I need to drop this garage door hardware down

[pointer80]

Hey guy's, I am finishing my garage ceiling and hit a snag. I have to drop my garage door torsion spring and hardware down below the trusses to finish my sheathing on the ceiling. I do not know why the installer did it like they did, It looks like to me I can drop it down to clear the ceiling. What do you think?

 

[The Cobbler]

that's a low head kit due to low ceiling . not sure you can move that spring. I would consider recessing the ceiling in that truss bay and leave the spring where it is . lowering the spring probably the door will catch on it when you open it

 

[gnpenning]

Open your door and you will see how close the top panel of the door comes to the drum.

The installer isn't to blame. He didn't design it or build it. He had to work with what was given and make it work.

you can try going with LHR but you won't gain much. cut your ceiling around your drums.

 

[jd_1138]

Those springs are under a lot of tension. Be careful.

 

[MikeF2316]

It looks like you could move it down some, but I don't think you're going to be able to move it down enough to clear a flat ceiling.

 

[pointer80]

Open your door and you will see how close the top panel of the door comes to the drum.

The installer isn't to blame. He didn't design it or build it. He had to work with what was given and make it work.

you can try going with LHR but you won't gain much. cut your ceiling around your drums.

The installer was a complete idiot, I have had to readjust and tweak the doors after he installed them. I have measured and I should have plenty of room to clear the drum. If you look at the way the top roller is mounted it can come down with the track and spring.

 

[gnpenning]

The installer was a complete idiot, I have had to readjust and tweak the doors after he installed them. I have measured and I should have plenty of room to clear the drum. If you look at the way the top roller is mounted it can come down with the track and spring.

Come down to where?? That small gap between the floor and track? How much space between the floor and the other track? You need to see if the tracks are level to each other and keep them that way. Where the spring shaft comes thru needs to be level as well. How much gap is there? Is it enough for you to get your sheeting material above the drum and spring? Good luck.

 

[pointer80]

Come down to where?? That small gap between the floor and track? How much space between the floor and the other track? You need to see if the tracks are level to each other and keep them that way. Where the spring shaft comes thru needs to be level as well. How much gap is there? Is it enough for you to get your sheeting material above the drum and spring? Good luck.

both tracks are about a 1 1/4"above the floor, Plus I can trim another 3/4" off the bottom of the track and still be safe. That will allow me to drop everything down including the spring and should give me enough room to be below the trusses to allow for sheathing above roller.

 

[gnpenning]

That's great. Now go back to my question about how much space do you have between the drum and your door panel when it breaks over?

 

[tcianci]

If the OP moves everything down in unison, then the relationship between the drum and the door panel stays the same. However, when doing this, the door still stops at the floor. That means he needs sufficient adjustment on the top rollers to tuck the top panel back up against the jamb if he shortens the tracks.

 

[pointer80]

That's great. Now go back to my question about how much space do you have between the drum and your door panel when it breaks over?

If you look at the picture you will see there is a 2x6 header and the drum sets a little above that also you can see the top roller can come down on the door about a inch and a quarter along with the track. It looks like the drum will clear the top of the door when it breaks but that is why I started this post because I am not sure until I start to do some adjusting. Understand?

 

[gnpenning]

I understand completely. Open the door and measure how much space you have. The door can not go down any further. It's position is fixed to the floor. You can only lower the spring ,drums,track,etc the distance you have between the drum and top of the door when it's opening. The closed distance is nice but for your purpose meaningless.

Open the door a couple inches to see the minimum space you have to work with. Do that and take a pic with a tape and post.

Are you using an opener?

 

[The Cobbler]

OP seems to have the answers,not sure why he asked the question

 

[pointer80]

I understand completely. Open the door and measure how much space you have. The door can not go down any further. It's position is fixed to the floor. You can only lower the spring ,drums,track,etc the distance you have between the drum and top of the door when it's opening. The closed distance is nice but for your purpose meaningless.

Open the door a couple inches to see the minimum space you have to work with. Do that and take a pic with a tape and post.

Are you using an opener?

No opener, I have opened the door and measured and yes it's going to be tight but I think it will work. If not it will be very close and that's where I am at now.

