My Garage Door Spring Has Sprung

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Well, I am locked in my garage. The spring on my Clopay garage door is split in two and I cannot physically lift the door. That spring has a lot of tension on it!

What do I do next?

I guess I could start removing panels.
 
Get some strong friends to help?
This happened to my dad's wooden single door, he was elderly and could not lift it and neither could my sister, but I lived nearby and was able to raise it and prop it open for him. His sister's boyfriend had been a garage door installer and put a new spring in for him, but it was actually too strong and it was sometimes hard to get the door down all the way! I think my dad told me the broken spring lashed the top of his Marquis, but didn't expose any metal and he was really happy that it didn't shatter any glass.
 
Does it have an electric opener? I once had the same situation and used the electric opener while lifting by hand to get it open.

If there's no electric opener, maybe try a pry bar or shovel and carefully lifting it enough to get a floor jack under it to help it up. Once the upper panel is horizontal it should be lighter.
 
Pry a longer 2x4 under the door. Use it as a lever to lift the door, then prop ever longer pieces of 2x4 under each side of the door until it is high enough to drive the vehicle(s) out. Then call an overhead door company to replace the spring. Won’t be too expensive. It’s not an uncommon failure.
 
pictures?
Are they torsion springs (on a big pipe in kind of front upper of door) or tension springs (two on the upper sides of door)?
are you having back problem or is this a wooden/insulated steel double door (120+ #s)?

If you didn't did this before, call a garage door guy.

I did it , but I could lift the door: in steps, about 2 feet at a time, and place something under to hold in place (clamps on both side of track would be best or something wide like 5gallon paint buckets with lids on, stacked).
DO NOT USE JUST A 2x4, wood board: too much weight in one tiny spot.
Do you have somebody to help you?
If not, again, just call a garage door guy.
 
Got a helper. Door is up and stable. Here is the pic of the broken spring and another pic of the good one. What type of spring would you go back with? They have this EZ spring kit from Clopay in addition to the regular spring like this one. There are no Clopay dealers other than Home Depot near me. It's a Clopay 4050 with either SN 1012947599 or 1012947598




 
Replacing a torsion spring on a garage door is best done by the garage door guy. There are lots of other do-it-yourself projects to concentrate on that don’t have the same potential to hurt yourself.
 
That's a torsion spring. Replace with the same spring though doesn't have to be from the same manufacturer. You'll need to measure the inside diameter, spring thickness - better estimated by counting 20 or so coils then dividing by the number of coils you've counted, spring direction, and total length. Check out a youtube video if you're not sure how. The last 36" replacement spring I ordered cost about $40 on amazon.
 
Originally Posted By: Snagglefoot
Replacing a torsion spring on a garage door is best done by the garage door guy. There are lots of other do-it-yourself projects to concentrate on that don’t have the same potential to hurt yourself.

while there are dyi guides and youtube videos, and even the formulas for what springs and how many turns,
This is the time I would leave it to pros.
Also there is a good chance they may get the springs quicker than you.

If you do it, take your time, and don't use screwdrivers.
use freshly FLAT cut and grounded rods.
use 2 locking pliers as your safety stoppers.
 
There are a lot of garage door company that can come the same day or next day.
It is probably cost around $200 - $250 for a pro to do it.
Yes, it is kind of dangerous and you need a set of tool to wind the spring back on.

It usually breaks every 15 years or so.
 
Last edited:
Same advice here. Had a broken spring and had a pro out in an hour or so at a cost under $200. I'm not overly handy but even if I was I wouldn't tackle this one. Getting a spring lodged in your eye socket might be painful.
 
Originally Posted By: wayne50
I had both torsion springs replaced recently for an 18 ft. wide wooden door. The cost was $220.

Good price.

I have an 10'X18' commercial steel door on my workshop. One of the 2 springs broke last fall. going to get it repaired next week. Door was installed in 1972, so needs some repairs. New lift cables, new rollers, and an a insulation package. All in all, about $1k. I raised my door a few inches with an old fashioned bumper jack, just enough to get my engine hoist legs under the door, then lifted the door just pass the half way point, at that point the electric opener was able to open it the rest of the way.
 
I DIY'ed this job on a 18' wide door for ~$70-80 and an hour of my time. I bought the winding rods and two springs at Menards which is figured in the price quoted above.

Not hard at all and less dangerous than swapping springs and struts on your car.

But if you don't feel confident after watching any number of YouTube videos showing how to do it, by all means, hire out the job.
 
I totally agree with having a pro do it. When one of mine broke the guy came in less than an hour and replaced it and also safety wired all four springs so if they broke they wouldn't go flying like this one did. Cost me less than $200.
 
The gentleman that installed them in 1994 will come back and install the new one. But he told me to get the proper spring.

It looks like 1 3/4 ID, .234 diameter, 31.5 inches long, Right wind.

Can I merely go up to 2" ID and keep everything else the same? It appears to give a much longer service life if I go up 1/2 inch.

Clopay gave me the wrong info...2 inch ID, .218 diameter and 22 inch coil length??? I can read a ruler and have a calculator
shocked.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
The gentleman that installed them in 1994 will come back and install the new one. But he told me to get the proper spring.

It looks like 1 3/4 ID, .234 diameter, 31.5 inches long, Right wind.

Can I merely go up to 2" ID and keep everything else the same? It appears to give a much longer service life if I go up 1/2 inch.

Clopay gave me the wrong info...2 inch ID, .218 diameter and 22 inch coil length??? I can read a ruler and have a calculator
shocked.gif




Here is what I found to answer your question using Mr. G.Oogle:
http://ddmgaragedoors.com/springs/torsion-spring-faqs.php

If the spring was installed in 1994 and it just broke, that is amazing.
My 1994 (when the house was bought) spring was broken in 2006.
 
One spring for a double garage door? I'd go with two, smaller springs, on each side. That way, if one does break, you can probably still be able to lift the door up.
 
Is this more dangerous than changing a light bulb? Yes. Is there a 50% likelihood you'll be maimed for life or killed? No. Use the right tools, stay out of the line of fire if you mess up, keep helpers away. I've replaced a couple and my life didn't flash before my eyes but if you have doubts pay to have it done.
 
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