Looks like you got it handled. I can see how left and right springs get mixed because they used to use "red" to mark "right", but then some lawyer got involved and now all bolts under tension are "red". It's really dumb. That plastic piece is actually a "bearing". Usually you want that as close to the center of the tube as possible as it supports the tube. Where the spring clamps on the tube doesn't really matter. Some systems even mount the springs onto the end brackets. IIRC, I think the recommendation for the set screws it 1/2 to 3/4 turn after contact, but don't take my word on that. I'd look it up again myself if I was going to do a door again. Also, if all else fails, the best is to weigh the door and use an online spring calculator to get the correct size. It's not an exact science, but there is only one correct spring for a given combined spec. i.e. when you combine the diameter + gauge + length that will correctly lift a certain range of door. Now you can get a smaller gauge shorter spring spring or a larger gauge longer spring for the same weight, and that will affect life span. 10,000 cycles is usually minimum, but you can get 70,000 cycles, and more, out of a larger spring. If you have a weak spring, when you tension it, it will be strong at the bottom and weak at the top. If you have a strong spring, it will be weak at the bottom and strong at the top(I may have that reversed, but you get the idea). Also, since it wasn't shown, after you tension the spring, you should stretch it before tightening it so it doesn't bind when operating. I forgot how far to stretch it, I think only about a 1/4", or the thickness of a coil, but I actually can't remember right now. Oh, and you are correct about setting the door a little "hot", the spring will "settle in". Also, nice upgrade with the apparently oil tempered spring. Those galvanized springs are notorious for not holding their strength over time. apologies for any spelling errors, auto-correct only catches certain things.
Thanks a lot for the insightful “crash course” you just gave. Truly learned a lot just from your comment. Will definitely pin this comment for others to see and learn as well.
If you look at the old and new springs at about the 4:27 point in the video, you have a left hand and a right hand spring, which is why you had to relocate the center point. Make sure you don't have left and right hand springs confused when ordering. If the spring is on the left side of the bracket, it is right wind, and if it is on the right of the bracket, it is left wind
Thanks for the info! How do you know how much tension to wind it up before setting the screws?? My spring just broke! I’m going to attempt to fix it. I have two springs only one broke. Do you recommend I replace both? Also the door has been acting weird for a year now, i wonder if it was a sign the spring was going bad or if it’s the reason it failed. When is close the door it would close then reopen on its own. I had to adjust some knob that tells it to put less or more force. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!
Good video, did my own spring on my door in 2009. Found that my door spring broke again and I needed a refresher to get my project going. Upon looking at my broken spring I noticed that I had stapled a small zip lock bag with my old receipt of the spring purchased at that time. It has the size and price paid at the time. What a smart move on my part. Now I have the information needed to rock this out.
I ordered my new spring and I’ll change it out today thanks to your video! Great job explaining the procedure. Your mistake of ordering the wrong side spring actually helped me understand how they work. Thanks so much!
That is a fantastic video showing how to fix this issue. We just had our spring break and it was a loud bang, We did not discover it until the next morning. Thanks for the info.
Same just happened to me last night. Heard a loud bang and checked security cameras and saw nothing. Got up this morning and tried opening the garage door. Yup, that was the loud bang.
@olgabautista2260 In case you haven't done it yet: The rope you see hanging from the hinged part at the top of the door, pull that and then you should be able to open the door manually. DO KNOW that the door will be heavy, so have a helper if possible (Totally doable by one person. Just be careful to not hurt yourself). It will probably feel like you're trying to lifting a person off the floor. When you let it close, help it down so that the door does not slam onto the ground. To relatch the door onto the belt, just activate the opener, and the carrier should latch itself automatically. (Only after it fully disconnected. If you pull the rope, then immediately activate the opener, the carrier will not latch itself.) If you want the door to remain open for long, activate the opener while the door is in the open position, so that the carrier will latch onto it. The motor of the opener will be able to hold the door just fine, as if the spring was never broken. Just remember to unlatch it and close it manually. (Or activate the opener, and push upwards on the door to help take some of the weight off of the motor. Weaker openers might fail and let loose if the door is attempting to close without the help of the spring. Which can cause the door to slam down, and possibly damage it.)
Thanks for the thorough explanation of everything. I was gonna call a garage door company because I couldn't quite understand where to begin to start fixing this but this video broke everything down step by step.
@@shanerodriguez8420 This is the website I found very helpful when I did this replacement. Scroll at the bottom of the page and it will ask you a few sizing questions and like I said in the video if you can't seem to figure out the exact size of the wire gauge (wire size) because it's so difficult to measure then go with a tad thicker wire just to be sure, unless you have a caliper which shows it perfectly. The diameter (ID) is easy to measure, usually they're 2" inches by standard and then lastly it's the total length which is also easy to measure. ddmgaragedoors.com/springs/standard-torsion-springs.php
@@AlbanianFix nice! Thanks my dude. Are they pretty standard as far as the inside diameter for the rod that slides through. (The long rod across the top of the opening. Idk the correct term for that)
Great video man, I ran into this identical problem today unfortunately. I fix everything myself with a little guidance, this was the guidance I needed. Thanks!
Just got done changing my spring and it was pretty easy. Watched this video and also looked online to make sure to get the right spring (easy instructions on how to do this). Saved a bunch doing it myself. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the “simple” feedback and not chewing me out for common sense safety precautions that I believe as DIYer you already know or else you wouldn’t even attempt to do this job.
Heard a big pop and bang a week ago….tried opening door other day and I had to help it….next day thought I’d investigate and your video thumbnail is the exact picture lol
@@AlbanianFix thanks for the video. I remember when I was a kid hearing stories how dangerous they were (not saying they aren’t) “nobody should dare change them out” but ya after watching couple videos looks pretty easy. Thought it would take me a full day but think more like a hour. Thanks
Ordered the wrong Spring just like you, turns out the site I ordered it from doesn't accept returns. Saved the day knowing I can just flip it, thank you!
Thats what happened to me i wasn't paying attention when i ordered my springs. They sold me the black painted springs when i should have said i needed the red ones. Anyway, im in the process of installing them now and unfortunately i had to flip them cause the spiral is going in a completely different direction. They should be rotated in a elongated direction. Now im Wondering how many rotations im gonna need for a 8x10 garage door.
