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Posted by Jeff Wisnia on May 7, 2007, 9:33 pm
CWLee wrote:
> I have an old style overhead garage door, which incorporates
> two springs on each side to more or less counter-balance the
> door as it is opened and closed. Each spring is about 24"
> long. I've lived here 27 years, and now and then one would
> break, and I would replace it, with a little grunting and
> straining.
>
> Now, I'm not as strong as I used to be, and I cannot pull
> the springs enough to un-hook or re-hook them. I'm
> wondering if there is a tool or device used by garage door
> specialists to stretch these springs for easier installation
> and replacement.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Many thanks.
>
I would imagine you could hook the back end of the spring in place and
then use a "come along" between the front spring hook and a spot on the
track frame near the door opening to stretch the spring as required to
be able to hook the moving cable pully onto it.
You ARE doing this with the door fully up, aren't you? By that I mean
pushed up to the point where the moving pullies will move as far back as
they can, and the door held stopped there with a pair of vise grips or a
C-clamp on the track.
I'm a bit suprised, because usually, if the springs are sized right for
the door weight, they'll pretty much have no tension on them when the
door is fully up.
Perhaps you got the wrong strength springs?
With the springs disconnected, weigh the door by lowering it onto a
bathroom scale. If it's heavier than the scale can accomodate, make a
simple lever from a piece of board and a brick to multiply the scale's
range. Then make sure you buy a pair of springs rated for the measured
door weight.
HTH,
Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.
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Posted by Larry on May 7, 2007, 9:43 pm
"CWLee" wrote
>
> I have an old style overhead garage door, which incorporates
> two springs on each side to more or less counter-balance the
> door as it is opened and closed. Each spring is about 24"
> long. I've lived here 27 years, and now and then one would
> break, and I would replace it, with a little grunting and
> straining.
>
> Now, I'm not as strong as I used to be, and I cannot pull
> the springs enough to un-hook or re-hook them. I'm
> wondering if there is a tool or device used by garage door
> specialists to stretch these springs for easier installation
> and replacement.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Many thanks.
Is this the old style of door, that is a single panel, not 4 or 5 panels?
The type which you pull towards you, then it swings up?
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Posted by \"Fat Tony\" D'Amico on May 7, 2007, 9:49 pm
Larry wrote:
>
>
>Is this the old style of door, that is a single panel, not 4 or 5 panels?
>The type which you pull towards you, then it swings up?
>
Now that I think about it, I bet he does have a one-piece.
I have never replaced the springs on them, only taken them down and
replaced the door. (after some framing)
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Posted by Jeff Wisnia on May 8, 2007, 2:12 pm
"Fat Tony" D'Amico wrote:
> Larry wrote:
>
>
>
>>Is this the old style of door, that is a single panel, not 4 or 5 panels?
>>The type which you pull towards you, then it swings up?
>>
>
>
>
> Now that I think about it, I bet he does have a one-piece.
>
> I have never replaced the springs on them, only taken them down and
> replaced the door. (after some framing)
>
Having lived here in Red Sox Nation for the past fifty something years I
didn't think about the possibility of it being a one piece door either.
One piece garage doors aren't commonly used here because a couple of
inches of snow drifted against the bottom edge of the door makes them
near impossible to begin opening.
I do remember our home had two one piece garage doors when I was a kid
living in snowless San Francisco. <G>
Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.
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Posted by CWLee on May 7, 2007, 9:59 pm
I'm the original poster. I need to clarify the type of
garage door I have. It is for a double garage, and it is
one large panel, about 6'6" x 18'. It is constructed of 2 x
4s and sheet plywood. On each side of the door there is a
bracket that hinges on hardware that is attached to the wall
next to the door opening.
When the door is closed the springs are stretched. When the
door is opened they contract. In the past when one of the
springs has broken I have held the door open using a 6'
ladder. Then I have released the safety catch, and the
broken spring came off very easily. When I attached the new
spring I had to stretch it perhaps an inch or so for it to
hook, and then I would re-install the safety catch.
I recently repaired the door by replacing some water soaked
crumbling areas with fresh, slightly thicker plywood. This
makes the door a little bit heavier, so that when it is in
the full up/open position it is not quite horizontal as it
was before. What I want to do now is, one side at a time,
is disconnect the two springs, and then move the metal
harness into which they fit, into the next hole. (There are
five adjustment holes provided, and mine is in the middle
one, so I can go two steps in either direction.) Then when
I reconnect the springs they will be stretched a bit more,
and thus pull the door up a bit farther.
The only track involved is part of the automatic garage door
opener, and I don't think it is relevant to my problem.
(But, I could be wrong, and I'm here to learn not argue.)
So, with that additional clarification, what do suggest for
a tool or device to stretch the springs that my 75 year old
muscles can't handle? :-)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> I have an old style overhead garage door, which
incorporates
> two springs on each side to more or less counter-balance
the
> door as it is opened and closed. Each spring is about 24"
> long. I've lived here 27 years, and now and then one
would
> break, and I would replace it, with a little grunting and
> straining.
>
> Now, I'm not as strong as I used to be, and I cannot pull
> the springs enough to un-hook or re-hook them. I'm
> wondering if there is a tool or device used by garage door
> specialists to stretch these springs for easier
installation
> and replacement.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> --
> ----------
> CWLee
> Former slayer of dragons; practice now limited to sacred
> cows. Believing we should hire for quality, not quotas,
and
> promote for performance, not preferences.
>
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