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Re: winding garage door springs

To: Mark Andy <mark@sccaprepared.com>
Subject: Re: winding garage door springs
From: David Scheidt <dmscheidt@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Jan 2006 23:14:09 -0500
On 1/8/06, Mark Andy <mark@sccaprepared.com> wrote:
>
> Howdy,
>
> I've got a weak garage door that has a wound spring around a rod at the
> front top of the door...
>
> Do I just need a couple rods of the appropriate size to wind a little more
> tension into the spring?  Presumably I should put a rod in, hold it, and
> loosen what looks like a set screw, then wind a turn into it, reset the
> set screw, test, etc.?

BE CAREFUL.  Those springs are wound really tight.  The first time I
undid one, I wasn't expecting it to be that much force, and I nearly
lost my grip on the tool.

I've got a pair of tools I use for adjusting the doors around here.  
They are a short (6") piece of 1/2" rod welded to a longer (2 feet or
so, one's 6 inches longer than the other) piece of 1"  square tube,
1/8" wall thickness.  You need the length for leverage, though you
have clearance issues with your roof.   I'd make mine 8 inches longer
if I were doing it again, but thats' what was in the scrap pile when I
needed to fix a door.  You're going to want to put more than a 1/4
turn on the thing, so you do need the pair.  Think about which way the
spring wants to turn before you touch the set screw.  Depending on
your door, you may have two springs, one on each side.  If you do,
count the turns, so you tighten them equally.  If the door stays up
once you've got it open, I'd start with one complete turn.  If the
door doesn't stay open well, put a little more.  Then test.

All my doors have 1/2 inch holes, as has every door I've fixed for
others, but we had new sections put in some of our doors a few years
ago, and the installer had tools similar to mine, but with a smaller
rod at the other end.

>
> Doors are pretty heavy... Should I do this with the garage door up or
> down?  Seems like the spring would have less tension on it if the door was
> up, but I dunno about how much access I'd have...

I've never tried to do with the door open.  I couldn't get anywhere
near the spring.

--
David Scheidt
dmscheidt@gmail.com




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