Thousands of homeowners successfully change their own springs every year, but there are a few things you need to consider:
- Garage doors are very heavy, and they have parts under extreme tension. The potential for a really bad accident is here, but if you follow safety precautions, there is no reason for anything to go wrong. Remember, when only one spring on a multi-spring door is broken, the other ones are loaded and dangerous. They must be released properly before you do anything else.
- You have to follow instructions carefully. There are a couple things that have to be done in the proper order or your door will end up coming out of alignment and it will be a mess.
- It is critical that you obtain the proper replacement spring. It has to be the correct strength for the weight of your door, and close doesn’t always work. The safest way is to order the exact same spring as the one you are replacing, but there are dozens of springs with different dimensions (length, wire size, inside diameter) that are the same strength and an exact match may not be possible. So it may require some calculations, or at least referencing this chart. The total strength of all of the springs on the door is what is critical, so you can use two different springs, as long as the total IPPT’s (the unit of spring power rating) are correct for your door.
- The spring(s) will need to slide off the end of the torsion tube, there is no break or splice in the tube (some people think there is because it is common to see this on large commercial doors). If there isn’t very much room between the end of the tube and the wall or some other immovable object, it could get tricky. If there is room, you may be able to take it all down and put it on the floor of the garage.
- Check your door to see what else may have been damaged when the spring broke. Frayed or broken cables are common, and can range from simple to extremely difficult to change, depending on how much room there is to work when the door is closed, and what type of bottom brackets you are dealing with, be sure to take a close look. It is also common for the garage door opener to bend or damage the top section when it pulls on a door with a broken spring, so get up on a ladder and take a look at the top edge of the door. Also, pull on the opener arm (after having pulled the manual release with the door on the ground) to test the strength of the top of the door, if it bends in easily and feels flimsy, it may need to be straightened and/or reinforced.
- Do you have the proper tools? You must use proper winding bars (fortunately you can make your own pretty easily). You will also need 7/16″, 1/2″, and 9/16″ wrenches or sockets. Please be sure to use a sturdy ladder, and use it properly. A metal file is often needed. Here is a complete list of the tools you will need.
Now, if you think these points all seem like things you can handle, that’s great, because replacing your own springs will save you at least $100 per spring. Even better, you won’t run the risk of ending up talking to a salesman disguised as a garage door technician. It is also a convenient time to change out cables, drums, and bearings since these are parts that are under tension and extremely dangerous to loosen when the springs are loaded. If you are lucky enough to have a door that has easy access to the bottom brackets and end plates, you may be able to replace all of the key parts for around $200. Most good garage door companies would charge at least $600 for a similar service.
If you think you can handle it, this is a fun D-I-Y project. But there is no shame in calling in a professional, it is what most people end up doing. The element of danger is real, but only if you fail to follow instructions and adhere to basic job site safety practices. More than anything, you need to pay attention to detail when measuring and ordering springs, and during reassembly and leveling the door.
Good luck, and check back for future posts on the topic of spring replacement!