I have a two garage and mine has 2 springs, so its still functioning. I know I'm putting undo pressure on the motor though....Ive been scared to attack the job myself because they say these are dangerous. I'm a single full time father of 2 and money's always tight, so I was also afraid to call someone....THANK YOU for this video....Got it from here.
What my friend didn't know here is that the springs come as left and right so he ordered the left side , looking at the door from from inside that is , the springs are collar coated black and red the standard is black on right side looking at the door from inside , and red on the left side over all good job .
I have the same issue but the spring is the way you had it at first and when I open the door the cables come undone on both sides. So im going to switch mine to the other side too
Wow thank you so much for your video, I've been struggling for over an hour realizing the same thing happened to me regarding the spring. Your video at the end save me. Thank you so much
So your original spring was LH wind and u bought RH wind. U did a good job. I have broken spring LH wind no stock at amazon. Buying RH and will install do like you. Thanks for the trick.
@@AlbanianFix Mine is LH wind, 23" L x 2" D with .225 wire located to right side of the centre of the door. I was thinking to buy th RH wind and and locate to the LH side on the sentre of the door.
@@AlbanianFix thanks, I mentioned to a repair person in u tube exactly. But he says will not work. I see no reason why not. It's opposite coil wind to install on opposite side of the door center bracket. Your video is the proof it will work. Thanks.
@@jagsingh507 Not only is my video proof but it's been also about 2 years since the video and the garage door works perfect. I see no reason why not to swap the sides if you got the wrong coiling direction.
Most DANGEROUS time is unwinding or winding spring. If bar slips out, spring end plug will snap around and could take off your fingers or twist your wrist off! Have extra wrench in shirt pocket for spring end set screws in case you drop wrench. Buy EXACT original spring(s) dimensions for replacement and replace BOTH when one spring breaks. Also, initially wind new spring(s) one FULL revolution for each one foot height of door. So, on a 7 foot door, begin by winding spring(s) 28 quarter turns (7 full turns). Then make fine adjustment to get door to stay where you leave it while testing.
Great video tutorials 👍👏. Job well done 👍. Just on time , my garage door spring was broken. Thank you for the safety tips🙏. Greetings from your new subscribers 🥰🙏
Just as an advise, the board(piece of 2x6) that is holding the bracket for the shaft, was originally wrongly situated, and you wrongly situated again when you moved it to the other side. That 2x6 needs to go right lined up in the middle, this way it can accommodate the bracket for the rail, the bracket for the shaft and most importantly, when you're winding, the spring will stretch out, so the way you have it now you will have the railing right on your way while trying to wind-up. By having the 2x6 in the middle you will not encounter any obstruction. Also the winding process it's done by counting the amount of windings(turns), not by just guessing. It normally requires 28 turns. Also you didn't put the middle bearing, it goes right where the shaft rest on the bracket.
Hey thanks for this comment. Is it always 28 turns? How do I know how many turns mine takes? Also the bearing goes where the spring rests on the metal bar?
It helps to have the right Springs in the first place the door company replaced my Springs three times and each time they replaced them they said the wrong Springs were on them.!!!
Hi, I got a Amarr double very heavy garage door (we are in hurricane zone) which is out of balance because is almost impossible to lift it manuanlly. I follwed your video and I found that I can't rotate the springs any more, they are totaled compressed. What should be the issue here, are the springs damaged, lost of eleasticty, old and need to be replaced?. The whole garage door and lifting system was changed in 2015. Thank you
I'm a little perplexed as to why a home inspector that also uses drones would come to RUclips to ask random guys for advice on how to install garage doors? 🤷♂️
Just had my springs “professionally replaced” 19’ door, 2 springs $379.00 later. Wish I stumbled across this video last week, might have given it a try…
Any reason for replacing springs with door closed? Assuming you can make enough clearance between bottom of the door (in upper position) and the rod. There's also less (or even none) tension to release/load.
@@andreybalanchuk8387 I see what you saying but you still have to do it with the door down because of the fact that the left and right spools need to be set exactly from the starting point which is when the door is down and plus the spring needs to be tensioned when the door is in the down position.
this video helps alot. I enjoyed watching.😀. Oh ans one idea i thought of if i ever run into this issue with torsion springs i would prefer to switch to Extention springs.
I'm about to try to replace my spring. I have a single spring on the left side as well. I want to make sure I fully understand how this works and I'm fairly sure I do. I have a question just out of curiosity. Instead of flipping the spring to the right side. Could he have released the tension and simply switched the cables to go around the pulley the other direction? Wouldn't that have the same effect?
Yes, that would have even the same effect but the pulleys have tracks for the cable to rest in when it’s spinning (you’ll see what I’m talking about when you do yours) so the cable wouldn’t be able to switch since it only goes one direction.
Rule of thumb with the torsion spring. They sell a gauge key that has cards of different spring (wire) diameters to tell what size you need or have to replace. Also, grab a tape measure and count how many coils there are with a 10” section. If there’s 25 for example the wire might be a 243 or 262 wire diameter. Keep in mind the diameter of the spring is a key factor as well. Measure the broken spring both pieces and tally a total length. Along with diameter and wire(coils) within a 10” section and keep these numbers handy when getting a replacement. Also, your center bracket needs to be centered if possible. Not sure the width of the door but most 16’ door have two springs allow equal distribution onto the springs. If you have one off set it’ll only make the spring work harder.
Seems like something I'd be comfortable doing. Gonna research to see what size spring we will need, and ask my parents if they'd want me to change it. Or if they would rather have a pro do it. For now, we just help the opener. Once it's about half way up, it can do the rest by itself.
Hello, great video! My dad and I had this exact problem and we were wondering if we had to align the cable with the wheel before proceeding? or do we just put it into the hole and let it wind itself up?
Both wheels need to have the same tension to the door. In a way that if you had to (like in my example) pull the garage door up by winding the rod manually, the wheels should have equal force and tension when pulling it up so the garage door can come up balanced and not crooked.
@@welcomebacktosleepys What do you mean by aligning the cable? Is one your cables longer than the other? This should not be the case. To make this easier to understand, take the spring out of the equation for a moment and look at the door that only has the two pulleys and the shaft above it and nothing else. Just image the following... - Both pulleys use their own cable to pull the door up. They basically spin and spool up their cable which in turn will grab the garage door at the bottom and lift it up. - It's critical for both pulleys to pull on the door at exactly the same time. - If not, one will be pulling ahead and the other is not pulling anything. - Therefore, the whole garage door will be lifted up crooked or uneven which is dangerous and will most likely brake or wear out the wheels much quicker.
