Garage door spring repair is genuinely dangerous. When you’re dealing with components under extreme tension, you could cause serious injury to yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. handled incorrectly.
So while we’ll explain how spring repair works, please keep in mind that this isn’t your typical DIY project where mistakes just mean you have to start over. Mistakes here can mean hospital visits.
With that sobering reality out of the way, let’s talk about what’s actually happening when your garage door spring breaks, why it matters, and how the repair process works.
What Do Garage Door Springs Do?
Your garage door probably weighs 150-300 pounds, depending on size and material. Springs are what make it possible to lift that weight without a forklift. They’re under constant tension, storing energy that counterbalances the door’s weight so you (or your opener) can move it with minimal force.
Torsion springs are located above the opening of your door with springs that slide onto a bar mounted above the door. They work by twisting, winding up when the door closes and unwinding to help lift when the door opens.
Extension springs run parallel to the garage floor and are attached to the rear track hanger. These springs store energy by stretching as the door lowers and contracting to help lift it.
When springs break, your door becomes extremely difficult or impossible to operate. Garage door openers aren’t designed to lift the full weight of the door; they just provide the final push. Without working springs, your opener will struggle, fail, or burn out completely.
Signs Your Springs Are Slowly Giving Up On You
Springs don’t always break immediately, though sometimes they do. More often, they give warning signs:
- The door is heavy or won’t stay open: Disconnect your opener and try manually lifting the door. It should move relatively easily and stay put when you leave it halfway open. If it drops, slams, or requires serious effort to lift, your springs are worn or broken.
- The door opens unevenly: One side lifts faster than the other, indicating one spring is failing or has a different tension than the other.
- Visible gaps in the spring: Torsion springs have a visible break in the coils when they fail. You’ll literally see where the spring snapped.
- The door only opens partway: If your automatic opener runs but the door barely moves, broken springs are often the culprit.
- Excessive noise: Springs under stress or beginning to fail often make creaking, popping, or groaning noises.
Why You Shouldn’t Attempt Garage Door Spring Repairs on Your Own?
Garage door spring repairs are one of those jobs where watching a YouTube video gives people false confidence. Professional garage door technicians know the potential risks involved in working with garage door springs, and they’ve been doing it long enough to know what flies.
- The tension is extreme. Torsion springs store enough energy to seriously injure you if they slip during winding or unwinding. People have been killed by improperly handled springs.
- You probably don’t have the right tools. You need proper winding bars, and you need to know how to use them correctly. Improvised tools slip, bend, or break at the worst possible moments.
- Measurements must be exact. Order the wrong size spring, and at best, it won’t work properly; at worst, it fails prematurely or creates dangerous imbalances.
- Installation requires precision. Proper tension adjustment, cable positioning, and secure mounting all matter for safe operation.
Also Read: Why Won’t My Garage Door Close All the Way?
If You’re Still Determined to DIY, Here’s What You’re In For
Assuming you’ve decided to proceed despite the warnings, here’s what the process involves:
Before we dive in, make sure to clear the area of bystanders, never stand in front of the springs while working, always use proper winding bars designed for springs, and wear safety glasses throughout the process.
Step 1: Gather proper tools
Winding bars (usually 1/2″ or 9/16″ diameter steel rods), wrenches, vice grips or locking pliers, ladder, and measuring tools are essential.
Step 2: Measure everything
Spring length, inside diameter, wire size, and wind direction all matter. Get any measurement wrong and you’ll be doing this again soon.
Step 3: Release tension
For torsion springs, you’ll carefully unwind the broken spring using winding bars. This is where most injuries occur, so extreme caution is essential. For extension springs, you need to secure the door so it can’t fall while you work.
Step 4: Remove old springs
This involves disconnecting cables, removing mounting hardware, and sliding springs off the torsion bar. Seems simple, but requires coordination and care.
Step 5: Install new springs
Slide new springs onto the bar, position them correctly, secure mounting hardware, and reattach cables.
Step 6: Wind the springs
This is the most dangerous part. You’re adding tension by winding the springs a specific number of turns based on door height and weight. Each turn increases tension and risk. Count carefully and wind evenly.
Step 7: Test and adjust
The door should lift smoothly and stay put at any position. Adjustments might be needed to get the tension balanced properly between both sides.
We Repair Springs, You Get Peace of Mind
Garage door spring repair is one of those home maintenance tasks that’s best left to the professionals.
When you need reliable repair in NJ, All Day Garage Doors provides expert service with fast response times. Our experienced technicians handle spring replacement safely and efficiently, using professional tools and techniques that ensure proper tension and long-lasting performance.
Give us a call today, and let’s fix your garage springs!