The garage door spring is one of the most important components of your garage door.
It helps a lot when opening and closing your garage door.
As the spring is used almost a thousand times per year, it is undeniable that eventually, it will wear out due to old age.
When this happens, you must replace it with the appropriate spring to keep your overhead garage doors functioning as usual.
Most of the time, all we know is about how it is required to regularly maintain our garage doors or how professional help is needed for our garage door needs.
But how is the whole process exactly done?
This being said and done, let us all learn together exactly how to replace a broken garage door torsion spring and what are things we need to know about the entire process.
Replacing your torsion spring
People have been warned again and again about how dangerous attempting to fix your garage door spring without any prior knowledge or skills.
To be able to perform the task well, you must at least know even just the basic know-how about torsion springs and the different tools to be used during the entire process.
As long as you can handle yourself well around different tools well and have an understanding of mechanical systems, then this should be a piece of cake for you.
After all, replacing garage door springs is only difficult for those without the appropriate knowledge.
But enough about that. Let’s get to the main topic at hand. How to replace a broken garage door torsion spring?
Come and find out the necessary steps you need to take to complete this task.
#1 Lock/close down your garage door
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that your garage door is closed.
You cannot, under any circumstances, change your garage door’s torsion springs while it is open.
This will only prove to be dangerous not only to your but to those around you as well.
To make sure that it is not accidentally opened in the middle of the entire process, attach a clamp to the track just directly above one of the rollers.
This will make sure that your door will not open on you accidentally.
Making sure that the door is closed is very important because otherwise, you may end up breaking your nose or worse.
After attaching the clamp, make sure to unplug the garage door opener and remove the cables before trying to repair/fix your overhead garage doors.
#2 Loosen the spring
Loosening the broken spring can be easy as long as you follow the instructions ahead.
The first thing you need to do is to insert the winding bar onto one of the bottom holes of the winding cone and make sure you hold it in place tightly.
This is so that during the removal of the set screws, you will not be having a hard time.
Be informed though that once the springs are released, the spring will be pushing with powerful torque so make sure you hang on and hold it tight.
#3 Unwinding the spring
After loosening the springs by removing the set screws holding it firmly in place, you need to unwind them as well.
Unwinding the spring will take some time so make sure you have enough patience for it.
While you have your other hand on the bottom holding the spring in place, insert the second winding bar into a hole around the 9:00 position.
Once you’ve inserted the second winding bar, remove the bottom bar and then start unwinding the spring.
Once the second bar reaches the bottom, insert the other winding bar at a 9:00 position, and repeat the process until the spring is fully unwinded.
#4 Disconnecting the springs from the bracket located in the center of your door
After unwinding your springs, it is time for the next step which is removing the nuts and bolts connecting them to the center bracket.
After removing the nuts and bolts holding the torsion spring stationary, slide the spring towards the side brackets.
#5 Clamping the torsion tube
After removing the torsion springs, make sure you clamp the torsion tube by snapping a C-clamp onto the center bracket.
After doing so, you can proceed to loosen the screws on the left and right cable drums.
After doing so, detach the lift cables.
#6 Installing the replacement torsion springs
The next thing you need to do now is to reassemble everything but with the new or replacement torsion spring.
To do this, slide the replacement spring into the torsion tube with the stationary cone facing the center bracket.
Make sure that placed a new center bearing in before placing the torsion springs.
After doing so, reinstall the cable drums. After fixing the cable drums in place, reattach the lift cables.
Once the lift cables are reattached, tighten the set screws on the cable drum.
You can do this by holding the torsion bar using the pliers to prevent rotation during the tightening process.
Make sure that the tension on both sides of the door is the same and you should be fine.
#7 Rewinding the garage door springs
With the springs now fully wound in place, stretch the spring from the center to about ¼ an inch using the winding bar and then tighten the set screws.
Keep rotating the screws until they are tightly in contact with the torsion tube.
However, make sure that you do not over tighten it as it might damage, puncture, or distort your torsion tube.
#8 Applying lubrication on your replacement springs
Now that you have installed your replacement springs, make sure to lubricate them so that they function well and last longer.
#9 Testing your newly installed garage door spring
Now that everything is all set and done, there is only one thing left to do. Testing your newly installed replacement springs.
Now to do this, make sure you have already removed the previously placed clamps on your door’s tracks.
After removing the clamps, open your overhead garage door manually up to half its total height. Once done, let go of the door.
If your garage door’s spring was installed properly, it shouldn’t have any problems holding your garage door in place. Keep repeating until satisfied.
After testing your door’s functionality, make sure to reconnect your garage door opener.
Conclusion
How was it? Sounds easy right? But do not be fooled. This entire procedure is more complicated than it looks.
It is also a whole lot more dangerous to do compared to the repair of your garage door’s other components.
If you are having a hard time understanding the procedures above, you may check this video about replacing garage door torsion springs to guide you with your task.
If you think you are not up to this task and you really need your springs replaced, do not worry.
We at Kald Gart Doors will be more than happy to help you out.
If you are in Calgary and are currently looking for a garage door repair company near you to perform garage door spring replacement for you, then you can reach out to us.
We offer emergency garage door services 24/7, attending to your needs whatever the time of the day it may be.
What else are you waiting for? Contact us now at 587-316-9739.
