Garage door spring just broke! Any suggestions?

[SmileDocHill]

I'm pretty handy but I've simply never dabbled in fixing a garage door. Any suggestions? DIY, or is this just -call a guy and be done with it?
I'm in Westfield, north of indy, anyone with experience good, bad, or otherwise with the companies available?
Btw, my garage is not used for a vehicle, so there is no urgency to this.

 

[hammerd13]

Call a guy and be done with it. I'm handy, too...but one small mistake while tensioning a new spring could spell disaster. It's not that expensive to have somebody replace it and balance the door properly.

I've used Precision Garage Door for the past several years and have always been impressed/happy with the service.

https://garagedoorindianapolis.com/

 

[littletommy]

Call a guy and be done with it. I'm handy, too...but one small mistake while tensioning a new spring could spell disaster. It's not that expensive to have somebody replace it and balance the door properly.

I've used Precision Garage Door for the past several years and have always been impressed/happy with the service.

https://garagedoorindianapolis.com/

This exactly. Unless you are sure of what you are doing, call a professional.

 

[ed1838]

Happened to a coworker a month ago. Overhead door out of Columbus charged him 325 to replace it if I recall correctly.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've used Garage Doors of Indy with good results, but I agree with the others - call a professional.

 

[stocknup]

Leave it to the pros ..............I tried one back in the 80`s and almost broke my wrist .
A doctors` visit is a lot more $$ than a repairman .
They should replace both springs .........the other one is worn out too .

 

[Hoosierdood]

Without the right tools and knowledge, these springs can be deadly. They are under a lot of torsion. I would call a professional.

 

[SmileDocHill]

Thanks everyone. I kind of thought I remembered hearing this before but apparently needed to hear it again. I scheduled an appointment with precision garage door for next Friday. I'm off Fridays and frankly it will take until then to clean an area to let them work and not think I need a hoarders intervention. :-) yeah, I have one of those garages.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Na... you can order different spring weights online. It might just kill/maim you if you screw up.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Thanks everyone. I kind of thought I remembered hearing this before but apparently needed to hear it again. I scheduled an appointment with precision garage door for next Friday. I'm off Fridays and frankly it will take until then to clean an area to let them work and not think I need a hoarders intervention. :-) yeah, I have one of those garages.

You and me both! I park my car in mine, but just barely.

 

[rhamersley]

Wife’s brother in law and my stepson work for Bob’s Garage Doors up in Anderson. Don’t know if they travel to your locale or not, but I know they do good work. Redid a spring for mine a few years ago.

 

[Leo]

Everyone I have seen get hurt trying to tension that spring was using two screwdrivers in those adjuster holes. NO shortcuts, that's how people get hurt. You need two, 20 inch long pieces of steel round stock. Mine have all been 1/2. If yours are bigger, you need rods to match the holes in the adjuster hub. Make sure you are on a stable ladder, you will be holding tension for a while. It is pretty straight forward if you keep your mind engaged and don't get in a hurry. Since the spring has a shaft through it, it is not going to get too far. Not as dangerous as a car spring.


It looks like you have a dual spring system. With that tag hanging in the way, I cannot tell. Be sure to unwind the other spring, controlling it with the rods, one hole at a time before you take anything apart. Be sure you are solid in the hub before you loosen the lock screw. You will feel the tension pressing against your hand. Count how many holes it takes to get the tension off, that is how many you will need when you wind it back up (1/4 th turn at a time) leave the adjustment hub loose while you are working on the other side.

When a spring breaks, the cable on the end often gets snagged up and damaged on the spool. Check both sides. Change everything that looks hurt before you start winding up the springs again.

It really isn't complicated, but it will hurt you if you don't pay attention.

 

[Hoosierdood]

Everyone I have seen get hurt trying to tension that spring was using two screwdrivers in those adjuster holes. NO shortcuts, that's how people get hurt. You need two, 20 inch long pieces of steel round stock. Mine have all been 1/2. If yours are bigger, you need rods to match the holes in the adjuster hub. Make sure you are on a stable ladder, you will be holding tension for a while. It is pretty straight forward if you keep your mind engaged and don't get in a hurry. Since the spring has a shaft through it, it is not going to get too far. Not as dangerous as a car spring.


It looks like you have a dual spring system. With that tag hanging in the way, I cannot tell. Be sure to unwind the other spring, controlling it with the rods, one hole at a time before you take anything apart. Be sure you are solid in the hub before you loosen the lock screw. You will feel the tension pressing against your hand. Count how many holes it takes to get the tension off, that is how many you will need when you wind it back up (1/4 th turn at a time) leave the adjustment hub loose while you are working on the other side.

When a spring breaks, the cable on the end often gets snagged up and damaged on the spool. Check both sides. Change everything that looks hurt before you start winding up the springs again.

It really isn't complicated, but it will hurt you if you don't pay attention.

 

[WebSnyper]

Just for future reference I've used 1st choice garage doors for a few different things, including broken springs, opener replacement etc. Been a bit, but great service, good prices at the time and supporting an INGO'er https://www.indianagunowners.com/members/marcweid.22894/#about

Garage Doors Indianapolis IN | 1st Choice Doors

1st Choice Doors provides top notch garage door service in Indianapolis. Residential and commercial repair and instillations. (317)721-3667

www.1stchoicedoors.com

Haven't seen I'm on here in a bit (looks like 2019) so hope all is well with him.

 

[eric001]

I think it was Garage Doors of Indianapolis that we had come out and fix one of the springs on her garage door when it looked just like yours. They were quick to schedule the visit and did really good work.
Being a busybody, I had to watch (from a distance) and can say with absolute certainty that not having the right tools and absolute knowledge of how to do every part of it, trying to do this on my own would have been a surefire trip to the ER or morgue.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Screwdrivers=very bad. Steel rods=gooder. Use a scale to weigh your door to determine spring size to buy.

 

[BigRed]

I'm pretty handy but I've simply never dabbled in fixing a garage door. Any suggestions? DIY, or is this just -call a guy and be done with it?
I'm in Westfield, north of indy, anyone with experience good, bad, or otherwise with the companies available?
Btw, my garage is not used for a vehicle, so there is no urgency to this.
View attachment 288487

Call a garage door company. Unless you really know what you are doing, garage door springs are nothing to mess with.

 

[Creedmoor]

I would look into a modern replacement torsion system if it was my door.
The last door I hung for myself you used a ratchet or an impact to tension the springs.

 

[Leo]

I would look into a modern replacement torsion system if it was my door.
The last door I hung for myself you used a ratchet or an impact to tension the springs.

I think that is the hardware from Wayne Dalton company. I put up a pair of them on my garage maybe 5 houses ago. They seemed to work out ok. Since I can work on conventional door hardware, I probably would not spend the extra money again.

 

[Sigblitz]

You can do it.