Author Topic: Fixing my Gage Door Springs  (Read 2042 times)

accolay

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Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« on: May 15, 2019, 02:02:02 PM »
One of my torsion springs on my garage door broke, so I went online and learned how to safely disassemble, and how to measure old springs. I made my own torsion spring removal bars with a $7.48 36" zinc coated round piece of 1/2" diameter steel from the Home Despot that I cut in half. So far it's been a lot easier than I thought.

I think it'd cost me 8-10 hours of working at my job to have a guy come out than DIY. This does mean I wont have the use of my garage door for a few days until the new springs arrive, but it only cost me a little less than $90 and two hours of research and disassembly time, so about 3-4 hours working time instead.

HipGnosis

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2019, 08:26:02 PM »
Where did you order the springs?

accolay

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2019, 01:00:41 AM »

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2019, 03:41:42 PM »
Nice!  I recently did the same thing.  After our old springs broke after only about 6 years, I ran some calculations and realized that if I replaced them with standard springs (rated for 17,000 cycles), I could expect no more than another 4 years.  So I spent the extra 50% to get longer, heavier-duty springs that'll take 65,000 cycles, so I don't have to do that job for a good long while.

HipGnosis

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2019, 06:19:13 AM »
Thanks for that info.  I didn't know about h-d springs with such higher life cycles. Money well spent.
Where did you get them?

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2019, 10:20:07 AM »
Thanks for that info.  I didn't know about h-d springs with such higher life cycles. Money well spent.
Where did you get them?
I got them from https://ddmgaragedoors.com/.  They're local(ish--45 min) for me, and also the fastest way for me to get pre-gapped springs, since we have a garage door with EZ-set tensioners.  They have a ton of great information on their website about DIY-ing garage door springs, along with various calculators to help you get the right size springs.  They'll give you various options for longer-life springs as well.

WSUCoug1994

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2019, 05:28:29 PM »
Funny story - I was in my garage when one of my springs broke - I thought I had been shot and fell to floor.  I am surprised I didn't have a heart attack.  I DIY everything but I outsourced that project as I knew those springs were under some serious tension.  After watching the guy do the work at like 2am in the morning I quickly realized it was something worth doing myself.  Nice Work!

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2019, 01:46:20 PM »
You are a brave man accolay. I would never touch those torsion springs!

accolay

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2019, 05:23:54 PM »
You are a brave man accolay. I would never touch those torsion springs!

Thanks, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. Mind your head and arm placement in relation to your winding bars when they're hot. Don't use anything improvised for winding bars that don't fit in the cones properly such as concrete rebar.  The correct winding bars are inexpensively bought online if you're concerned. Most videos will show you how to wind them so you're not in from of your bars. And if you really want to DIY with neato specialized single use tools, then you can buy them, but they'd make doing it yourself cost prohibitive.

I actually got the springs on Monday, but only now have the time to put them back in now.

This is the company I ordered the springs. It cleared up a few questions and procedures from other videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k9qrgZ9rPs

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Fixing my Gage Door Springs
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2019, 06:00:14 PM »
You are a brave man accolay. I would never touch those torsion springs!
Accolay is right--it's really not that big of a deal. In terms of danger, I'd rate it similar to jacking your car up.