@@AlbanianFix good point. How do you make sure they’re equal? Just hand turn them until they can’t go anymore? By the way bravo on the video! Great instructions thank you. I’m Greek so we’re like neighbors haha
My spring broke recently, and my cars inside. I have the same genie model as you. When I disengage the red string to open it manually, it won’t open. Any advice?
Your doing everything what your supposed to but the spring was that “counterweight” I was talking about so it will seem like the garage won’t open but it’s actually Very heavy. Or what you can do is, hook it up back to the chain the way it was and lift the garage door up by hand while running/activating the motor as the same time, basically you are doing the counterweight’s job, helping the garage opener pull the gate up.
@@AlbanianFix I wish I would have read this comment 2-3 weeks ago. I've had my vehicle stuck inside also amongst needing the door opened for other reasons. So far i've taken my entire door apart section by section 4 times in order to move something out or just to provide access inside the garage. Not once did I ever think of doing the job of the spring myself. Also, I too thought my door was jammed in the beginning because I couldn't manually lift it. I guess over the years the job of that spring has definitely been taken for granted.
I just use the Blaster Silicon spray I get from Lowes which works great for me. When I use Lithium, it works good too but it seems to build up a lot of extra nasty crap and becomes gooey.
thanks Albanian friend for the tutorial I have the same problem in one of my garages you have saved me money, I am going to buy the spring and the cables, and repair it myself, just one question how many turns to right tension? or depends on the size of the door good video step by step
It depends on how heavy the garage door is… keep turning it, fasten the set screws then try to pull up garage, if not, loosen screws, keep turning it again and fasten again set screws, try to pull up again garage door… repeat process until you find the balance.
Why do you have the middle bracket so close to one side? All the ones I've seen and mine is in the middle. It's mounted to the 2x6 I had to install when hooking up the gear bracket to wall the door is on. Seem like having it closer to one side would not be balanced.
1st if you don't understand why "balancing" is not an issue with the placement of the spring then you should not being changing springs. 2nd to the guy showing people how to change a spring....it's called a spring pad....stop it. You're You're going to hurt somebody
Thanks Albanian. I learned a lot about replacing a garage spring. This is my first time doing my 2 car garage springs. I know it is not the same but I thought I can follow the steps you did. On this video, you tightened the cables first, then wind the springs and tighten it. What I learned is that tightening the cables first before the springs did not work for me. Maybe the video splicing is out of sequence?
Hmm... 🤔 maybe I’m not following you correctly but how would you be able to wind the spring on the main shaft/rod when it’s spinning freely? But then again you mentioned that you have a different setup than mine’s so doing it the way you said is better.
@@AlbanianFix for a two car garage with two springs, left/right, I incrementally wind up each side of the spring. I wind up 4 quarter turns on the right, followed by 4 quarter turns on the left.
I charge 440$ parts and labor for 2 torsion springs replacement. Atlanta, GA. Some companies charge more , some less. And please, guys, it's not something that can be done easily. Even if it's looks ok and working just fine right after replacement, sometimes even little mistakes can cause door to fly off the tracks. There are reasons why Home Depot can sell you a chain saws but not the torsion springs!
You can buy anywhere on the internet it’s very easy to get them shipped. Make sure to measure exact Length, Gauge, Size and also make sure it’s a L or R wind usually are marked with black or red, I forget which is is which.
As said in the video, until you’re able to lift the door easily with a finger but at the same time the door shouldn’t lift up by itself. So keep winding up or down on the spring until you find the right balance.
@@AlbanianFix just wanna say thanks! I successfully installed the new spring and still have all my fingers after about the 20th crank I was getting nervous but followed all your steps!
@@wallaceblake24 Nice and god job! Now, not only is the garage door fixed but I'm pretty sure you have a feeling of completion and pride for doing this yourself, right?
1st - Push in rod and hold tight. 2nd - Unscrew the two set screws. 3rd - Pay attention to the weight shift as the set screws lose grip and REALLY Hold Tight!! 4th - Slowly let the rod rest by itself against the door. 5th - Grab the second rod and start slowly unwinding in 90 degree increments.
Rule of thumb: 1 complete turn per foot height, which is 7 or 8 complete turns or 28-32 steps with the rods. The spring sizing corresponds to the door weight, so it's similar. Always place yourself BESIDE the rods, away from the springs.
When I was a kid me and my dad attempted to tighten the springs. A "WARNING" make sure the bar stock you use isn't too small. I ended up with cut and bruised hands after the bar stock slipped out. It could have maybe been worse if I were hit in the face.
Wow, that's tragic... but yeah, glad you're alright. It can definitely go wrong that's why I keep mentioning it on the video for people to educate themselves.
Instead of switching sides you could've just turned the spring inside-out. You just stick your hand thru the spring, grab the other end, and pull it through. Kinda like a sock coming out of the dryer inside-out. Simple. 😁
Literally took a measuring tape and measured the length the diameter and the thickness of the spring and then plugged in the numbers on that website I got in the description. Also, don’t forget to figure out which way your spring coils, left or right. At the tip of the spring they are color coded… Right Wind (Red) or Left Wind (Black).
Don't take this the wrong way but I've been a garage door service technician for 24 years you're going to get somebody hurt! There's so many things you didn't tell the people what if the door has two Springs you know there's a right spring in a left spring and you have to get the right dimensions for the spring you just can't get clothes like you said to the original spring I'm sorry I'm just amazed you haven't lost your fingers yet
Make sure if your door has 2 springs that you un wind the one that is not broken before taking it apart! By the way, you replaced a .207 wire spring with a heavier .218 wire
Wow what a great point. I wouldn’t have thought to unwind the good one. Probably should replace that one too. Is it hard to unwind it? Does it take a lot of muscle?
