So the building is done and I decided to install my O.H Garage doors. I started on the 10x10 today, the track is plumb, level and square, I have the two springs tightened the same amount of turns (11 whole turns), but the door will not open all the way, do I need to tighten the springs more? is there a rule of thumb on tightening these, wow, I have 6 hours in the one door, glad I dont do this for a living!!
Garage Door Installation
- Thread starter dw1
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Nikon_RH50
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- Jun 29, 2013
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You adjust how far the door opens from the opener.
jstroede
Well-known member
11 full turns? Or do you mean 11 quarter turns? If you have 11 full turns on it and it only opens 2 ft then you have a serious problem.
John
John
Jlbc212
Well-known member
If the door has a standard radius track (not high lift), you can determine the number of turns you need to place on the spring with this simple method:
Measure the diameter of the drum (the round thingy you attached the cable to). Multiply the diameter of the drum by three. That will give you the approximate circumference of the drum. If the door is ten feet (120") high, each turn of the spring will pick up one circumference worth of distance. For instance, if the circumference is 12", you will need at least ten turns on each spring, plus at least one more turn to hold the door in the up position. Hopefully, you used a piece of soapstone or chalk to make a line across the length of the spring before you began to wind it. The line will make it easy to count the number of turns you make on the spring. Make sure not to position your body in line with the winding bars!
Measure the diameter of the drum (the round thingy you attached the cable to). Multiply the diameter of the drum by three. That will give you the approximate circumference of the drum. If the door is ten feet (120") high, each turn of the spring will pick up one circumference worth of distance. For instance, if the circumference is 12", you will need at least ten turns on each spring, plus at least one more turn to hold the door in the up position. Hopefully, you used a piece of soapstone or chalk to make a line across the length of the spring before you began to wind it. The line will make it easy to count the number of turns you make on the spring. Make sure not to position your body in line with the winding bars!
Thankyou, thats the info I was looking for. These doors are just a couple years old, they came out of a building that was being torn down. No mark on the spring though, hopefully a few adjustments and it will work, I will give it a shot tomorrow.
Jlbc212
Well-known member
If the drums are the same size, the springs should take the same number of turns.
I always lock the door down when tightening the springs' set screws down onto the shaft. When raising the door for the first time I lock some vise grips in the track under the 2nd or 3rd set of rollers. This is just in case the springs were sized wrong and the door acts like a rocket ship.
Last edited:
rburke65
Well-known member
Huh?
Jlbc212
Well-known member
That is after the door is correctly balanced with the proper amount of tension on the spring(s).
I did add 1/4 turn to the left side spring, the cable on that side was not as tight as the right side. This was a used door, I didnt have any instructions, but since I conquered this one, I will attemp the 12 footer.
Thanks again!!
I think I ended up with 8.5 turns on the right side and 8.75 ish turns on the left
(Full Turns)
These are pretty nice commercial doors, I need to give them a coat of paint to match my wall color.
Jlbc212
Well-known member
If you have a solid tube or shaft that extends across the entire width and over the tracks, the torque of both springs is applied equally on both cables, so it doesn't matter much if one spring has a bit more tension than the other. If one cable is longer than the other (assuming everything is level), the door will ****, that is, the side with the shorter cable will lift up. If you have a two piece shaft with a coupling in the middle, you can "easily" adjust it and compensate for cables that are slightly unequal in length. There's another way to do it too, by temporarily loosening the set screws on the springs (holding them place with a winding bar) and readjusting the cable drums. Be aware that working with the springs can be dangerous.