Anyone replace garage door springs themselves?

[Triplegreen500]

So, my workshop door has a broken spring.

My garage has 4 single-car doors total - built like a bank barn, it has 3 doors on the lower level, and one on the upper level. This upper level is my workshop, and where I park my work truck as well as keep my pro audio equipment. This upper door is the one that has a broken spring.

One of the lower doors broke a spring years ago and I had it replaced. I remember watching the guy do it, and it was some sort of sorcery, black magic type work that involved not amputating fingers or sending wrenches through his own skull while he was removing and replacing the springs.

Has anyone here done their own spring replacements? My doors are "heavy" - they are single car doors, but they are insulated, and they have a veneer/facade on the outside which makes them look like carriage house doors (but adds weight because it's a sheet of 1/4" plywood facing). That tells me "more finger-removing, skull-cracking spring tension"..... I have the spec tag from the last spring replacement (250x2.000x41.00), which I presume is 250 lb rating x 2" coil size x 41" long, and I assume I can order springs from that....but the guy who did my last one appears to have retired, and I can't get anyone to return calls about the job.

I guess nobody needs work.

Here's the door in question:

...and the lower level, just because I love my garage...

 

[6PKRTSE]

Mine broke one time. It takes two small diameter pipes (just over 5/16 I.D.) slide over the head of the lock down set screw bolts to turn the tension wheels. These bolts on mine were a 5/16" square headed bolt. If I remember correctly, it took like 24 quarter turns to get mine to have enough tension to lift the door easily.

 

[pnora]

Mine broke one time. It takes two small diameter pipes slide over the head of the lock down set screw bolts. If I remember correctly, it took like 24 quarter turns to get mine to have enough tension to lift the door easily.

Read the instructions. Very simple. Each door spring has its own unique adjustment dependent on spring, travel distance, and door weight. I installed all my own doors and many others for friends. Common sense applies. If you have doubts hire a pro.

 

[LowBikeMike]

I had one break about 3 months ago. Yeah, they are easy to replace but I wouldn't do it without the knowledge and correct tools for winding the springs. Local company replaced both on the door for $200 installed, well worth not loosing a few limbs trying to wind the springs myself. They have automated winding tools that eliminate the 1/4 turn at a time manual winding.

 

[toolmanmike]

It's not that it's hard or complicated, it's the danger if you don't do it right and you won't know until you mess up and hurt yourself. Your call.

 

[Belvedere408]

When I worked at UHaul we always had to redo the springs on the doors. I’d make sure if you took that one off, make sure you see how many twists it has and how far the spring is stretched. I always used another guy to help and some ratchet straps.

 

[Charles Cook]

Just had mine replaced by a door company. It’s a 8’ x 16’ door. Springs and install was a little over $400.00 bucks. Money well spent.

 

[Bee1971]

YouTube

Honestly some really good info and videos

I did mine for the first a few years back , common sense goes along ways , take your time and patience


Menards had everything as far as hardware and springs

I didn’t even realize one of my springs had broken until I hit the garage door opener and the door wouldn’t come up . I found parts of the spring 40 feet away on the backside of garage . I said to myself what kind of damage would of happened if a car

Anyways , did I say take your time and common sense

 

[Bee1971]

 

[copper67sat]

I have never replaced them, but have adjusted the springs on my garage door. The door was not balanced by the original installer so I had to increase the spring tension before adding an opener. I can't imagine that replacing them would add substantially more work. IIRC I used (2) 1/2 socket extensions in the collar holes - 1 to pull the collar 1/4 turn and the other to hold it while I moved to the next hole. As others said, it wasn't hard. Yes, there is a lot of stored energy so take your time and pay attention, but it’s not rocket science.

 

[toolmanmike]

Just sayin'

 

[WileERobby]

I did one on mine years ago, sorta forgot how I did it. All I know is that it's important to have that metal safety line going through the spring in case of failure.

 

[pnora]

I did one on mine years ago, sorta forgot how I did it. All I know is that it's important to have that metal safety line going through the spring in case of failure.

Thats on the extension style spring. Poster has the torsion style.

 

[WileERobby]

Thats on the extension style spring. Poster has the torsion style.

Oooh... I get it. A Mopar garage door vs. a GM garage door.

 

[VANDAN]

I've adjusted mine when they've needed some extra lift. Not really hard to do, once you get in the right position. It's always wise to have someone as a helper, WHEN you drop the winding bar, or wrench to secure them in place, as that can really mess up your effort...

 

[Sixpactogo]

When I replaced mine, I got one from Menards. It came with detailed instructions and the easy winder. Once you get it put together, you just use a variable speed drill motor with 3/8" socket. Not dangerous at all if you read the directions and adhere to them. Here is a pic of the winder.

 

[Billccm]

Don't get me started about garage door repair people. Tucson seems to have a garage door repair mafia and every business, supplier, service organization, etc related to garage door repair and replacement is related and the motto is the customer is dirt under their feet.

When I finally begged and pleaded with the right guy to replace my garage door spring he explained that half of his jaw is missing and he has nasal passage issues due to a spring install job that slipped. Got to give him credit for staying in the business.

Was a volunteer fireman in the early 1980s. Our department had a fatal accident run that was a homeowner trying to replace the garage door spring. I'm leaving this job to an expert even though I am at the mercy of the Tucson garage door mafia.

 

[dadsbee]

I hear ya Bill, my Brother had most of his left hand fingers rebuilt with micro surgery after he got his hand in one, I believe a vertical lifter though. Not good for a guy flying left seat in a Herc and a Playstation joy stick Airbus

 

[kiwigtx]

I've just had my teeth fixed up.....I'll leave that sort of work to the experts. Hope I don't need a spring replaced any time soon.

I used to replace springs on barrier gates - but at least they were contained inside a solid housing and had a turn-buckle for tensioning.

 

[6PKRTSE]

Anyone come up with any kind of guard to go around the overhead springs in case they snap into multiple pieces none of the pieces damage our wonder Mopars?