High Ceiling Auto lift Door Opener Project

[jimval]

Lift number one installed and functioning Saturday but alas plans always seem to change. Had to fix two dirt bikes and a go-kart for the kids today. The second lift is started but won't get finished for a while.....

 

[kbs2244]

Varying drum dia; tappered drums, depending on spring tension to hold the door up......
A pail full of sand going up and down inside a PVC pipe is looking better and better to me.
Simple, easy to build and understand, low cost.
What is the downside of counterweights?

 

[ersatzs2]

A pail full of sand going up and down inside a PVC pipe is looking better and better to me.
What is the downside of counterweights?

I'm also going to watch for responses here. Why don't we see counterweight setups? Seems like a great solution for all the reasons mentioned plus great KISS quotient...

 

[nova65ss]

Varying drum dia; tappered drums, depending on spring tension to hold the door up......
A pail full of sand going up and down inside a PVC pipe is looking better and better to me.
Simple, easy to build and understand, low cost.
What is the downside of counterweights?

Garage door opener will be out of the question with a counterweight. If one comes loose or a cable breaks the door will come crashing down. If you move it will need a total revamp or brought back down to where it was, it will never pass inspection that way. A pail full of sand just sounds kind of rigged to me. Sounds like trying to reinvent the wheel to me engineers spend everyday working with these things if there were a better way I would imagine someone would of thought about it by now. My opinion anyway.

 

[icnsltmfg]

Had my two doors done today (8' x 6'6") with an 11' 3" ceiling. There was zero issues with the door function and the tension switch. Clopay sent tapered drums that I believe are 8".

Now I get to start painting, lighting, flooring, and using my garage....waited 40 days for the high lift kit from Clopay.

BTW the 3800's work great. Very quite, gradual starts and stops, auto lock, motion sensor lights. Very pleased!

 

[bmwpower]

Those don't look like 8's to me. Look more like 6's. Anyway you could verify?

 

[icnsltmfg]

Your correct.... 6" dia, 4" width tapered drum. It looks like the last 2 or so grooves look to be 7"-8" dia.

 

[jimval]

Are those 1" solid shafts or hollow?

 

[icnsltmfg]

I think they are hollow....I thought it was conduit when he was first unloading the truck.

 

[jimval]

Both lifts are now up. Both door tracks have been altered. One door now opens manually with (2) torsion springs installed.

 

[jimval]

Finally, one side is completely finished. I have to say the Liftmaster 3800 is the most awesome garage door opener I have ever seen! So quiet all I hear is the door moving on the track. Used standard 6" drums no taper. 2 torsion springs 44" long 2.625' I.D. with .2253 wire. (yeah commercial springs) Everything functions perfect. The opener is fast but when is closes it slows down to a crawl and just kisses the concrete. Awesome. Here are the pics.......

 

[nova65ss]

Good deal glad it worked out for you What drum is that 400-54? Can't quite tell from the pic.

Nice Vette too the I love the Stingrays!