@@popaki9484 No its not hard on a residential door. You just have to be sure you have the correct bars that fit snug in the hole. And yes you should replace both at the same time because they run on a cycle life of 10k cycles (unless you get high cycle springs) so the other one is bound to break soon. They are dangerous so be careful. Like I said, if you don't unwind the other one before taking it apart, you will lose fingers. They are under a lot of tension but with the right size winding bars you will be good. I do this all day everyday so feel free to ask any ohd questions lol
@@AlbanianFix yellow paint= .207, white paint= .218. It would make sense if you replaced it with a longer .218 wire which would give you more cycle life with the same IPPT spring. You can't replace a spring with the same wire size and have it be longer, the door wont balance correctly. However, if you up the wire size you need it to be longer great video though man. Awesome of you to help folks out like that.
@@dano1307 thank you Dan!! I’m going to give it a shot. It looks simple enough. Just have to order the correct parts lol. I noticed the set screws have square heads. I’m guessing a wrench will have to do right? I hope I don’t over tighten. Been told my hands are too strong lol. So on the spring with tension, put a bar in first and put some pressure on there until the bar rests against the door then unscrew the set screws and then slowly unwind with the two bars right? Thank you
You can vice grip bottom of torsion bar [tight of course] loosen both drum set bolts take the vise grip off and this saves u from unwinding the spring your welcome
All garage doors have a disengagement mechanism that disconnects the motor from the chain. Mines has a typical pull-down latch that that is meant to do just that.
Looks like you got it handled.
I can see how left and right springs get mixed because they used to use "red" to mark "right", but then some lawyer got involved and now all bolts under tension are "red". It's really dumb.
That plastic piece is actually a "bearing". Usually you want that as close to the center of the tube as possible as it supports the tube. Where the spring clamps on the tube doesn't really matter. Some systems even mount the springs onto the end brackets.
IIRC, I think the recommendation for the set screws it 1/2 to 3/4 turn after contact, but don't take my word on that. I'd look it up again myself if I was going to do a door again.
Also, if all else fails, the best is to weigh the door and use an online spring calculator to get the correct size. It's not an exact science, but there is only one correct spring for a given combined spec. i.e. when you combine the diameter + gauge + length that will correctly lift a certain range of door. Now you can get a smaller gauge shorter spring spring or a larger gauge longer spring for the same weight, and that will affect life span. 10,000 cycles is usually minimum, but you can get 70,000 cycles, and more, out of a larger spring.
If you have a weak spring, when you tension it, it will be strong at the bottom and weak at the top. If you have a strong spring, it will be weak at the bottom and strong at the top(I may have that reversed, but you get the idea).
Also, since it wasn't shown, after you tension the spring, you should stretch it before tightening it so it doesn't bind when operating. I forgot how far to stretch it, I think only about a 1/4", or the thickness of a coil, but I actually can't remember right now.
Oh, and you are correct about setting the door a little "hot", the spring will "settle in". Also, nice upgrade with the apparently oil tempered spring. Those galvanized springs are notorious for not holding their strength over time.
apologies for any spelling errors, auto-correct only catches certain things.
Thanks a lot for the insightful “crash course” you just gave. Truly learned a lot just from your comment. Will definitely pin this comment for others to see and learn as well.
@@AlbanianFix where can I but this spring
@@gg-mercenary7104 look in the description about the size of your spring and then you can buy it almost anywhere online.
If you look at the old and new springs at about the 4:27 point in the video, you have a left hand and a right hand spring, which is why you had to relocate the center point. Make sure you don't have left and right hand springs confused when ordering. If the spring is on the left side of the bracket, it is right wind, and if it is on the right of the bracket, it is left wind
Thank you for this
Thanks for the insight 👍
But if he flipped one they'd look identical. How can you tell them apart?
Thanks for the info! How do you know how much tension to wind it up before setting the screws?? My spring just broke! I’m going to attempt to fix it. I have two springs only one broke. Do you recommend I replace both? Also the door has been acting weird for a year now, i wonder if it was a sign the spring was going bad or if it’s the reason it failed. When is close the door it would close then reopen on its own. I had to adjust some knob that tells it to put less or more force. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!
@Kali M. I just did my very first one and it was pretty easy. For my 7' door it was 31 quarter turns. You MUST use the turning bars!!!
Good video, did my own spring on my door in 2009. Found that my door spring broke again and I needed a refresher to get my project going. Upon looking at my broken spring I noticed that I had stapled a small zip lock bag with my old receipt of the spring purchased at that time. It has the size and price paid at the time. What a smart move on my part. Now I have the information needed to rock this out.
Oh nice job with the receipt 🧾 very smart!
I ordered my new spring and I’ll change it out today thanks to your video! Great job explaining the procedure. Your mistake of ordering the wrong side spring actually helped me understand how they work. Thanks so much!
Thank you Nieil!
That is a fantastic video showing how to fix this issue. We just had our spring break and it was a loud bang, We did not discover it until the next morning. Thanks for the info.
Same just happened to me last night. Heard a loud bang and checked security cameras and saw nothing. Got up this morning and tried opening the garage door. Yup, that was the loud bang.
@olgabautista2260 In case you haven't done it yet: The rope you see hanging from the hinged part at the top of the door, pull that and then you should be able to open the door manually.
DO KNOW that the door will be heavy, so have a helper if possible (Totally doable by one person. Just be careful to not hurt yourself). It will probably feel like you're trying to lifting a person off the floor. When you let it close, help it down so that the door does not slam onto the ground.
To relatch the door onto the belt, just activate the opener, and the carrier should latch itself automatically. (Only after it fully disconnected. If you pull the rope, then immediately activate the opener, the carrier will not latch itself.)
If you want the door to remain open for long, activate the opener while the door is in the open position, so that the carrier will latch onto it. The motor of the opener will be able to hold the door just fine, as if the spring was never broken. Just remember to unlatch it and close it manually. (Or activate the opener, and push upwards on the door to help take some of the weight off of the motor. Weaker openers might fail and let loose if the door is attempting to close without the help of the spring. Which can cause the door to slam down, and possibly damage it.)
I was starting to regret calling someone to come fix mine for $300 until I hit the 9:00 minute mark. Now I am glad I just called someone.
Lol 😂
Thanks for taking the time to film and post this, and thanks for including your lessons learned, like the flipped spring. Very Helpful!
Appreciate your feedback!
Thanks for the thorough explanation of everything. I was gonna call a garage door company because I couldn't quite understand where to begin to start fixing this but this video broke everything down step by step.
Thank you! This is the reason I like doing these videos, knowing that it will help someone out there...
