You stumbled upon this article because you want to replace your garage door spring and paying for a professional to do it seemed too expensive for you. There’s nothing wrong with making a garage door replacement job as a DIY task for as long as you take all the necessary precautions.
Before you even start using that wrench, winding bar or vice grips, wear your safety glasses first. Next, do not forget to unplug the garage door power cord from the outlet.
These safety precautions are so basic yet can also pose serious consequences when skipped. The last thing you want to do is hurt your own eyes or get electrocuted while trying to replace your garage door spring.
Even when you have the best guide for learning how to replace garage door springs, but then you fail to follow its safety precautionary measures, then such a task may not turn out to be one hundred percent successful.
Once you have read and applied all the safety practices, you can now start with the process of replacing your garage door spring. For starters, the following steps will prove to be helpful.
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How To Replace Garage Door Springs:
Step 1
Once you unplug the power cord from the electric source, put your vice grip on the track, make sure it is placed about halfway up your garage door. This step will spare you from accidents as it also keeps the door from opening when you’re winding tightly the torsion springs later.
Keep in mind not to position yourself aligned next to the spring while you’re on a ladder and working on removing or installing the springs. The farther you are from the springs, the safer you will be.
Step 2
This is when you need the 7/16” wrench. You may also use the ⅜”socket and a pair of reliable winding bars. Stick the winding bar into the inner tube of a torsion spring cone. Make sure you’re holding the winding bar high enough for you to be able to control it if you find it starting to come down. The next thing to do is to loosen the set screws that are supposed to hold the spring in place.
Then, hold the winding bar down firmly while you slowly put it down on the floor.
Step 3
Now insert your second winding bar into the winding cone as you also remove the lower winding bar that rested against your garage door. Then, slowly put down the second bar, like what you did with the first one.
Continue doing this until you can see that the spring is already tension-free. Repeat the same process for the other torsion spring. Loosen the bolts on the cable drum and work on these until you are able to pull the bar loose from its own bracket.
Step 4
Install the new spring, but first you have to check the spring and see whether its coil is running clockwise or counterclockwise. The spring that runs clockwise must be placed on the left side and the spring that runs counterclockwise should go on the right side. Now slide the new spring on the bar, then the cable drum.
Once you’re certain that these two are placed correctly, put the bar back into the bracket. Do the same thing on the second side.
Step 5
Now, put everything back together by rejoining the two springs. Don’t forget to put the plastic bearing between the two springs. See to it that you’ve got your vice grip ready. Reinsert the cable into its drum and keep winding it towards yourself. But, be sure to stop as soon as you notice some slack and make the necessary adjustments.
You have to push the drum back against the bracket in a sideways direction. Put back the set screws and then tighten each of these. Now clamp the vice grip on the bar, making sure that the handle is positioned against the ceiling. This way, the bar will not spin even after you let go of it. Do the same thing on the other side.
Step 6
Now it is time for you to tighten the torsion spring. The spring should be fully wound, ideally about 30 times. Then, make sure that you have tightened the set screws very well. Before you think that you’re done, test the springs and cables first. Check the springs once again and make sure they don’t have the tendency to uncoil.
Now, check if everything is working harmoniously together by lifting the garage door from the center. Loosen tension in the springs is the most common cause of poor garage door balance. If you see the garage door move a bit downward, it would mean the spring tension needs to be loosened a bit, about two quarter turns.
Remember that even when you only have one broken spring, you have to replace both springs at the same time. This is because the garage door will not be able to open well if both springs do not have the same level of tension. Another important thing to note when working on replacing your garage door spring is to make sure that you focus on your task. The task entails knowing which one goes to the right and which one goes to the left side. It also entails counting while working with the winding bar.
These tasks will not be done with much accuracy if the one doing it lacks focus. Besides, you don’t have to do it all alone. Have someone else to help you stay safe, especially when you have to climb up the ladder. If someone else is in that garage room with you, you will have immediate help in case of emergency. These steps can be used as your guide to replacing a garage door spring. But, if this kind of task is something that’s way out of your comfort zone, it is best to call in the professionals to do it for you.
Source: Safetyhub
