Garage Door Tension Help

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I have removed the garage door and tracks completely from the wall to drywall my shop. When I reinstalled the garage door I cannot seem to figure out how to get the tensions back into the cables. My garage door is nothing I have seen before. I has a long spring that goes inside a tube (approx 2 to 3" in diameter) and then has cables that go down to the bottom portion of the door.
How do I get the tension back into the the cables? Simply looking at it I cannot seem to figure it out and cant seem to find my style online for a video.

The only Idea I can think of is to Wind the cable around the spool, open the garage door and prop it open, attach the cable to the bottom portion of the door, and then close it. Is it as simple as this?

Since this is to my shop and the door will rarely ever be open (AC in the shop) I am looking to save a few dollars rather than hire a pro.

Can post pics later if needed.

Thanks!

 

[jstroede]

I am guessing at your description, but it sounds like you have a wayne dalton door with a torquemaster setup. Pics would help, but here is a link if this is what you have.

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Torsion Spring Replacement

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster torsion spring replacement tutorial - Step-by-step instructions and videos for replacing Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Origininal and Plus torsion springs.

ddmgaragedoors.com

John

 

[AndyL]

Sounds like a torquemaster as mentioned above - dare I ask how you removed tension in the first place?

Anyway - you tension with a drill. However you might need the winding hub depending on which generation of door you have - its been a few years but I seem to recall you could do it with a rachet even if you didn't have the winding hub.

instructions are here:

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Torsion Spring Replacement

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster torsion spring replacement tutorial - Step-by-step instructions and videos for replacing Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Origininal and Plus torsion springs.

ddmgaragedoors.com

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

I am guessing at your description, but it sounds like you have a wayne dalton door with a torquemaster setup. Pics would help, but here is a link if this is what you have.

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Torsion Spring Replacement

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster torsion spring replacement tutorial - Step-by-step instructions and videos for replacing Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Origininal and Plus torsion springs.

ddmgaragedoors.com

John

Sounds like a torquemaster as mentioned above - dare I ask how you removed tension in the first place?

Anyway - you tension with a drill. However you might need the winding hub depending on which generation of door you have - its been a few years but I seem to recall you could do it with a rachet even if you didn't have the winding hub.

instructions are here:

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Torsion Spring Replacement

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster torsion spring replacement tutorial - Step-by-step instructions and videos for replacing Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Origininal and Plus torsion springs.

ddmgaragedoors.com

Thanks guys! that looks near identical if not identical.

Well i was going to remove the door from the wall and lean it over. once I was done I was going to stand it back up....didn't go as planned. The "wire spools" may have broke internally.

After watching the video I think the pawl may not be engaged and therefore I am unable to wind it up. Looks easy enough!

I have been manually lifting the door each time to get the tractor out. 7'X12' door...a bit heavy!

 

[AndyL]

. The "wire spools" may have broke internally.

Likely not - however if they're not fully seated down this could be your struggle. They do slide onto the egg shaped shaft - and there's an amount of splined shaft that needs to be exposed to work correctly. Likely you're halfway there just not quite fully there.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

Reviving this thread a bit.
I just got to trying to work on the garage door and I was able to get tension back onto the door. However, I ran into two issues I am hoping you all may be able to help me with.

1. When I lifted the door, the wire is supposed to neatly spool up around the spool. This didn't happen how it should have. I am sure this started to spool and then it became a big mess of wire which eventually bound up the door.
Any ideas on this one? Maybe there wasn't enough tension on the door and I should "wind" it up more?

2. My door keeps scraping the wall. This isn't ideal although not a huge deal. This is mounted in the same spot as before (I took it off the wall again) and before this did not scrap. Why would this have changed? Is it find to shim the rails? The wheels are riding against the inside of the rail (close the center of the room rather than closest to the wall)


Thank you. You all have been a great help so far!

 

[firebirdparts]

The two spools are on the same shaft, so typically one side can get loose if the door is "cocked". Now, you'd think the weight of the door would keep those cables plenty tight, but not always. Hitting the wall is the sort of thing that might get the door crooked.

The geometry is such that the spools have to work well as long as you are lifting the door in the middle. The cable has to go straight down.

The tension needs to be correct. It's always under tension, so you really don't adjust out cable problems unless you have no tension at all when the door is open. That could be the case where adjustment would help you with that some.

 

[firebirdparts]

P.S. scraping the wall should be adjustable, but shim if you like. You can push the rails together to get the door centered in the hole, and it's a lot less friction and such if you just pinch it at the very bottom. If the floor is not level with the torsion shaft, then you'll have slack in one cable when it's closed.

 

[BarnBuiltBeaters]

The two spools are on the same shaft, so typically one side can get loose if the door is "cocked". Now, you'd think the weight of the door would keep those cables plenty tight, but not always. Hitting the wall is the sort of thing that might get the door crooked.

The geometry is such that the spools have to work well as long as you are lifting the door in the middle. The cable has to go straight down.

The tension needs to be correct. It's always under tension, so you really don't adjust out cable problems unless you have no tension at all when the door is open. That could be the case where adjustment would help you with that some.

I attached the cables to the door while it was in the closed position. Then I applied tension with the worm gear bolt under my desired number was achieved on both sides, periodically switching sides to evenly apply tension (although you said both sides are being tightened simultaneously). When I lifted the door you are probably correct, the door probably cocked some and the tension was lost.

Should I spool the cable first and attach it when the door is in open position, as well as, apply the tension in the open position? Or, does this not matter.

P.S. scraping the wall should be adjustable, but shim if you like. You can push the rails together to get the door centered in the hole, and it's a lot less friction and such if you just pinch it at the very bottom. If the floor is not level with the torsion shaft, then you'll have slack in one cable when it's closed.

I believe there is no adjustment to my rails so I would have to shim. I will have to take another look but I'm nearly certain.

Thank you for you assistance!