@@AlbanianFix the toughest part for me will be ordering a new spring and the rods to wind it. Any advice on that?
@@shanerodriguez8420 This is the website I found very helpful when I did this replacement. Scroll at the bottom of the page and it will ask you a few sizing questions and like I said in the video if you can't seem to figure out the exact size of the wire gauge (wire size) because it's so difficult to measure then go with a tad thicker wire just to be sure, unless you have a caliper which shows it perfectly. The diameter (ID) is easy to measure, usually they're 2" inches by standard and then lastly it's the total length which is also easy to measure.
ddmgaragedoors.com/springs/standard-torsion-springs.php
@@AlbanianFix nice! Thanks my dude. Are they pretty standard as far as the inside diameter for the rod that slides through. (The long rod across the top of the opening. Idk the correct term for that)
@@shanerodriguez8420 Hmm... I'll go out in a limb and say yes, they should be!
Great video man, I ran into this identical problem today unfortunately. I fix everything myself with a little guidance, this was the guidance I needed. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback!!
Just got done changing my spring and it was pretty easy. Watched this video and also looked online to make sure to get the right spring (easy instructions on how to do this). Saved a bunch doing it myself. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the “simple” feedback and not chewing me out for common sense safety precautions that I believe as DIYer you already know or else you wouldn’t even attempt to do this job.
Great. May I ask what the pros try charging you. I’m debating if I should do it myself or hire a pro.
Heard a big pop and bang a week ago….tried opening door other day and I had to help it….next day thought I’d investigate and your video thumbnail is the exact picture lol
Lol 😂
@@AlbanianFix thanks for the video. I remember when I was a kid hearing stories how dangerous they were (not saying they aren’t) “nobody should dare change them out” but ya after watching couple videos looks pretty easy. Thought it would take me a full day but think more like a hour. Thanks
Ordered the wrong Spring just like you, turns out the site I ordered it from doesn't accept returns. Saved the day knowing I can just flip it, thank you!
Love it 😂
hey, good explaination , very good job , thank you , where to get the spring ,
It's in the description
Oh my, turns out, I perfectly understand Albanian! Thank you for the video!
Lol
Thank you. Great job explaining. Just had a spring snap today. I gots this.
Got home from work and my door only enough for to roll under it found one of two springs broken, great info
Here we go…
Be safe if you’re doing it yourself!
Thats what happened to me i wasn't paying attention when i ordered my springs. They sold me the black painted springs when i should have said i needed the red ones. Anyway, im in the process of installing them now and unfortunately i had to flip them cause the spiral is going in a completely different direction. They should be rotated in a elongated direction. Now im Wondering how many rotations im gonna need for a 8x10 garage door.
What do you mean by they should be rotated in an elongated direction?
I have a two garage and mine has 2 springs, so its still functioning. I know I'm putting undo pressure on the motor though....Ive been scared to attack the job myself because they say these are dangerous. I'm a single full time father of 2 and money's always tight, so I was also afraid to call someone....THANK YOU for this video....Got it from here.
Thank you for watching!
Very good. Thanks for sharing about the ‘spring backward’. Easy to understand. Thanks for sharing.
What my friend didn't know here is that the springs come as left and right so he ordered the left side , looking at the door from from inside that is , the springs are collar coated black and red the standard is black on right side looking at the door from inside , and red on the left side over all good job .
I have the same issue but the spring is the way you had it at first and when I open the door the cables come undone on both sides. So im going to switch mine to the other side too
Let us know how it went
Wow thank you so much for your video, I've been struggling for over an hour realizing the same thing happened to me regarding the spring. Your video at the end save me. Thank you so much
Yeah, lol 😂 glad you find the same solution.
That was an absolutely awesome video, well done. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN MAKING THIS VIDEO.
Thank you Alex! Hopefully this gave you some pointers on how to attack it yourself.
So your original spring was LH wind and u bought RH wind. U did a good job. I have broken spring LH wind no stock at amazon. Buying RH and will install do like you. Thanks for the trick.
Sounds good 👍 glad that trick helped you out
@@AlbanianFix
Mine is LH wind, 23" L x 2" D with .225 wire located to right side of the centre of the door. I was thinking to buy th RH wind and and locate to the LH side on the sentre of the door.
@@jagsingh507 Oh I see, nice! This way the coil will wind up the correct way to pull the door.
@@AlbanianFix thanks, I mentioned to a repair person in u tube exactly. But he says will not work. I see no reason why not. It's opposite coil wind to install on opposite side of the door center bracket. Your video is the proof it will work. Thanks.
@@jagsingh507 Not only is my video proof but it's been also about 2 years since the video and the garage door works perfect. I see no reason why not to swap the sides if you got the wrong coiling direction.
My spring broke midnight last night woke me out of my sleep I'm gonna fix it today looks straight forward
Yeah, it’s it too bad of a job but by all means, if you don’t feel comfortable, hire someone else to do it.
Most DANGEROUS time is unwinding or winding spring. If bar slips out, spring end plug will snap around and could take off your fingers or twist your wrist off! Have extra wrench in shirt pocket for spring end set screws in case you drop wrench.
Buy EXACT original spring(s) dimensions for replacement and replace BOTH when one spring breaks.
Also, initially wind new spring(s) one FULL revolution for each one foot height of door. So, on a 7 foot door, begin by winding spring(s) 28 quarter turns (7 full turns). Then make fine adjustment to get door to stay where you leave it while testing.
Thank you Dog!
Blessings for prevision..
Now I’m 100% not doing this 😂 it looked super easy and then I saw this comment
Great video tutorials 👍👏. Job well done 👍. Just on time , my garage door spring was broken. Thank you for the safety tips🙏. Greetings from your new subscribers 🥰🙏
Thank you for your feedback!
Perfect explanation and demonstration. What more could we ask?
Thanks a bunch, money saving tips, I never changed one before.
U saved me $300 minimum ! I knocked it out yesterday in 1.5 hours
Niiiiiiiceee! 👍 That’s what I’m talking about!
Just as an advise, the board(piece of 2x6) that is holding the bracket for the shaft, was originally wrongly situated, and you wrongly situated again when you moved it to the other side. That 2x6 needs to go right lined up in the middle, this way it can accommodate the bracket for the rail, the bracket for the shaft and most importantly, when you're winding, the spring will stretch out, so the way you have it now you will have the railing right on your way while trying to wind-up. By having the 2x6 in the middle you will not encounter any obstruction. Also the winding process it's done by counting the amount of windings(turns), not by just guessing. It normally requires 28 turns. Also you didn't put the middle bearing, it goes right where the shaft rest on the bracket.
