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Replace Side Mounted Garage Door Springs Sue 01-03-2007
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Posted by Sue on January 3, 2007, 6:38 pm


I think I want to replace my side mounted garage door springs myself.
I have searched the web for instructions and found 1 semi-useful site
(www.naturalhandymand.com ) but I would really like some instructions with
photos or pictures. This will be the first time I have attempted this home
repair, and I'm much more comfortable with too much inforation than without
enough information.
Thanks,
Sue



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Posted by DT on January 3, 2007, 6:56 pm


smontague@mcgoldrick.net says...
>
>I think I want to replace my side mounted garage door springs myself.
>I have searched the web for instructions and found 1 semi-useful site
>(www.naturalhandymand.com ) but I would really like some instructions with
>photos or pictures. This will be the first time I have attempted this home
>repair, and I'm much more comfortable with too much inforation than without
>enough information.
>Thanks,
>Sue


Side mounted extension springs are very easy to change, quite safe compared to
torsion drive, since you work with no spring tension. Roll the door up. Use a C
clamp on each track to hold the door up (or vise grips). The spring is now just
hanging there with no tension. Unhook the cable, remove and replace the spring
and hook the cable back up. Try to get equal tension on each side, just barely
enough to hold the spring horizontal.

If it is a recent door there will be a safety cable down the center of the
spring that you will need to remove and replace also. And if it doesn't have
a safety cable, put one on, they are availabe at any Home Depot along with the
springs.

Here is Clopay's instructions, lots of other stuff on their site:

http://www.clopaydoor.com/publicfiles/StndrdExtSpringAssemblyInstruct.pdf

Just curious, why do they need replacing?

--
Dennis


Posted by Jeff Wisnia on January 3, 2007, 7:44 pm


DT wrote:
> smontague@mcgoldrick.net says...
>
>>I think I want to replace my side mounted garage door springs myself.
>>I have searched the web for instructions and found 1 semi-useful site
>>(www.naturalhandymand.com ) but I would really like some instructions with
>>photos or pictures. This will be the first time I have attempted this home
>>repair, and I'm much more comfortable with too much inforation than without
>>enough information.
>>Thanks,
>>Sue
>
>
>
> Side mounted extension springs are very easy to change, quite safe compared to
> torsion drive, since you work with no spring tension. Roll the door up. Use a
C
> clamp on each track to hold the door up (or vise grips). The spring is now
just
> hanging there with no tension. Unhook the cable, remove and replace the spring
> and hook the cable back up. Try to get equal tension on each side, just barely
> enough to hold the spring horizontal.
>
> If it is a recent door there will be a safety cable down the center of the
> spring that you will need to remove and replace also. And if it doesn't have
> a safety cable, put one on, they are availabe at any Home Depot along with the
> springs.
>
> Here is Clopay's instructions, lots of other stuff on their site:
>
> http://www.clopaydoor.com/publicfiles/StndrdExtSpringAssemblyInstruct.pdf
>
> Just curious, why do they need replacing?
>


All I might add to what DT said and the link he gave you is to make sure
you get the proper strength springs to match your door's weight.

Sometimes the springs are color coded with paint, to assist getting the
correct replacements, but the most certain test is to carefully lower
the door onto a bathroom scale with the door's springs disconnected.
(This may take a couple of husky guys to help you with.)

If the weight of the door exceeds the scale's range, you can easily
double that range with a simple lever made out of a foot or two length
of 2 by 4 and a brick. Put one end of wood on the scale and the other on
the brick and place that rig so the door gets lowered onto the center of
the piece of wood, then just double the scale's reading.

Once you know the weight of the door, just buy springs with a rating
close to that weight.

HTH,

Jeff


--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.


Posted by Sue on January 3, 2007, 8:05 pm


One of the reasons that I was looking for graphic instructions is that I
have a solid, one piece door not a roll up door.
Because it is not a roll up door I do not have those 'tracks' that all the
instructions I have read tell me to C-Clamp to hold the door in
place.......so that makes me wonder what else I do have or do not have that
the instructions are not addressing.
I think you are correct, in that there is not nearly the danger in working
with side mounted springs as there is in working with tension springs. My
existing springs have the safety cable running down the center - does that
cable wear, should that be replaced too?
The reason I want to replace the springs is first they are 12 years old, and
second I recently replaced the sprocket on my garage door opener and the
garage door seems much less balanced than it did prior to that replacement.
Especially when moving downward when closing the door - the door moves from
side to side. So I thought the springs might be the next thing to conquer!
Thanks for your prompt response. But I would still like some
photos/pictures showing all the parts and location of those parts that need
to be replaced.
Sue


> smontague@mcgoldrick.net says...
>>
>>I think I want to replace my side mounted garage door springs myself.
>>I have searched the web for instructions and found 1 semi-useful site
>>(www.naturalhandymand.com ) but I would really like some instructions with
>>photos or pictures. This will be the first time I have attempted this
>>home
>>repair, and I'm much more comfortable with too much inforation than
>>without
>>enough information.
>>Thanks,
>>Sue
>
>
> Side mounted extension springs are very easy to change, quite safe
> compared to
> torsion drive, since you work with no spring tension. Roll the door up.
> Use a C
> clamp on each track to hold the door up (or vise grips). The spring is now
> just
> hanging there with no tension. Unhook the cable, remove and replace the
> spring
> and hook the cable back up. Try to get equal tension on each side, just
> barely
> enough to hold the spring horizontal.
>
> If it is a recent door there will be a safety cable down the center of the
> spring that you will need to remove and replace also. And if it doesn't
> have
> a safety cable, put one on, they are availabe at any Home Depot along with
> the
> springs.
>
> Here is Clopay's instructions, lots of other stuff on their site:
>
> http://www.clopaydoor.com/publicfiles/StndrdExtSpringAssemblyInstruct.pdf
>
> Just curious, why do they need replacing?
>
> --
> Dennis
>



Posted by DT on January 3, 2007, 11:07 pm


smontague@mcgoldrick.net says...
>
>One of the reasons that I was looking for graphic instructions is that I
>have a solid, one piece door not a roll up door.
>Because it is not a roll up door I do not have those 'tracks' that all the
>instructions I have read tell me to C-Clamp to hold the door in
>place.......so that makes me wonder what else I do have or do not have that
>the instructions are not addressing.
>I think you are correct, in that there is not nearly the danger in working
>with side mounted springs as there is in working with tension springs. My
>existing springs have the safety cable running down the center - does that
>cable wear, should that be replaced too?
>The reason I want to replace the springs is first they are 12 years old, and
>second I recently replaced the sprocket on my garage door opener and the
>garage door seems much less balanced than it did prior to that replacement.
>Especially when moving downward when closing the door - the door moves from
>side to side. So I thought the springs might be the next thing to conquer!
>Thanks for your prompt response. But I would still like some
>photos/pictures showing all the parts and location of those parts that need
>to be replaced.
>Sue


I've never worked on that style door. There are probably points where the
mechanism can be clamped to lock it up, but as long as it has an opener, just
run her up and turn the power off to the opener, it will hold the door fine.

It doesn't really sound like the springs are part of the problem you described,
sounds more like worn bushings.

The safety cables don't wear out in my experience, but check them for any
rubbed areas.


>> --
>> Dennis


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