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Disclaimer -- The follow is intended only for your information. Garage Master, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this article, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Garage Master, Inc. recommends that experienced professional service be retained to perform all necessary maintenance on your garage door.

Safety First: Safety Glasses, Face Shield, Gloves and Hard Hat ... Please!!!

There are two different types of sectional garage door springs: side-mounted and torsion.

Torsion springs: These are mounted to a fixed metal shaft that runs parallel to the top of the garage door and attach at the other end to a stationary plate located above the center of the door frame; the spring runs along the shaft. They work by twisting as the door closes. The tension in the coiled spring is what makes it easier to open the door from a closed position.

Side-mounted springs: These springs are long and heavy and mount to each side of the upper garage door track. They are like torsion springs, but instead use pulleys to create tension when the door closes.

It is important to always replace garage door springs as a set. Since the strength of the spring weakens with use and time, if one spring breaks then the other one will probably follow soon after. Also, mixing a new spring with an old one can upset the door's balance in a way that is difficult to correct.

Replacement and Adjustment

Side-mounted Springs:

The tension on the springs must be released before making adjustments or replacements. To do so, open the garage door fully until it hits the stop bolt on the track. Use a C-clamp on a point below the lowest door roller to keep the door in this position. If you have an electric garage door opener, first release the emergency release rope to disconnect the opener from the door and then push the door up as far as possible and make sure that all of the tension has been released.

Then disconnect and remove any safety cables from the springs.

Remove the springs by disconnecting the spring from both the garage door track and from the pulley the garage door cable is threaded through.

Look over all of the pulleys thoroughly while they are detached. If the pulley bearings wobble a lot, replace the pulley as well; they cannot be repaired. The door will then work more smoothly and may save you from having to replace it later should it break.

Reattach the new springs in the same way the old ones were connected, being careful not to twist the cable when attaching it to the pulley.

Be sure to test the door before reattaching the safety cables in case it doesn't work properly. If the door doesn't close all the way, loosen the garage door cable an inch or two from where it attaches to the garage door track. This can be done by either moving the S-hook to a different hole in the track or by simply loosening the cable if it is just looped through the holes. In any case, be sure to adjust the cables on both sides evenly. You can tell when the door is down all the way if the springs are equal. If there isn't enough tension, tightening the springs will make it easier to manually open the door.

Re-attach the safety cable when you are done with the adjustment.

Torsion Springs:

Note: Some torsion springs can be adjusted with an electric drill and a special adapter. Consult the manufacturer's website to find the correct method of adjustment.

Adjusting torsion springs can be dangerous since the door must be down and under tension when adjusting. Eye protection and gloves are recommended.

Make sure you have everything you need or an alternate route out of the garage before beginning repairs since the door must remain closed during adjustment.

Secure the door with a C-clamp on the garage door track under the bottom-most roller. This can prevent the door from opening if you over-tighten the spring.

The moveable end of the spring is attached to an adjustment collar. A set-screw in the collar locks the spring in position on the center shaft and there are also holes around the edge of the collar. You need to insert a metal rod into one of the holes to hold the collar in position as the set-screw is loosened. Unless you have an adjustment rod, measure the hole's diameter and buy a section of steel rod between 18 and 24 inches from the hardware store. Solid steel is the best, but a threaded rod will also work.

Check the original position of the set-screw in the collar before making adjustments to see if there are flats that the screw should set into. Flats are special flattened areas in the shaft that help the screw hold more securely.

Make sure the adjusting rod is securely through the hole in the collar and you are holding the rod in position while loosening the set-screw.

Then use the rod to turn the collar to tighten or loosen the spring's tension.

While holding the collar in position, tighten and lock the set-screw into its new position. Both springs must be adjusted equally to ensure the door's balance.

Decide if you want to either increase the opening force of the door or decrease it.

1. Turn the collar in the direction that the garage door cable passed over the pulley to increase the opening force.
2. Turn the collar the opposite direction the cable passes over the pulley to decrease opening force.
3. It's better to adjust a quarter-turn at a time to fine-tune a difficult door.
   

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