Need To Tighten The Garage Door Springs?
You should seriously deal with a garage door spring system that requires repair.
Damaged or faulty springs can cause unwanted accidents and property damages.
The best way to avoid this from happening is to take regular notice of the condition of your springs.
If your springs have improper tension, this article is perfect for you.
We’ll guide you on how to tighten garage door springs.
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At Long Beach Garage Door Repair, we consist of certified and highly-trained repairmen.
We have extensive years of experience in diagnosing and troubleshooting a wide range of garage door problems.
Rest assured that our technicians know how to conduct garage door repair in Long Beach safely and correctly.
Set a schedule with our expert team and experience garage door solutions at their finest.
How to Adjust Your Garage Door Springs
Your heavy garage door requires a large amount of force to be able to smoothly move up and down.
That’s why a garage door torsion spring is under immense tension.
This high tension counterbalances the weight of your door and lifts it.
So, what will happen if your springs suddenly lose this tension?
Your garage door will become unbalanced.
Consequently, it will be difficult, even impossible, to operate it.
Fortunately, improper spring tension has a quick fix, and that is to tighten it.
Here are the steps on how to tighten garage door springs properly and safely.
Safety First: Install vice grips or C-clamps
Before you begin, you must take caution by following safety measures.
One of those is to use vice grips to secure components that could give out and cause injuries.
Install one on the torsion tube to prevent the cable from unwinding when you loosen the torsion spring.
And then another one on the vertical door tracks to prevent your garage door from flying up.
After that, make sure that the spring is in one piece and in good condition.
Loosen The Spring
On the winding cone, insert a metal winding bar and hold that in place as you loosen the two set screws.
You’ll notice that the spring is pushing back with its tension, so grip tightly.
Adjust the Spring
Insert the second winding bar on the next hole.
The bars should be at a 45-degree angle by now.
Since you want to tighten the springs, turn the winding cone by a quarter upward.
This will increase the tension of your torsion spring.
Remove the bar located on the top and place it behind the first bar.
Turn again by 1/4.
Repeat the process until you get the correct tension of the torsion spring.
Prevent the Spring From Binding
Remove the topmost winding bar and leave the one at the bottom.
Mark about ⅛ inch from the edge of the winding cone.
This is to guide you on the next step.
Use the winding bar that you removed earlier to gently tap the other bar that’s still on the cone.
Allow the cone to move until it hits the mark.
Tighten the Set Screws
Hold the winding bar that’s still in place as you tighten the set screws back.
Repeat On The Other Side of the Spring
Don’t forget to redo the process on the other side of the spring.
This is a crucial step because you want a balanced garage door.
And one way to ensure that is to equally adjust both sides of the torsion springs.
Test Your Garage Door
Once you’re done with the adjustment process, it’s time to see the results.
Unlock the locking pliers or C-clamps you installed earlier, and try opening and closing your door.
Your door should move smoothly and evenly.
If not, your spring tension may still not be enough, and you need to readjust.
The springs of the doors to the garage have an important function inside the garage.
These springs are responsible for lifting the heavy door slabs.
With the help of cables and rollers, you can guarantee that the doors will travel up the tracks smoothly.
You need to have springs that provide enough force to lift the doors.
Loose springs or unadjusted springs can result in a slow-moving door in your garage.
Worse, loose springs can mean that your garage door may fall down the tracks.
If you want to know how to tighten garage door springs, you can take a few steps to achieve this.
After adjusting, test your work.
A tight spring should have the optimal force to carry the door smoothly and efficiently.
Steps to tighten the torsion spring
Torsion springs work with torsion force to provide the torque that works on the door.
These are the steps to tighten the torsion springs that are on the frame:
Step 1: Disconnect the opener
Pull the emergency release cord on the opener motor rail.
Now, you can open the garage door manually.
Lift the door upwards on the tracks and secure it with c-clamps.
Step 2: Adjust the winding cone
Find the winding cone on the rod which secures the torsion spring in place.
Insert a bar in one of the winding cone holes to loosen its hold on the rod.
Be careful in stepping on the ladder as the winding cone is high on the door frame of the garage.
Step 3: Tighten the spring
Leave the bar within its hole; you will use this to wind the spring up or down.
Turn the winding cone towards the direction that turns the coils towards the end.
In most cases, winding up the coils increases the tension of the spring.
Step 4: Reposition the coils
Don’t remove the bar that you’re using to hold the spring.
Now, move the winding cone along the rod to adjust the placement of the torsion spring.
Extend the spring length in the rod to change the speed of the door movement.
Step 5: Secure the new place of the torsion spring
In its optimal place within the rod, secure the torsion spring.
Return the screw, or nut and bolts, in its place on the holes.
Ensure that the winding cone is tight in its new place.
Step 6: Open the garage
Many big garages make use of a two-spring system.
If you have another spring on the other side, do the same and tighten the torsion spring.
Re-engage the opener and open the garage automatically.
Steps to tighten the tension spring
Another kind of spring you can adjust regularly is the extension spring.
These extension springs usually run parallel to the opener or on the side of the tracks.
Step 1: Disengage the opener
Pull the emergency release cord to disengage the opener from the door panels.
Now, you can open the garage manually.
Lift the door panels on the tracks and secure them with a c-clamp.
Step 2: Remove the spring
Find the tension springs on top of the garage.
Remove the hook that holds one end of the tension spring in the frame.
You may need to use a wrench or screwdriver for this.
Step 3: Shift the location of the spring hook in the track
Find a new place nearby in the frame to secure the tension spring.
Avoid putting the tension spring in a place that’s unnecessarily higher as it may break the spring faster.
Return the screw or nut and bolt that holds the spring hook to the frame.
Step 4: Adjust the safety cables as well
In all tension springs, safety cables will run between the coils.
Readjust the safety cable as well.
Make sure it follows the new position of the tension spring.
Step 5: Secure the cable and the spring properly
Check the new place of spring and safety cable.
If you think it’s better to replace the tension spring, opt for brand new springs.
Do this by assessing the condition of the coils before placing them in a new position within the tracks.
Step 6: Do the same to the other side and test
After you adjust one side, do the same to the other side.
Make sure that both springs are at the same height, so they have equal force.
Adjust the safety cable as well and test your work by re-engaging the opener.
Set an appointment with Long Beach Garage Door Repair
We are Long Beach Garage Door Repair, and we offer professional garage door services.
Our garage door repair in Long Beach is available for all damages, including the faulty springs.
Our team has enough experience and knows how to tighten garage door springs efficiently.
If you want to get a new door, our garage door installation in Long Beach is available for you.
All you need to do is give us a call or set a date with our team.
Conclusion
Tightening garage door springs is a serious task that you should embark on with much care.
If you lack the knowledge and skills to perform spring repair, don’t risk it.
Call Long Beach Garage Door Repair, and let our professional technicians fix your door springs for you.
We also provide other garage door repair and installation services.
Our reliable team is always at your service for a safe and efficient garage door repair in Long Beach.
Book a schedule with us now!
