Garage door tension spring help

[green.bubbly]

I am installing a Clopay 10x8 garage door and I am trying to figure out how many wraps of the torsion sping I need. The instructions that came with it do not mention a 10x8 and on their website, I do not see anything about how many wraps for a 10x8.

On the chart, the mopst number of wraps that it shows is 8.25. I got mine this far and tested the door but it was still not balanced yet. Tried adding another wrap and the end of the spring kind of bowed out.

Should I just put an additional spring? Again, I could not find any definitive answer on what size doors require two springs. I did add some light weight styrofoam insulation to the door but this may have added three pounds at the most.

 

[camarotoolman]

Be careful man, thats a dangerous job.

 

[BlackLead]

Are you using the EZ-Set torsion spring system? And what chart are you referencing? The spring winding table in the instructions for the EZ-Set indicate that you need 12 3/4 wraps for a 8' high door.

 

[green.bubbly]

No, it is not the EZ set. It is the traditional coil spring/torsion spring.

 

[darkk]

I have 9x10 doors and I watched my door guy, he did one loop per foot and added 4 at the end and tested the door manually after. You want the door to open and close manually with little to no effort. It should open and stay where ever you let go of it when properly adjusted. I know nothing about over head doors, this was just my observation...

 

[NUTTSGT]

I would shoot Clopay an email and ask for some technical advice, tell them what you have done so far. Places are usually pretty good about getting back to you quickly.

 

[jstroede]

You should need approximately 8.75 turns if using a standard 400-8 type cable drum, and maybe an extra 1/4 turn for the insulation.

John

 

[skamp]

My understanding is it does not work that way. You size the spring(s) to the weight and height of the door and use a specific number of turns. In other words you don't get a spring and wind say 7 turns for 400 lbs and 8 turns for 450 lbs. You get the right spring and always turn to an exact number that the spring is made for. I did mine a while back and they guys at http://www.diygaragerepair.com/ helped me out with the spring sizing. You need to know the weight and size of the door and they will give you the right length and size of spring needed. I hope this helps.

Steve

 

[Trey T]

what size spring?

 

[Packard V8]

Don't know about your specific door, but I've done a bunch and those weren't rocket science; more like hand grenade science. It's pretty scary the first time you grab aholt of one, but you know if you let go too soon, yer daid.

Each door is different, based upon how exactly the tracks were installed side to side and the angle of the top rail. This means whatever the instructions say, the spring tension have to be fine-tuned by hand. When done correctly, the door will go up and down with light hand pressure and stop at any joint.

If takes any effort to raise, crank in more tension. If it has to be pulled down, take out a reef. Those I've done were really that simple.

jack vines

 

[green.bubbly]

I spoke to the guy I purchased it from. Seems that there is a distinct possibility that I have the spring on the wrong side and winding it the wrong way. I only read the instructions ten times. I will go tomorrow and take a second look.

Thanks for the suggestions and information.

 

[green.bubbly]

Looking at the instructions again, I am pretty sure I have a black cone spring which should go on the right. White cone springs go on the left. Why in the hell I put it on the left is beyond me. The instructions are pretty clear. I think I am working too hard...

 

[BillK]

GB,
Check this site out, excellent videos and instructions for replacing springs. I just replaced the ones on my garage after one broke and his instructions were perfect.
http://ddmgaragedoors.com/springs/garage-door-springs.php

 

[treasureseeker]

Mine has the black on the right looking at the door from the inside. Winding the spring in the right direction should lengthen the spring

 

[jstroede]

My understanding is it does not work that way. You size the spring(s) to the weight and height of the door and use a specific number of turns. In other words you don't get a spring and wind say 7 turns for 400 lbs and 8 turns for 450 lbs. You get the right spring and always turn to an exact number that the spring is made for. I did mine a while back and they guys at http://www.diygaragerepair.com/ helped me out with the spring sizing. You need to know the weight and size of the door and they will give you the right length and size of spring needed. I hope this helps.

Steve

This is true to a point. Slight adjustments may be needed. You generally shouldn't need to vary more than 1/2 turn from the calculated value. If you do, you probably have the wrong spring.

Unless you have low headroom track, the red coned spring should be on the left, the black coned spring on the right, the red painted drum on the left, the black painted drum on the right, and the springs wound up. This is all looking at the door from the inside.

John

 

[padstack]

Not that it helps you now, but those ez-set ones are WELL worth the extra $$$ (and that's coming from a cheap ******* like me...)

