garage door spring

[not2old]

I've bought springs from Overhead Door. They make them to order if you want, and can provide new ones that will last a lot longer. I was going through springs every 2 to 2.5 years before they gave me the heavier ones which have lasted for years. Just be careful that you don't order ones that are too heavy duty. The last ones I put in weighed 50 lbs. each, were very difficult to install, and sagged almost too much in the centre.

 

[whistlepig]

I had two off brand overhead doors installed many years ago and they would break spring about every two years. I have three overhead doors now that were made by Overhead Door that are 12 years old now and still have the original springs.

 

[5030]

Loosing your grip on the tightening rods is tantamount to getting sucker punched by gorilla. The guy across the road lost his teeth, broke his jaw and generally improved his appearance by letting go of a rod while tightening the spring......

I have the old style side spring doors. When they let go, the just go through the sheet rock.

 

[inveresk]

In our neck of the woods there are no problems in sourcing springs. I'd be surprised if they weren't available your area. When I had to replace one of mine, I had to take the broken spring with me - the duty is stamped on it, or some such thing. There's no need to weigh the garage door. In a two spring door, they're also wound in opposite directions, I seem to recall. Google search and you'll find a supplier but he'll probably want to see the broken spring.

 

[2458n]

Garage door springs are like any thing else -you can buy good ones if you want. The wire size and the number of coils all effect the amount of lift. When properly sprung a garage door should only require 10 lbs. of lift to get it to raise. The drums on the end of the rods are also different in that you have a left and right side as well as different diameters. Buy two new springs and if you use the door alot get the higher cycle springs. Take your old springs when getting the replacements so the person getting the new ones for you knows what you need. Winding bars are very important and screwdrivers or jack handles should never be used.

 

[Chuck52]

My doors have one spring each. They are darn heavy doors. Look like steel over wood. I have the old spring off and will take it with me to get a replacement. I did play with the left over part of the spring, trying to make it work, so I have a pretty good feel for the effort required to wind the spring. I had some rod stock of the right diameter to use as tools fortunately. I plan to check the big box stores first to see if I can find a replacement, but I think one of the local garage door stores may be my ultimate source unless I have to order on line.

So far I've only poked a hole in one thumb and scraped the back of the same hand during the removal process. Pretty good for me! If I end up in the hospital I'll be sure to have my wife bring me my laptop so I can report to the group!

Chuck

 

[Chuck52]

I got an exact replacement from a local company and installed it in about an hour and a half. As many said, it is good to have the correct tools, including two 1/2" rods. I followed a U-tube video pretty closely and had no problems at all. I think my old spring failed at least as much from not being lubricated as from fatigue. I kept the rollers and hinges oiled, but I never thought about oiling the torsion spring....it is pretty obvious it should be lubricated now that I've worked on one, but oiling a spring that is not in a cylinder just never occurred to me I guess.

I think if I had an old torsion spring under tension I might be somewhat leery of working on it, since it or the winding cone could potentially decide to break while you are working on it. A new spring with new cones is less worrying, if you pay attention to what you are doing. Since most springs are probably replaced as a result of breaking, that takes care of that worry.

I also oiled the spring on my second door since I now know how important it is. After a minor adjustment of one rail, that door, which is manual, opens and closes so easily I have to be careful not to slam it.

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions.

Chuck