Broken Garage Door Spring - Should I replace?

[JimD]

I came home today to a broken torsion spring on our double garage door. I has two springs on a pipe above the door. One broke. I can still raise and lower the door but the garage door opener and LOML can't. It obviously needs a new spring and I know enough to know I have to raise the door to tension the spring but I am wondering how I get up there to tighten the clamp. I guess I have to push it past the normal park position so I can get access at the top. I also am not completely sure how to get the old spring off and the new one on. Looks like I need to remove the pipe which will mean taking the cable and other pieces off.

Anybody with experience care to share it?

Jim

[LCHIEN]

I came home today to a broken torsion spring on our double garage door. I has two springs on a pipe above the door. One broke. I can still raise and lower the door but the garage door opener and LOML can't. It obviously needs a new spring and I know enough to know I have to raise the door to tension the spring but I am wondering how I get up there to tighten the clamp. I guess I have to push it past the normal park position so I can get access at the top. I also am not completely sure how to get the old spring off and the new one on. Looks like I need to remove the pipe which will mean taking the cable and other pieces off.

Anybody with experience care to share it?

Jim

The spring needs to be installed and tensioned properly for you door to be reasonably easy to open, other wise its under a lot of stress.
I personally would call an expert to do the job, its a bit tricky and you don't want to be struck by an uncoiling spring as you were trying to tighten it up.

[DLyon]

I came home today to a broken torsion spring on our double garage door. I has two springs on a pipe above the door. One broke. I can still raise and lower the door but the garage door opener and LOML can't. It obviously needs a new spring and I know enough to know I have to raise the door to tension the spring but I am wondering how I get up there to tighten the clamp. I guess I have to push it past the normal park position so I can get access at the top. I also am not completely sure how to get the old spring off and the new one on. Looks like I need to remove the pipe which will mean taking the cable and other pieces off.

Anybody with experience care to share it?

Jim

Be very careful with this, there is still a lot of energy in the remaining spring. Springs are replaced with the door closed. You need to loosen the clamps that hold the springs on and use a bar to slowly relieve the tension in the spring. I had mine replaced about a year ago and rather than messing with it myself I had a pro take care of it. Ran about $150 and though it isn't a complicated job, you do need to be careful with those springs.

[Habe]

If that spring gets away from you and gives you a good smack the trip to the ER will be more then $150.00 and the spring will still need to be replaced. I would have a pro do it and if they say to replace both then do it. Remember they are the same age.

[iceman61]

The tension on those springs is set according to the width or height of the door & I can't remember which. I watched the guys install the 7' x 10' door in my shop. The installer told me it took 27 turns to get proper tension on that size but I'm wondering if that was actually 1/4 turns instead of full turns. The whole install was 1 hour for 2 guys so installing another spring won't take long & shouldn't cost much. IMHO it would be worth paying someone as opposed to having a big spring unleash holy you-know-what on your knuckles or wrist.

[Rand]

I recently had the same problem. I hired a pro for the reasons listed above.

When the job is finished the door should balance halfway open.

[rnelson0]

I replaced a few springs with my dad growing up. Never had a problem. Two tips though.

1) Get the cars and anything pricey out of the garage. Even if they're not under the spring.

2) Before you add the new springs, run some tension cable through them. This way if the spring pops again, it doesn't fall on your car. It sounds like you have pipes there, my a cable might be easier to work with.

[Uncle Cracker]

Two things that are worth paying a pro to fix: 1) brain tumor 2) garage door spring

Nuff said...

(One more thing... When one spring goes, always replace both...)

[Anna]

Definitely get a pro to do it. We paid ~$200 for ours last year when the spring broke, and it's worth it not having to mess with something we don't know anything about and have it done quickly and cleanly. There are just too many things that can go wrong otherwise.

[BobSch]

Pay the pro. I had to retension our's several years ago and one got away from me. Left an inch-thick gash in the solid-wood door. Don't want to think about what it would have done to my arm or head.

[MilDoc]

A buddy of mine is a garage door installer / spring replacer. He has told me far too many horror stories of people trying to do it themselves, including skull fractures, broken arms, and one man who lost several fingers.

Pay to have it done and get both replaced at the same time if they are over 5 years old.

[Ed62]

Two different times I had a broken torsion spring like yours. My next door neighbor is a really good mechanic, and he and I changed it both times. It is not a job for someone who thinks he can do it. He'd better know exactly what to do. If it gets away from you, it could actually be deadly. Call a pro.

Ed

[charliex]

I'll do most anything for repair. I just fixed mine (single spring with a power winder ) BUT if it did not have the auto wind unit I would have called a pro. I Don't want no major injuries, I don't like pain that much. All of the above is very good advise.

[rnelson0]

Left an inch-thick gash in the solid-wood door. Don't want to think about what it would have done to my arm or head.

This is why you run strong, tight cables through the springs. If they bust or get away from you, they're stuck on a rail. Just make sure you're not getting your bits in between anything.

[Woodshark]

This question comes up with some regularity. The general consensus is to go ahead and pay a professional to do it. I'm cheap, but this is something I am willing to pay for.

Call around, pricing is competitive. I've had mine replaced twice and each time it was only $150 to $190.