ

Admin: Your garage door is designed to have a specific amount of lift capacity that is provided by the springs offsetting the weight of the door. If all is correct and adjusted correctly, a small child should be strong enough to open the door. Any excessive load due to failed springs will have a dramatic and relatively immediate negative impact on your door opener. You should be able to replace the springs yourself provided that you have some mechanical skill. Make sure that you support the door (in the up position) with a couple of 2×4’s during the repair process as the springs are at rest in the up position. Size matters, so make sure you match the new springs up properly. Look for a stamp or sticker on the old spring (or ends) to identify the wire size and length.

 

Garage Door repair single or double torsion springs?
so after 13 years my torsion spring broke on my garage door. I’m looking to install it myself but wanted to ask some questions. Every video I’ve viewed showed a double torsion spring installation for my size single garage door (2 car) However, how it was installed when this house was built was for a single torsion spring. I’ve read people save time and money and just get the single installed. Was this so in my case? Will I be ok if I installed just a single torsion spring or should I go ahead and install 2?

Posted MC

Admin: There are two types of garage door torsion spring installations. There are the type that run from the opening to the rear of the door and act as balance springs As they expand on door opening and contract when the door closes. It takes one on each side of the door and they’re an easy DIY installation. Then there’s the spring that runs across the opening and winds and unwinds as the door opens and closes. If you have the second type call a garage door company to take care of it. Regardless of how handy you may be, or think you may be, handling that spring is as dangerous as handling a hungry bear and a rattlesnake at the same time. It has the speed of a snake and the force of a bear. A good friend, who just happens to be a very good mechanic, decided he could do his one day.