 

[dlenkewich]

Don't know about your specific door, but I've done a bunch and those weren't rocket science; more like hand grenade science. It's pretty scary the first time you grab aholt of one, but you know if you let go too soon, yer daid.

To the tee. Been there, done that.

 

[green.bubbly]

Yep, had the spring on the wrong side. What threw me was that the insructions said the red spring goes on the left. My spring was actually a black spring but had two pretty red stripes on it.

 

[joiebobgirl]

When you wound the tension spring in the wrong direction because it was on the wrong side were you able to get the spring to go back the way it was supposed to? I ask because I did the same thing and my spring seems to have moved up where the bolts go in to tighten onto the bar. I do not think it was like that before I did it.

How do I get the spring to go back to its original place or position?

Or am I screwed and have to buy a new one?

Thanks in advance for any and all help with this question.

 

[matt_i]

Yep, had the spring on the wrong side. What threw me was that the insructions said the red spring goes on the left. My spring was actually a black spring but had two pretty red stripes on it.

I did the same thing (reversal). It sure looked to me like the cones needed to drive deeper into the coil to make it work. But, it turns out that was an optical illusion, the cones wind out of the coil and apparently the shrinking coil grips them tighter.

I never experienced any issues with my spring despite the abuse that I put it thru.

 

[Jazz1]

My son adjusted the springs on my 16'x8' door. Instructions were on Youtube and easy to follow. Afterwards I could lift door easily as I was restricted to 10lb lift limit at the time.

 

[Jlbc212]

When you wound the tension spring in the wrong direction because it was on the wrong side were you able to get the spring to go back the way it was supposed to? I ask because I did the same thing and my spring seems to have moved up where the bolts go in to tighten onto the bar. I do not think it was like that before I did it.

How do I get the spring to go back to its original place or position?

Or am I screwed and have to buy a new one?

Thanks in advance for any and all help with this question.

Are you concerned about where the winding cone tightens down to the torsion bar? It doesn't matter. As the spring is wound, it will lengthen. When the spring is wound to the correct number of turns, you tighten the setscrews without trying to change the length of the spring.

For an overhead door with standard tracks, that is not high lift or vertical lift, the approximate number of turns for the torsion spring(s) can be determined by measuring the circumference of the cable drum. An easy way to do this is to measure the diameter of the cable drum and multiply it by three. Each turn on the spring it will raise the door the circumference of the cable drum. An additional 1/2 or full turn will be necessary to supply sufficient tension to the cables to keep the door in the up position. For example, if the cable drum measures 4" in diameter, it's circumference is approximately 12". For each turn on the spring the door will lift 12" or one foot. An 8 foot high door would require approximately 8-1/2 to 9 turns on the spring(s). This all assumes that the correct springs have been supplied with the door.

 

[spudley]

About twenty or so years back I installed several wind up doors. I was cautious so all went well.
I recently installed two doors with the "easy set" torsion system. Night and day. Never want to see another wind up.
Wonder how many serious injuries that improvement has prevented?

 

[Jlbc212]

About twenty or so years back I installed several wind up doors. I was cautious so all went well.
I recently installed two doors with the "easy set" torsion system. Night and day. Never want to see another wind up.
Wonder how many serious injuries that improvement has prevented?

Working with torsion springs and overhead doors in general does require great caution. I worked as an overhead door mechanic full-time for many years and several family members did as well. We all knew of mechanics and others who had suffered injuries for not being careful, not having the right equipment or just not knowing what they were doing. A poor fitting torsion spring winding bar can get thrown across a room with tremendous force. Many times I had torsion springs break while I was winding them up. Stretch springs are just as dangerous, and probably more so. A mechanic suffered a fatal head injury when a stretch spring broke and he happened to be standing directly in-line with the spring. This was long before safety cables became a requirement. I still avoid standing in line with stretch springs. One day I was sent to repair a large double door. The lady of the house told me she had to call the fire department the previous day to have her husband extricated from the door. He had the door in the up position and decided to disconnect one of the stretch springs. He didn't realize that the spring was still under a bit of tension, tension that was holding the door up. When he unhooked the cable the door started to close. His hand got wedged in the pulley at the end of the spring halting the door in its descent. He was trapped between the weight of the door and the pull of the spring. Thankfully his wife was home and heard his screams for help. As far as trades go, I still amazed that professional licensing isn't a requirement for overhead door mechanics.