Hi How do you adjust or replace garage door springs? There are two different styles of garage door springs used on sectional doors... TORSION and SIDE-MOUNTED.
Torsion springs are mounted on a stationary metal shaft located above and parallel to the top of the garage door frame. They are attached on one end to a stationary plate located above the center of the door frame. The springs extend along the shaft, and work by twisting as the garage door closes by means of cables attached to each side of the lowest garage door panel. This tension makes it easier to lift the garage door from its closed position. Side mounted springs are long heavy springs mounted on each side of the upper garage door track. Through the use of pulleys, they perform the same function as the torsion springs... they come under tension when the garage door is closed to make lifting the door easier. IMPORTANT TIP: Always replace garage door springs as a set! This may not be obvious to a novice, but it makes sense. If one spring has broken, can the other spring's demise be far behind? Add that little bit of common sense to the fact that the strength of a spring decreases with time and use. The use of a new spring with an old spring can cause an imbalance in the door that cannot be corrected for through adjustment. Spring Replacement and Adjustment Techniques... For Side Mounted Springs Only... You must release the tension on the garage door springs before attempting adjustment or replacement. This is accomplished by opening the garage door as fully as possible until it hits the stop bolt on the track. Hold the garage door in this position by attaching a C-clamp to the track at a point below the lowest door roller (wheel). This is true even if you have a garage door opener. Just because the door is open does not mean that the spring tension is fully released. Use the emergency release rope to disconnect the opener from the door and push the door up as far as you can without damaging the opener. Then clamp as described above. If there are safety cables installed, they must be disconnected and removed from the springs. The old spring is attached at two points. One end is a fixed attachment to the garage door track or wood frame. The other end is attached to a pulley through which the garage door cable is threaded. Simply disconnect these two attachments and reattach the new spring in the same way. Be sure not to twist the garage door cable when reattaching the pulley. While the pulley is disconnected from the spring, give it a quick hard look. If it appears that the pulley bearings are very sloppy and have lots of wobble, replace the pulleys. There is no repair other than replacement. The door will function more smoothly and save you additional work later. And you might as well check the stationary pulleys, too, while you are at it! Makes sense, right? Once all attachments are completed, test the door once for proper function before reattaching the safety cables. You may find that the new springs may be too "lively" and the door may not close all the way. If that is the case, you will have to look at the way the bare end of the garage door cable is attached to the garage door track, and loosen an inch or two. This end may be simply looped through the holes in the track, or it could be attached by means of a special clip and an S-hook. In either case adjust both sides equally either by shortening the cable or by repositioning the S-hook in a different hole in the track. The springs should visually be in about the same position when extended fully (door in down position). Of course, if you do not have enough tension in the springs, and want to make manual opening of the door easier, you may adjust the garage door cable into a tighter position also. For Torsion Springs Only... (NOTE: Some modern torsion springs can be adjusted with a special adapter and an electric drill. I would suggest visiting the manufacturer's website concerning the appropriate adjustment method. The article below refers to typical manual adjustment.) Adjustment to torsion springs can be dangerous because they must be adjusted with the door down and the spring under tension. Torsion springs must be adjusted with the door in the down position. Be sure to have all your tools inside before closing the door unless you have an alternate access door to the garage! 1) Secure the door in place by putting a C-clamp on the garage door track under the bottom-most door roller. As you adjust the spring more tightly, there is the chance that the door may begin to rise if you overtighten it... a dangerous possibility! 2) The moveable end of each spring is attached to an adjustment collar. There is a set screw in the adjustment collar that locks the spring in a position of tension on the center shaft. The adjustment collar also has a series of holes around its perimeter. You will need to insert a metal rod into one of these holes. The rod is used to hold the collar in position as the set screw is loosened. Since it is unlikely that you will find an adjustment rod in your garage, measure the diameter of the holes and purchase a section of steel rod... at least 18" to 24" long... at any hardware store. If solid steel rod is not available, a threaded rod is acceptable for this purpose. 