Thank you, Victor!
Hey thanks for this comment. Is it always 28 turns? How do I know how many turns mine takes? Also the bearing goes where the spring rests on the metal bar?
It helps to have the right Springs in the first place the door company replaced my Springs three times and each time they replaced them they said the wrong Springs were on them.!!!
Wait, was this the same company?
Both my friend and I had our garage door springs break on the same day.
Lol, you can help each other out then 😅
Hi, I got a Amarr double very heavy garage door (we are in hurricane zone) which is out of balance because is almost impossible to lift it manuanlly. I follwed your video and I found that I can't rotate the springs any more, they are totaled compressed. What should be the issue here, are the springs damaged, lost of eleasticty, old and need to be replaced?. The whole garage door and lifting system was changed in 2015. Thank you
I'm a little perplexed as to why a home inspector that also uses drones would come to RUclips to ask random guys for advice on how to install garage doors? 🤷♂️
Just had my springs “professionally replaced” 19’ door, 2 springs $379.00 later. Wish I stumbled across this video last week, might have given it a try…
Price wasn’t bad either to then do it.
Hey Joseph did they also replace the cables, bearings and rollers for that price??
@@popaki9484 sadly no. Cables were fairly new though
Any reason for replacing springs with door closed? Assuming you can make enough clearance between bottom of the door (in upper position) and the rod. There's also less (or even none) tension to release/load.
I see what you saying but nah, there’s zero clearance for you to do any work.
@@AlbanianFix for sake I can't post photo here, but door and spring are hanging pretty far from ceiling, and rails are long enough to move door away
@@andreybalanchuk8387 I see what you saying but you still have to do it with the door down because of the fact that the left and right spools need to be set exactly from the starting point which is when the door is down and plus the spring needs to be tensioned when the door is in the down position.
Great video very helpful and professional teaching thank you and God bless you!!!!
Thank you Kozeta!
this video helps alot. I enjoyed watching.😀. Oh ans one idea i thought of if i ever run into this issue with torsion springs i would prefer to switch to Extention springs.
Great video. Wish i had watched it before paying $470.00 for a spring replacement!
$470!!!😮😮😮 I charge $180 wow
@@devilishirv do you happen to live in central California?
I'm about to try to replace my spring. I have a single spring on the left side as well. I want to make sure I fully understand how this works and I'm fairly sure I do. I have a question just out of curiosity. Instead of flipping the spring to the right side. Could he have released the tension and simply switched the cables to go around the pulley the other direction? Wouldn't that have the same effect?
Yes, that would have even the same effect but the pulleys have tracks for the cable to rest in when it’s spinning (you’ll see what I’m talking about when you do yours) so the cable wouldn’t be able to switch since it only goes one direction.
when the spring pops, anything fly off of it ? or it all just stay in place?
Everything stayed in place.
Rule of thumb with the torsion spring.
They sell a gauge key that has cards of different spring (wire) diameters to tell what size you need or have to replace.
Also, grab a tape measure and count how many coils there are with a 10” section. If there’s 25 for example the wire might be a 243 or 262 wire diameter.
Keep in mind the diameter of the spring is a key factor as well. Measure the broken spring both pieces and tally a total length. Along with diameter and wire(coils) within a 10” section and keep these numbers handy when getting a replacement.
Also, your center bracket needs to be centered if possible.
Not sure the width of the door but most 16’ door have two springs allow equal distribution onto the springs. If you have one off set it’ll only make the spring work harder.
This is great advice! Now the viewers have some additional information on how to order the springs. Thanks a lot R J.
Great advice! I have two springs and one failed. Do you recommend I change both?
@@popaki9484 definitely. Chances are they were original and only time and the other will go. Preventative maintenance 👍🏻
@@popaki9484 whole job should take a door professional, with service- 1/2 hr tops
Prices vary
@@RJ-lk5pj thank you! Do you think I should have the cables and rollers replaced too?
Understand, I am not a garage door technician and I have an expecific question about if you can answer, if not. Have a Happy New Year!!
I see, unfortunately I have no idea how those heavy duty doors work. Happy New Year!
Where can I get the rods to tighten the spring
Hey Dennis, it’s in the description.
Seems like something I'd be comfortable doing.
Gonna research to see what size spring we will need, and ask my parents if they'd want me to change it. Or if they would rather have a pro do it.
For now, we just help the opener. Once it's about half way up, it can do the rest by itself.
Oo nice. The size of ours was printed on the springs :D
Hello, great video! My dad and I had this exact problem and we were wondering if we had to align the cable with the wheel before proceeding? or do we just put it into the hole and let it wind itself up?
Both wheels need to have the same tension to the door. In a way that if you had to (like in my example) pull the garage door up by winding the rod manually, the wheels should have equal force and tension when pulling it up so the garage door can come up balanced and not crooked.
@@AlbanianFix Oh, I see! So we don't have to align the entire cable? Just a little part of it as long as there is equal tension?
@@welcomebacktosleepys What do you mean by aligning the cable? Is one your cables longer than the other? This should not be the case.
To make this easier to understand, take the spring out of the equation for a moment and look at the door that only has the two pulleys and the shaft above it and nothing else. Just image the following...
- Both pulleys use their own cable to pull the door up. They basically spin and spool up their cable which in turn will grab the garage door at the bottom and lift it up.
- It's critical for both pulleys to pull on the door at exactly the same time.
- If not, one will be pulling ahead and the other is not pulling anything.
- Therefore, the whole garage door will be lifted up crooked or uneven which is dangerous and will most likely brake or wear out the wheels much quicker.
@@AlbanianFix good point. How do you make sure they’re equal? Just hand turn them until they can’t go anymore? By the way bravo on the video! Great instructions thank you. I’m Greek so we’re like neighbors haha
Mate you had the best explanation on doing garage doors thanks heaps .
Thanks Ian !
My spring broke recently, and my cars inside. I have the same genie model as you. When I disengage the red string to open it manually, it won’t open. Any advice?
