Whatever type of garage door you have, it will function with a set of torsion springs that are designed to generate a counter force to gravity, supporting the door’s mass. Whether by twisting or pulling, the springs exert an exceptional amount of force, and should they fail for any reason, they can cause serious harm and even death.
While we strongly recommend seeking professional assistance should you encounter any issues with your garage door tension springs, if you’re determined to try and replace them yourself, you should at least make sure that you do it safely.
Below are some important tips for safely replacing garage door tension springs:
Keep the garage clear at all times
Remove all vehicles and items of value from the garage before you begin working, lest the springs or any of the tools you plan to use, should accidentally cause any damage. You may also need help to lift the garage door if it’s very heavy, and there should be no obstacles in your path, if doing so.
Only use solid, compatible torsion spring winding bars
You’ll need a pair of ½ inch diameter torsion spring winding bars to match the ½ inch winding cone slot when unwinding the old springs, or winding up the new ones, and you may need to contact a local garage door repair company to acquire them. While not advised, you can also get 2 pieces of steel rebar from a local hardware store and use them, just make sure they’re the right size.
Keep yourself safe when handling the torsion springs
Never position yourself in the path of the winding bar, or directly beneath it when repairing a torsion spring; because of the rotational force generated by the spring, a good deal of force is applied to the winding bars, and should one slip, it could cause serious bodily harm to you, or anyone close to you.
Safely secure the axle
Once you have successfully mounted the new torsion springs to the center bracket using vice grips, you must ensure that the axle, or torsion tube, is fixed securely in place before you start winding up the springs. The axles’ purpose is to keep the garage door secure in a closed position, and if you were to install the wrong size springs, it would generate a force greater than the mass of the garage door, and cause the door to pull up swiftly. This could not only cause significant harm to you, but to the door itself.
The best way of ensuring that you not only get the right size torsion springs, but that the entire repair job is carried out safely, minimizing risk to human life, is to have the work carried out by a garage door technician. If you insist on doing the repairs yourself, please get advice from a garage door specialist at the very least, so that you can be sure to get the right springs, for the right door.
