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How to Fix or Replace Your Garage Door Torsion Springs

If you have a broken garage door torsion spring, and you are considering replacing it yourself, then this page is for you.

What is the torsion spring? It is a device that lifts most of the weight of the garage door when using the electric opener. Torsion springs are wound up on a rod, and are for heavier doors, and there are typically one or two along the wall above the door. Don't confuse the torsion spring with the extension spring, which is often used on lighter weight doors, one either side of the track.

When you are replacing one torsion spring, it's a good idea to replace the other one as well, since the strength of the new one will almost certainly take out what's left of the old one, and it's much easier to do both at once than one at a time.

Should I replace the torsion spring myself?

1. Safety is a big issue. Replacing the torsion spring on your garage door has big risks to it, so unless you are already mechnically enclined, hire a professional service company for the job. Fixing the spring, either by welding or another method, is not recommended. The spring was already weak, which is why it broke. It could easily break in another spot, or the weld may not hold. Replacment is the smartest option.

2. Garage door spring replacement cost: if you hire out, garage door companies will charge anywhere from $140 to $600 for the job, depending on your area, the size of your door, and how fast you want the job done. If you do it yourself, your cost will be between $45 and $70 apiece for Garage Door Torsion Springs on Amazon.

In other words, it's worth it to get an estimate or two before deciding if you even want to take the time to tackle this dangerous job yourself, since it may be almost as cheap to let someone else do the installation. Remember, the torsions are under a tremendous amount of pressure, and could severely harm you or your property if not properly changed, and then the repair cost would be much higher.

3. Replacement Installation: There are several steps to this job, and each one must be done carefully, if you plan to do it yourself, or DIY. Once you compare the cost of allowing a garage door service company do the repair, and you consider the extent of the job and the safety issues, if you are still determined to fix or replace your garage door torsion spring yourself, watch the video at the top of the page carefully for step by step instructions.

Key steps in changing your torsion spring:

Measuring the old spring and ordering the correct spring to replace it. If you have one broken spring and one still working, measure the broken one, since a spring under tension will not measure correctly. If possible, try to find out the correct spring size from the manufacturer. If that isn't possible, you will need to measure it yourself. You can find tables of standard spring sizes at www.industrialspring.com, so once you measure, you can check your measurements to the table data.

Here is what you will need to measure, in inches: (1) the wire thickness, which you can either measure with a dial caliper or calculate by measuring the length of a number of closely stacked turns with a ruler and dividing by the number of turns in the stack; (2) the inside diameter (not outside!) of the relaxed (not wound!) coil, (3) the overall length of the relaxed (not wound!) spring coils, not including the winding cones, and (4) the right- or left-hand winding of the spring.

The easiest place to find the new springs is to look for Garage Door Torsion Springs on Amazon.

Release the torsion of the unbroken spring:

This is the critical moment, and the most dangerous part of the job. Be sure there are no distractions around, no children, and no expensive cars or equipment, just in case. You will need to loosen the set-screws, which could turn your wrench into a dangerous flying weapon if you make a mistake. Go slowly and follow the instructions on the video to the letter, especially in this part of the job. You will also deal with the same danger when you begin to tighten the new spring.

If you are still determined to repair your garage door torsion spring yourself, be sure to watch the video at the top of the page carefully, and do all of the steps involved.

Torsion Spring, compliments of Clopay Garage Doors

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Extension Spring, compliments of Clopay Garage Doors