Your doing everything what your supposed to but the spring was that “counterweight” I was talking about so it will seem like the garage won’t open but it’s actually Very heavy. Or what you can do is, hook it up back to the chain the way it was and lift the garage door up by hand while running/activating the motor as the same time, basically you are doing the counterweight’s job, helping the garage opener pull the gate up.
@@AlbanianFix I wish I would have read this comment 2-3 weeks ago. I've had my vehicle stuck inside also amongst needing the door opened for other reasons. So far i've taken my entire door apart section by section 4 times in order to move something out or just to provide access inside the garage. Not once did I ever think of doing the job of the spring myself. Also, I too thought my door was jammed in the beginning because I couldn't manually lift it. I guess over the years the job of that spring has definitely been taken for granted.
@@terencescott3957 Oh boy you went the hard route. But at least now you know how to begin fixing it especially when you took apart piece by piece :)
@@AlbanianFix heck I'm breaking records now. I can take the door down and put it back up in 15 minutes.😅😅😅😅
@@terencescott3957 LOL!!! Got into this without an idea and now being an expert at it :D
Thanks Albanian bro ,useful video ,all the best from your Serbian bro :)
Another Serbian here 😀
What is the appropriate sprayer to maintain stabilizers or springs?
I just use the Blaster Silicon spray I get from Lowes which works great for me. When I use Lithium, it works good too but it seems to build up a lot of extra nasty crap and becomes gooey.
where did you buy the new spring
In the desceiption is a link to a website but you can ofcourse buy it from 100s of other sites.
Can you please share website to order spring as well
It’s in the description.
thanks Albanian friend for the tutorial I have the same problem in one of my garages you have saved me money, I am going to buy the spring and the cables, and repair it myself, just one question how many turns to right tension? or depends on the size of the door good video step by step
It depends on how heavy the garage door is… keep turning it, fasten the set screws then try to pull up garage, if not, loosen screws, keep turning it again and fasten again set screws, try to pull up again garage door… repeat process until you find the balance.
@@AlbanianFix Ok thak you very much
Superb video! Thank you very much!
How many times did you have to turn the spring to get the appropriate tension?
Wind up the spring about 25-30 quarter turns and then from there keep checking and lifting the door and more winds if needed.
When do you stop turning the spring?
I stopped at about 20-25 quarter turns and kept regularly checking the door if it need more tension or less.
Thanks for the great video! Will have to do this soon in my garage 🤦🏻♂️
Thank you and good luck!
Another great fix and many thanks to you for your time and effort. Cheers
How much does it cost to get it replaced?
Not much
Mine is broken exactly like yours was except that mine is still under tension and I can't open the door.
If you’re comfortable with, try to release the tension by slowly winding back the the part of the spring that has the set screws.
I have the same issue could you tell me where I find and buy the spring for the garage door
There’s a link in the description that shows exactly how to measure the spring before you order it.
Why do you have the middle bracket so close to one side? All the ones I've seen and mine is in the middle. It's mounted to the 2x6 I had to install when hooking up the gear bracket to wall the door is on. Seem like having it closer to one side would not be balanced.
Which middle bracket? That piece of wood that’s like a base for the spring?
1st if you don't understand why "balancing" is not an issue with the placement of the spring then you should not being changing springs.
2nd to the guy showing people how to change a spring....it's called a spring pad....stop it. You're You're going to hurt somebody
Thanks for the lesson! You're a good teacher.
Thanks!
I guess Im kinda randomly asking but does anyone know a good site to stream new series online ?
@Benedict Marco Flixportal
@David Mark Thanks, I signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) Appreciate it!
@Benedict Marco glad I could help :D
Thank u brother great video! Very informative. It helped fix my garage door!!!! Thanks again your awesome!
Thanks Albanian. I learned a lot about replacing a garage spring. This is my first time doing my 2 car garage springs. I know it is not the same but I thought I can follow the steps you did. On this video, you tightened the cables first, then wind the springs and tighten it. What I learned is that tightening the cables first before the springs did not work for me. Maybe the video splicing is out of sequence?
Hmm... 🤔 maybe I’m not following you correctly but how would you be able to wind the spring on the main shaft/rod when it’s spinning freely? But then again you mentioned that you have a different setup than mine’s so doing it the way you said is better.
@@AlbanianFix for a two car garage with two springs, left/right, I incrementally wind up each side of the spring. I wind up 4 quarter turns on the right, followed by 4 quarter turns on the left.
So, when you wind the spring and then tighten the set screws, the shaft does not turn on you?
@@AlbanianFix Sorry Albania, don't follow you. Can you re-phrase?
Lol, I’m getting confused as well here 😄
But if you have a video or something that you can show us, that will probably help.
I have two springs, one broke ( Left side). Repairmen replaced both for $245. I think that's not bad.
That’s not bad at all, especially when the parts are included.
I charge 440$ parts and labor for 2 torsion springs replacement. Atlanta, GA. Some companies charge more , some less. And please, guys, it's not something that can be done easily. Even if it's looks ok and working just fine right after replacement, sometimes even little mistakes can cause door to fly off the tracks. There are reasons why Home Depot can sell you a chain saws but not the torsion springs!
@@yevgeniymaksimovich8505 Home Depot sells torsion springs
Uaaaa, po si ore e gjeta Albanian Fix channel on RUclips ? Sa mire! Haha great tips 👍 we are currently facing this issue at home.
Ku jetoni ju? 😊
Myrtle Beach, SC
@@AlbanianFix hajde mire mire 👍✅👋 pershendetje nga Mississauga, Canada 🇨🇦
Where would I buy the springs for myself to do it?
You can buy anywhere on the internet it’s very easy to get them shipped. Make sure to measure exact Length, Gauge, Size and also make sure it’s a L or R wind usually are marked with black or red, I forget which is is which.
One rule is that you always turn the spring upwards when putting tension.
How tight should I crank the spring?? Doing this when I get off work
As said in the video, until you’re able to lift the door easily with a finger but at the same time the door shouldn’t lift up by itself. So keep winding up or down on the spring until you find the right balance.
@@AlbanianFix just wanna say thanks! I successfully installed the new spring and still have all my fingers after about the 20th crank I was getting nervous but followed all your steps!
@@wallaceblake24 Nice and god job! Now, not only is the garage door fixed but I'm pretty sure you have a feeling of completion and pride for doing this yourself, right?
yo what is that song you use in your intro 😅
Etnon - Albanian
Amazing, thank you very much for making this video.
