Installing a new garage door

[Paddy]

I hope everyone has had a good X-mass. I bought my son a new garage door for Christmas, Ideal Menards 7' by 9' wide. I bought because of the "easy spring winder".

All went well during the install other than a bit of needed framing. At the end, we opened the door slowly and the cables jumped off the drum. Odd, we thought. But we managed to get them back on. This time we opened slowly and kept an eye on the cables as they wound themselves on to the drums. We noticed the left side cable was loose/slack when fully open. So we lowered the door and took all the tension off the torsion spring and started over.

On the surface, this is a really simple process; The cable hooks on a small bar at the bottom of the door and goes up to a drum/spool. The top end of the cable has a crimped on ball to hook in to the drum. You rotate to take up the slack and tighten up the set screw to fix the drum to the main spring shaft. Then the instructions tell you to start charging the spring to put a bit of tension on the cable. Then you go to the right side and attache the cable again, rotating until the cable is free of slack. Then you tighten the the right side set screw.

After winding the torsion spring again we tested the door. Cables stayed put but the right side cable was slack at about 1 foot from reaching max open. My son thought, "hey since there is no tension on the right cable, lets just loosen the set screw and rotate it and re-tighten it". Well the cable covers the drum and the set screw is middle of the drum so not so easy. But because the cable is so slack, he was able to spread the cable winds back and found the set screw. Rotated it some and tighten it.

It's better but the left side is not near as taught as the right. I suppose we could use some big channel locks and really take up the slack and finally get it. But, this doesn't seam right

Maybe when we did the left side, we took out too much slack.

Has anyone encounter this condition? I would think a turn buckle at the cable attachment at the bottom would be handy.

 

[KennyG]

I've installed a number of torsion spring doors and never seen this happen. Are you sure the tracks are level? If the garage floor slopes, one track will have to be above the floor to keep them level. I've never had to do anything special to take up the slack and lock the drums on. You did clamp the shaft in place before you wound the drums?

 

[Paddy]

KennyG,

The floor was a bit out of level, the right side was 1/2-3/4" lower. We used a shim under the door the level the first section. But now that you mention this, the right side tract must be lower.

I'll have my son measure the torsion rod to top of door on each side, but I bet you are right.

Thanks KennyG

 

[bigdeano]

I think you should wind the slack onto both drums and tighten both set screws before winding the shaft, so they'll both be the same tension. In your first post that doesn't sound like what you're doing.

 

[kenmac]

I think you should wind the slack onto both drums and tighten both set screws before winding the shaft, so they'll both be the same tension. In your first post that doesn't sound like what you're doing.

This is the way I do it

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I've installed a few of these doors this yr. Your write-up sounds right.
Seems odd to jump off while opening. Do have drums on right sides and on right?

 

[Paddy]

The drums are color coded, so not an issue. But if the cable was very loose on one side....I can see how it would fall off.

As far as the comment, :take the slack out of both drums and then begin tensioning the spring makes the most sense. But if I recall correctly, I did as was in the instructions. I'll re-read that again.

Thanks for all the support

 

[Paddy]

The drums are color coded, so not an issue. But if the cable was very loose on one side....I can see how it would fall off.

As far as the comment, :take the slack out of both drums and then begin tensioning the spring makes the most sense. But if I recall correctly, I did as was in the instructions. I'll re-read that again. So I have two items to check; Level torsion rod to compensate for un-even floor and pre-tension BOTH cables.

Thanks for all the support

 

[Xfaxman]

On the surface, this is a really simple process; The cable hooks on a small bar at the bottom of the door and goes up to a drum/spool. The top end of the cable has a crimped on ball to hook in to the drum. You rotate to take up the slack and tighten up the set screw to fix the drum to the main spring shaft. Then the instructions tell you to start charging the spring to put a bit of tension on the cable. Then you go to the right side and attache the cable again, rotating until the cable is free of slack. Then you tighten the the right side set screw.

This doesn't sound right, the left cable will be tighter than the right.

I agree with bigdeano:

I think you should wind the slack onto both drums and tighten both set screws before winding the shaft, so they'll both be the same tension. In your first post that doesn't sound like what you're doing.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I've installed several this yr, and my instructions do say that. Roll tight and Tighten set screw on left side, wind spring 1 turn, roll tight and Tighten set screw on right side.