Garage Door Springs

[michaelc80]

Our house is around 11 years old and the 16' garage door has extension springs on it that have been a problem since we moved in 8 years ago. They have broken twice and I've replaced them with Home Depot bought springs (of the same rating). However it still does not seem to be right-the door goes up and down slightly crooked and there is a gap at the bottom of one side when closed.

Rather than continue messing with the extension springs I am considering having a torsion spring installed (I won't mess with the torsion spring myself). I've heard that this is a better option for a larger door, and I have torsion springs on my shop doors and have never had a problem with them.

Any thoughts, opinion, ideas on which one is really the best? I talked to a garage door company today and they said it would be in the $500 range for the parts and labor to change it out to a torsion spring, which seemed fairly reasonable since they would have to change a lot of the door hardware as well. That's a torsion spring with a 20 year warranty.

 

[labman]

I would get another estimate. I am thinking of replacing my 16', hardboard covered, 36 year old door. The hardware is fine, but the door is falling apart. You can buy the complete door and all hardware for that. The torsion hardware and labor can't be that much. If the door doesn't run straight, the springs need adjusted. I have done it to my torsion springs. I also had to replace them. They are not near the problem to work on many make them out to be. Like anything with stored energy, you need to respect it and use your head. After all, many people get killed working under a car.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

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Originally posted by labman:
(...snip...) After all, many people get killed working under a car.

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Na, that could never happen. . .

Seriously, as the picture illustrates, stored energy must be respected, anytime you're potentially in its path should it be released in an uncontrolled fashion. Be careful.

 

[simple_gifts]

Glad he has the wheel chocked. Tilted up and welding a fuel tank, the most likely accident is it rolling away.....
.

 

[Pablo]

Let alone welding on the gas tank.

I think we need a garage door forum

 

[labman]

It is too dark to see if he has goggles on.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

quote:

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However it still does not seem to be right-the door goes up and down slightly crooked and there is a gap at the bottom of one side when closed.

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Michael, look closely at the cables that route down the sides of the door and go up to the springs. One may possibly have slipped off a pulley. I had the same thing happen and adjusted on the door for a solid week until I finally found the problem.

 

[michaelc80]

quote:

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Originally posted by TheLoneRanger:

quote:

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However it still does not seem to be right-the door goes up and down slightly crooked and there is a gap at the bottom of one side when closed.

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Michael, look closely at the cables that route down the sides of the door and go up to the springs. One may possibly have slipped off a pulley. I had the same thing happen and adjusted on the door for a solid week until I finally found the problem.

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That's what I originally thought. But I spent a couple hours trying to adjust it and the cables are right where they should be.

It's almost as if the springs on one side have lost some of their tension.

I'll find out on Friday-I have a garage door company coming out to look at it.