 

[pointer80]

OP seems to have the answers,not sure why he asked the question

I asked the question sir just to get feedback and different opinions on what I am doing. I thought that's what this forum was about getting different views and share our project/dilemmas??

 

[ard]

As others have posted, the door isn't moving down any more.

Look at this picture:

What happens when this whole TRACK is dropped down? The top roller goes where? Remember, the door can't drop...so that top roller has to move up along it's path- basically the door will not be closed on the top.

My two cents.

 

[aabirdman]

If that pic is right you have about an 1-1 1/4" of adjustment in that top roller on the door panel. When you drop the track, Springs, torsion bar,etc drop that top roller

 

[pointer80]

If that pic is right you have about an 1-1 1/4" of adjustment in that top roller on the door panel. When you drop the track, Springs, torsion bar,etc drop that top roller

This is what I keep pointing out in the post, The top roller can also come down with the rest of the hardware which I am hoping will give me what I need? That is also why I stated the person that installed the doors could of dropped them down more.

 

[pointer80]

here are pics of some measurements. a couple of the pics is of the door starting to break back

 

[Ipassgas]

I'm not sure if this'll help enough, but if you ditch that upper track, and put "Super Sneaky" http://supersneaky.com/product/low-overhead-garage-door-hinges/
upper hinges on, it may give you the room you need to get the spring down, and you shouldn't need to move your lower track.

I've got them on my doors, and they work great.

 

[pointer80]

I'm not sure if this'll help enough, but if you ditch that upper track, and put "Super Sneaky" http://supersneaky.com/product/low-overhead-garage-door-hinges/
upper hinges on, it may give you the room you need to get the spring down, and you shouldn't need to move your lower track.

I've got them on my doors, and they work great.

Thanks for the info. I will definitely keep them in mind.

 

[MikeF2316]

I'm not sure if this'll help enough, but if you ditch that upper track, and put "Super Sneaky" http://supersneaky.com/product/low-overhead-garage-door-hinges/
upper hinges on, it may give you the room you need to get the spring down, and you shouldn't need to move your lower track.

I've got them on my doors, and they work great.

Wow, those are amazing. I have a low headroom double track just like the OP. Those would have been even better. And Super Sneaky is just down the road from me, in Brantford, Ont.

 

[Ipassgas]

Yeah, they're not cheap, but function as advertised.

I had what amounted to a carport under my house with an 8' ceiling and there was no way I was putting in a short door, because I didn't want to force tall stuff outside and the building proportions wouldn't look right. I went to Overhead Door before I framed anything and asked what could be done.

6" minimum clearance and I used it all. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[MikeF2316]

Yeah, they're not cheap, but function as advertised.

I had what amounted to a carport under my house with an 8' ceiling and there was no way I was putting in a short door, because I didn't want to force tall stuff outside and the building proportions wouldn't look right. I went to Overhead Door before I framed anything and asked what could be done.

6" minimum clearance and I used it all. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

One thing I noticed about them, once they're installed, you're married to that type of opener. The jackshaft type isn't going to work, and neither is old fashioned muscle.

 

[imnutz]

Put low headroom (ouside mount) bottom fixtures on, put the cables and drums on the outside of the track, lower the spring and shaft enough that it won't hit the top section. That will give you plenty of room and you won't have to touch the track or the top fixtures

 

[pointer80]

Put low headroom (ouside mount) bottom fixtures on, put the cables and drums on the outside of the track, lower the spring and shaft enough that it won't hit the top section. That will give you plenty of room and you won't have to touch the track or the top fixtures

Where can you buy these at?

 

[upndown]

You can get those off the internet or any door co. Can't believe you're still messing with that. Should have been an hour job!

 

[Ipassgas]

One thing I noticed about them, once they're installed, you're married to that type of opener. The jackshaft type isn't going to work, and neither is old fashioned muscle.

Muscle can still work, but you'd need a strap to pull on to close the top panel.
A jack shaft is definitely out.

 

[MikeF]

Where is the top of the opening in relation to the top section when closed? If things were that tight, rear mount torsion would take inches off.

 

[kbuhagiar]

Muscle can still work, but you'd need a strap to pull on to close the top panel.
A jack shaft is definitely out.

There is an adapter available from LiftMaster for the 8500 if clearance is a problem:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002P5RDDK/?tag=atomicindus08-20