3) Before making any adjustments, observe the original position of the set screw to see if there are "flats" that the set screw should be set into. These are special depressed or flattened areas of the shaft that allow the set screw to hold more securely. A warning... this can be a dangerous procedure because of the tension on the spring, so care must be taken at all times to prevent bodily injury! Eye protection and gloves are recommended! 4) The adjusting rod must be solidly in the hole in the collar, and the set screw is loosened while holding the rod in position. The rod is then used to turn the collar to tighten or loosen the tension on the spring. While holding the collar in the new position, the set screw is tightened to lock collar the new position. Both torsion springs must be adjusted equally to assure balance in the door. 5) Depending on whether you wish to increase the opening force or decrease the opening force of the springs, you must determine the proper direction to turn the collar: List of 2 items . Turn the collar in the same direction that the garage door cable passes over the pulley for increasing the opening force. . Turn the collar in the opposite direction that the garage door cable passes over the pulley for decreasing the closing force. list end 6) I would suggest making adjustments in small increments. 1/4 turn at a time is plenty to fine-tune a difficult door. Be sure to balance both springs by turning them the same amount. More Information on torsion spring installation and adjustment... Torsion spring replacement parts are more difficult to get than side mounted springs, and the repair is more difficult and dangerous. My personal opinion is that, unless you are a very capable and confident DIYer, let the pros handle this installation. However, we have obtained access to a great article on torsion spring installation from the Clopay Corporation. This article is specifically for their brand of doors, but the basic information is worthwhile for anyone attempting this procedure on their own. So here it is. Please read and understand these instructions completely before proceeding with the installation of torsion springs. Carefully follow these instructions to avoid personal injury or property damage. Important Safety Information Torsion springs can be very dangerous if they are improperly installed or mishandled. Do not attempt to install them yourself unless 1) you have the right tools and reasonable mechanical aptitude or experience and 2) you follow these Instructions very carefully. Materials Required for Torsion Spring Installation: 1. Two 9/16" box wrenches 2. 7/16" socket wrench 3. Two 1/2" diameter, 18" long cold rolled solid steel winding bars (NOTE: Winding bars are available at most hardware stores) 4. Locking pliers 5. Wood Anchor Pad Step 1 - Preparing the door frame It is important that the torsion spring assembly be firmly and securely attached to the frame of the garage. Refer to Figure TOR-1 for the configuration of 2" x 6" wood jambs. Important: The wood anchor pad must be made of a Grade 2 or better southern yellow pine (also known as southern pine or yellow pine). Other acceptable types of wood for this application are beech, birch, hickory, and oak. The wood must be free of splits and cracks. Do not use wood labeled as spruce pine fir (or SPF). Each side jamb and the center anchor pad should extend 12" above the top of the opening for 12" radius horizontal track and 15" above the top of the opening for 15" radius horizontal track. The wood anchor pad must be attached to the frame of the garage with at least four 3/8" x 4" long lag screws for wooden frames or four 3/8" x 4" long sleeve anchors for concrete frames. (one at each corner). The four fasteners must be installed no closer than 1-1/2" from the sides and the ends of the anchor pad. These fasteners must be embedded into the frame of the garage, not the drywall or sheet rock. The wood anchor pad and fasteners are not supplied. Do not use nails. NOTE: The wood anchor pad can be off-center to the width of the opening by up to 10" in either direction. Step 2 - Assemble the torsion springs to the spring tube Lock the door in the down position securely using door lock or locking pliers. This must be done to prevent the door from prematurely opening which could cause an injury. NOTE: You need an assistant in Step 4. If your garage has only one entrance, be sure you, the assistant, and the tools you need are inside before you lock the door. Your door will have either one or two torsion springs. Each torsion spring consists of spring coils, stationary cone, and a winding cone (FIG. TOR-2). The spring coils are color-coded depending on the spring size and the winding cone is color coded separately, either red or black. The color on the winding cone is to help identify on which side of the door the spring is to be used. Black winding cone torsion springs are used on the right side of the door and red winding cone torsion springs are used on the left side of the door when viewing the door from the inside looking out. Failure to install the torsion springs on the correct side will cause your door to function improperly and could