What if I have two springs and one is broken? How to safe remove one which is not broken?
Thanks
1st - Push in rod and hold tight.
2nd - Unscrew the two set screws.
3rd - Pay attention to the weight shift as the set screws lose grip and REALLY Hold Tight!!
4th - Slowly let the rod rest by itself against the door.
5th - Grab the second rod and start slowly unwinding in 90 degree increments.
unwind the taught spring first, then remove them
How do I know how many turns to get correct tension?
Until you can start lifting the garage with 1 finger without the help of the motor
Rule of thumb: 1 complete turn per foot height, which is 7 or 8 complete turns or 28-32 steps with the rods. The spring sizing corresponds to the door weight, so it's similar. Always place yourself BESIDE the rods, away from the springs.
start with 21 1/4 turns
@@allizakowski7202 no absolutely not
Where can I order spring
Check out the description.
Amazon. Heavy duty and cheap
When I was a kid me and my dad attempted to tighten the springs. A "WARNING" make sure the bar stock you use isn't too small. I ended up with cut and bruised hands after the bar stock slipped out. It could have maybe been worse if I were hit in the face.
Wow, that's tragic... but yeah, glad you're alright. It can definitely go wrong that's why I keep mentioning it on the video for people to educate themselves.
Where do you purchase the spring?
It’s in the description
Great job on this video! Very helpful! Thank you!
Thank you! Glad it helped you out!
Where we can get from spring?
Anywhere on the internet. I have not included a link because the prices vary a lot from site to site.
How much was the new spring Miso (In Canadian dollars) Thanks.
Looks doable, think I'll give it a whirl!
Thanks
Darryl
I think I got mine for like $50-$60...
@@AlbanianFix Thank you!
Kind Regards
Darryl
Instead of switching sides you could've just turned the spring inside-out. You just stick your hand thru the spring, grab the other end, and pull it through. Kinda like a sock coming out of the dryer inside-out. Simple. 😁
😂🤣😂 holy sh**… wtf was that? You killed it dude 🤣😂🤣😂 especially with the sock out the dryer analogy. Hilarious!!!
Works for condoms, too
I just had this happen but I have 2 springs on my bar and I'm disabled so I'm effed!!
There are plenty of professional workers who work on garage doors. Some are cheaper than you think. I would give them a call.
How did you see the measurement For the spring ?
Literally took a measuring tape and measured the length the diameter and the thickness of the spring and then plugged in the numbers on that website I got in the description. Also, don’t forget to figure out which way your spring coils, left or right. At the tip of the spring they are color coded… Right Wind (Red) or Left Wind (Black).
Don't take this the wrong way but I've been a garage door service technician for 24 years you're going to get somebody hurt! There's so many things you didn't tell the people what if the door has two Springs you know there's a right spring in a left spring and you have to get the right dimensions for the spring you just can't get clothes like you said to the original spring I'm sorry I'm just amazed you haven't lost your fingers yet
I appreciate the feedback but I specifically said it in the video not to touch it if they don’t feel comfortable DIYing.
Hmmmm interesting my garage door has 2 springs
Where can I order the spring?
Anywhere you’d like. I put a link in the description.
Great video! Thank you!
Make sure if your door has 2 springs that you un wind the one that is not broken before taking it apart! By the way, you replaced a .207 wire spring with a heavier .218 wire
Yup. This is very true about the 2 spring situation but I can assure you I got the same wire gauge. Only the length was different.
Wow what a great point. I wouldn’t have thought to unwind the good one. Probably should replace that one too. Is it hard to unwind it? Does it take a lot of muscle?
@@popaki9484 No its not hard on a residential door. You just have to be sure you have the correct bars that fit snug in the hole. And yes you should replace both at the same time because they run on a cycle life of 10k cycles (unless you get high cycle springs) so the other one is bound to break soon.
They are dangerous so be careful. Like I said, if you don't unwind the other one before taking it apart, you will lose fingers. They are under a lot of tension but with the right size winding bars you will be good.
I do this all day everyday so feel free to ask any ohd questions lol
@@AlbanianFix yellow paint= .207, white paint= .218. It would make sense if you replaced it with a longer .218 wire which would give you more cycle life with the same IPPT spring. You can't replace a spring with the same wire size and have it be longer, the door wont balance correctly. However, if you up the wire size you need it to be longer
great video though man. Awesome of you to help folks out like that.
@@dano1307 thank you Dan!! I’m going to give it a shot. It looks simple enough. Just have to order the correct parts lol. I noticed the set screws have square heads. I’m guessing a wrench will have to do right? I hope I don’t over tighten. Been told my hands are too strong lol. So on the spring with tension, put a bar in first and put some pressure on there until the bar rests against the door then unscrew the set screws and then slowly unwind with the two bars right? Thank you
It did a lot of help
Thank you!
Thanks , now I am going to the store to buy one for my garage door it just broke.
Awesome. Good luck and be safe!
my garage door axle bent and than in our new house the spring snapped so yea
Oh sh**, that’s not good, now you need a whole new shaft too.
You can vice grip bottom of torsion bar [tight of course] loosen both drum set bolts take the vise grip off and this saves u from unwinding the spring your welcome
Will do that next time. Thank you!
Very well explained video. Thank you.
How do I open the garage door manually with broken spring
All garage doors have a disengagement mechanism that disconnects the motor from the chain. Mines has a typical pull-down latch that that is meant to do just that.
@@AlbanianFixmine was too heavy.
Nice video, is there a way I can contact you?
Thank you! My contact is in the about section.
Great content. Really appreciate your help!!!
Next time show the reason for the paint on the spring. It creates a line for every “turn”. Counting the lines tells you how much tension you have.
Thank you Joseph, now we know the reason
Wouldn't it be better to have two of the same springs on each side so that the tension is shared and they will last much much longer? Maybe forever??
Sounds like an awesome idea, BUT I’m no professional, there’s probably a reason why they haven’t done it yet.
Forever? lol no but you could get high cycle springs that would take years for them to go bad. Forever lol sorry it just sounded funny to me lol
No. Too much tension. 1 spring is enough for a single door
First class video...Thanks !
Great job and video!!!
Thank you 😊!
Nice video bro, from an Albanian to an Albanian.
Rrofsh shqipe!