Introduction
Learn how to repair overhead garage door springs and cables—without winding up in the emergency room. Follow along as a pro explains how it's done.Before you do this garage door spring repair yourself…
Lots of things can go wrong with a garage door, and most are easy to fix. Here is your guide to repair your garage door opener. But problems involving the garage door tension spring are more serious.
What does a garage door tension spring do?
The garage door tension springs provide lifting force for the heavy door and are under tremendous tension—get careless, and they can hurt you.
Can you repair a garage door tension spring yourself?
If you use the correct tools and follow our instructions, you can rebuild the entire torsion spring system in just a few hours, without any side trips to the ER. We won’t cover how to replace garage door extension spring systems in this story. But we’ll show you garage door spring replacement on the more common torsion springs, the kind that mounts on a bar above the garage door.
Depending on where you live, doing this garage door spring replacement job yourself might save you $200 or more. Then again, it might save you less than $50. So before you spend several hours fixing your garage door, it’s a good idea to gather a few professional estimates for garage door spring replacement.
Start your garage door spring replacement project by getting a rough measurement of your springs (length and diameter). Then measure the width and height of your door. Make sure the quote includes the trip charge, parts and labor. Then ask for a price based on 7×19 lift cables and double-life springs. Those items will give you more years of service and should only add $65 to the price.
Figure A: Garage Door Lift System
To help lift a heavy garage door, the springs apply twisting force to the torsion tube. Drums at the ends of the tube act as reels, winding up the cables connected to the door. The most common problems with this system are broken springs or cables. Smaller doors often have just one spring.
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