result in serious injury. (NOTE: If you have low headroom, these instructions DO NOT APPLY. Consult supplemental low headroom instructions.) Slip the torsion springs onto the spring tube, the red winding cone on the left end, the nylon center bearing, center bearing plate, and the black winding cone torsion spring on the right end (FIG. TOR-3). Cable drums go on next, the red drum on the left, black drum on the right. The set screws on the drums face the springs. Step 3 - Attach mounting plates to garage door frame Fasten the bottom of the end bearing plate to the horizontal angle with (2) 3/8" x 3/4" long hex head bolts and hex nuts. The bottom of the end bearing plate is identified by two parallel rows of two slots. Please make sure to use the bottom two slots for 12" radius horizontal track, and the upper two slots for 15" radius horizontal track. When properly mounted the torsion tube is level and straight (FIG. TOR-4A). Before installing any lag screws, it is important to drill 3/16" pilot holes where the lag screws are to be attached. Fasten the wall flange on the end bearing plate to the wood jamb with (1) 5/16" x 1-5/8" long lag screw. Drill 3/16" pilot holes where lag screws are to be installed. On 12" radius horizontal track, each end bearing plate should also be attached with 3/8" x 3/4" carriage bolts and 3/8" nuts (FIG. TOR-4). Step 4 - Attach assembled torsion springs to mounting plates With an assistant, lift the complete torsion spring tube assembly and slide the ends of the tube into the bearing on the end bearing plates. With the tube level, mount the center bearing plate to the center anchor pad using (2) 5/16" x 1-5/8" long lag, red-coated screws. NOTE: Red-headed fasteners must be installed for the attachment of center bearing plate to indicate this part will be under extreme tension once spring is wound ). Before mounting the center bearing plate, drill (2) 3/16" pilot holes for the lag screws. These pilot holes must be no closer than 1-1/2" from the sides and ends of the wood anchor pad. The center bearing plate resists the considerable counter torque of the springs. This wood anchor pad must be installed to the frame of the garage as stated in Step 1. Step 5 - Install torsion spring cables The cable that is attached to each bottom bracket is brought up between the wall and roller shafts to the cable drum. This cable is placed in the notch on the cable drum. Turning the cable drum and sliding it up tight against the end bearing plate removes the cable slack. Make sure the cable follows the grooves in the cable drum. The set screws on the cable drum should be tightened with a 3/8" box wrench while holding the cable taut. Locking pliers clamped to the torsion spring tube maintain tension on the cable (This procedure should be repeated on the opposite side. Step 6 - Adjust torsion spring with winding bars Check for a straight line drawn across the length of the spring(s). If no line is present, draw one using a piece of chalk. This will be used to indicate the number of turns on the spring(s). After inserting the two winding bars all the way into the winding cone, wind the springs 1/4 turn at a time in an upward direction . . The tail of the torsion spring coil points in the direction that the spring is wound ). NEVER use screwdrivers or other substitutes for winding bars! Stand to the side of bars. Be sure to insert the bars all the way into the hole. Secure each spring with the set screws on the winding cone. (Caution: Set screws should be turned from 3/4 to one full turn after they have made contact with the tube.) On doors with two torsion springs, each torsion spring should be wound the same number of turns. Remove the locking pliers. Step 7 - Carefully test door function Unlock the door, slowly raise the door and prop it about halfway open. This is the first time the new door is being opened. If the tracks are not correctly aligned or the back hangers are not strong enough, the door may fall. Proceed slowly and carefully. Check to be sure the horizontal tracks are parallel with each side of the door. Make sure all the lag screws are securely fastened. With the door about halfway open, make sure the rollers do not come out of the top brackets more than about 1/2 inch. If adjustment of the rear track hanger is necessary, the door must be locked in the closed position because the weight of the door is supported by the rear hangers. NOTE: If the torsion springs do not increase in tension as the 1/4 turns are added to the springs, then you probably have the torsion springs reversed. (See Step 2.) Step 8 - Final adjustments, if necessary To adjust torsion spring tension, the door is locked in the down position. With locking pliers clamped on the torsion tube, winding bars are used to wind the springs tighter to increase tension. Tension is reduced by removing turns. When two springs are used, both sides should be adjusted the same. Adjustments should be made in 1/4 turn increments. NEVER adjust center bearing plate or red-headed fasteners after springs are wound. Be prepared to handle a strong force when reducing tension on a torsion spring. Use winding bars only, and stand to the side. 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