Garage Springs
#1
12-21-00, 10:04 AM
I estimate the weight of my garage door to be about 60 to 80 lbs. It has two sets of springs (that stretch) on both sides; a small spring inside a larger spring on each side. I have replaced them several times in the past. My nephew tells me there are horizontal torsion springs available (preferably Industrial, commercial type) that go across and above the garage door that lift the door by the action of the spring twisting tight to lift the door and twisting loose to bring the door down. My question is who manufactures these springs?
#2
12-21-00, 10:44 AM
Torsion springs, beware.
Hi Cris,
These horizontal springs might be called torsion springs and I have only seen them on commercial doors, never on residential, and with good cause. They tend to be dangerous since they require special tools and high torque to work with. I suspect that only trained door installers generally work with those springs. Overhead door is a well known name in Kansas City that installs garage doors of all types including torsion springs. Check your yellow pages.
A second point might be worth mentioning here. Your coil springs you now have are designed and sold to fit doors according to the weight of the door. If you are guessing at your door weight, it would be a gamble to buy replacement springs. An easy way to learn your door weight is to put a bathroom scale under the closed door, with the opener disconnected so as to not add extra closing pressure. Also, her in Missouri, I have never seen twin springs, 1 inside the other, as you say you have. I wonder if someone just slipped a new spring inside the original spring as a do-it-yourself idea. The new springs sold now a days are smaller in diameter than the 30 yr old springs and might just fit inside the old spring, (but it would be tough to do). If this is your situation, just weight your door and replace the springs with the correct rated spring. The correct new spring will last another 30 years.
My 35 yr old standard 8' wide x 6' tall wood panel door weights 110 lbs. It's about the smallest garage door I have ever seen, so it is hard to imagine a door weighing only 60lbs unless it is thin fiberglass.
Good luck and as always, do it yourself!
Mark
These horizontal springs might be called torsion springs and I have only seen them on commercial doors, never on residential, and with good cause. They tend to be dangerous since they require special tools and high torque to work with. I suspect that only trained door installers generally work with those springs. Overhead door is a well known name in Kansas City that installs garage doors of all types including torsion springs. Check your yellow pages.
A second point might be worth mentioning here. Your coil springs you now have are designed and sold to fit doors according to the weight of the door. If you are guessing at your door weight, it would be a gamble to buy replacement springs. An easy way to learn your door weight is to put a bathroom scale under the closed door, with the opener disconnected so as to not add extra closing pressure. Also, her in Missouri, I have never seen twin springs, 1 inside the other, as you say you have. I wonder if someone just slipped a new spring inside the original spring as a do-it-yourself idea. The new springs sold now a days are smaller in diameter than the 30 yr old springs and might just fit inside the old spring, (but it would be tough to do). If this is your situation, just weight your door and replace the springs with the correct rated spring. The correct new spring will last another 30 years.
My 35 yr old standard 8' wide x 6' tall wood panel door weights 110 lbs. It's about the smallest garage door I have ever seen, so it is hard to imagine a door weighing only 60lbs unless it is thin fiberglass.
Good luck and as always, do it yourself!
Mark
#3
12-21-00, 04:00 PM
Mark is right. They are called torsion springs and they really should only be installed by professionals. Just so you have an idea I used to charge around a $120 to convert a door to torsion spring. I also carried a bathroom scale in the truck for weighing them. Torsion springs are safer,last longer and work bettor than extension springswhen installed correctly. I only installed extension springs on residential doors that had very low ceilings and torsion springs would not work. If you do convert they will have to mount cable drums,a shaft,shaft collars,mounting frame ends, etc.
I would just go to a home improvement place and get new extension spirngs for about ten bucks. You need to mount a safety cable inside the spring and attach it to the track in front and where the spring is mounted in the rear.this will preventthe spring from flying around when it breaks next time, Sombody should be able to tell you about it where you get your spring. It is very simple and can prevent alot of damage. if you need tips on how to replace your springs post back.
I would just go to a home improvement place and get new extension spirngs for about ten bucks. You need to mount a safety cable inside the spring and attach it to the track in front and where the spring is mounted in the rear.this will preventthe spring from flying around when it breaks next time, Sombody should be able to tell you about it where you get your spring. It is very simple and can prevent alot of damage. if you need tips on how to replace your springs post back.
#4
12-21-00, 07:13 PM
Gotta tell you that I'm with Timmy, and that the door guys in Toronto carry bathroom scales too...
Torsion springs are very common in residential applications in our marketplace, far outweighing extension... however they are never, and should never, ever be replaced by a DIYer, for pro's only.
You can replace several sets of extensions yourself, for the price of a service call
Torsion springs are very common in residential applications in our marketplace, far outweighing extension... however they are never, and should never, ever be replaced by a DIYer, for pro's only.
You can replace several sets of extensions yourself, for the price of a service call
#5
12-22-00, 03:33 AM
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Everyone who responded told your correct information. The one thing they did not do however, was to answer your question. Here is probably why. Did you know that there are 154 different sizes and types of springs for garage doors. Knowing the weight is only half of the formula. you need to know height, width, types of door and a couple of other things. Lumber yards can order them, and some home improvement stores will order them for you also. But if you get the wrong spring, it is very tough to take them back.
They are not going to be cheap either. Good Luck
They are not going to be cheap either. Good Luck
#6
12-22-00, 07:15 PM
I agree Jack there are a lot of spring combinations out there. I assumed that after the post by Mark Chapman where he stated his door size and weight
("My 35 yr old standard 8' wide x 6' tall wood panel door weights 110 lbs. It's about the smallest garage door I have ever seen, so it is hard to imagine a door weighing only 60lbs unless it is thin fiberglass")
that Manchris would measure the height of his door. You might have saved him an extra trip to the store, good catch. Extension springs are relatively cheap. Man should be able to pick up a pair for 10 -20 $. A reciept should be all that is nessacary for a hardware store. Returning torsion springs is another matter, as you stated.
("My 35 yr old standard 8' wide x 6' tall wood panel door weights 110 lbs. It's about the smallest garage door I have ever seen, so it is hard to imagine a door weighing only 60lbs unless it is thin fiberglass")
that Manchris would measure the height of his door. You might have saved him an extra trip to the store, good catch. Extension springs are relatively cheap. Man should be able to pick up a pair for 10 -20 $. A reciept should be all that is nessacary for a hardware store. Returning torsion springs is another matter, as you stated.
