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How much tension on the door spring?

priobe

Active member
Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
34
I have never played with a garage door. I hear that the tension on the garage door spring can kill you. I need to move my door higher into the ceiling and was thinking of doing it myself.

What do you suggest pay or DIY
 
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65Stang

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Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
240
Location
Washington State
Pay is safer by far and usually not to expensive.

That being said, I have installed one before (assuming torsion bar system). You need two solid steel posts a couple feet long to twist/wind or unwind the tension, and yes, there's a lot of force in the spring. The average man can easily do it, doesn't take a long of strength, it's just very dangerous. If one of the bars slipped out while doing the job... Others should chime in.
 
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priobe

Active member
Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
34
Thanks for the you tube video. It is tempting to DIY.

About how much would be to pay someone to do this.
 

Schtauffer

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Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
149
Location
Reading, PA
Typically a service call to come out, and hourly labor. Doesn't hurt to call and ask what the rates are. Where you from?
 
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priobe

Active member
Joined
Jun 1, 2009
Messages
34
Miami FL.

I have a service guy coming tomorrow. I just wanted to see what the average rate was so I dont get rapped
 

cobrar97

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Jun 17, 2009
Messages
59
Get service prices...it may be more than what you want to try. I've seen way to many people get hurt trying to do this.
 
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35mastr

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Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
2,534
Location
Norcal
I have had the right spring break twice in 8 years. My guy charges me 175.00 for the whole job spring included. But I use the door alot as we hardly use the front door to enter the house.
 

nissan_crawler

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Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
9,638
Location
Wichita, KS
Sure it can kill you but a damn spork could kill you too.

Just be smart with it and it's not an issue.

I agree. 95% of the injuries you hear about revolve around using screwdrivers, rebar, and other dumb **** to wind them up with, and then the idiot stood directly inline with said **** tools, and was surprised when the tools beat them in the face.

Use steel ROD of the proper diameter to fit, long enough to give you leverage, and don't put your jaw or forehead in front of it, stand off to the side.
 

BPJOOP93

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Joined
Jun 8, 2009
Messages
887
Location
SW. SD. Almost in nowhere
I used to install garsge doors. if you dont know what your doing DONT DO IT. when your out and about in your city look for a company truck and talk to the guy in the truck, i got a lot of side jobs doing that at less than half of what the company charged. its cash to them and cheaper to you.
 

nate379

Banned
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
7,279
Location
Palmer, AK
2 steel rods.. $5.. and 15 mins of your time. Not worth $80 or more to me.

But hey if your scurred... then pay to get it done.

The O/D spring in Dodge transmissions has a bad rumor that it can kill you too, but I have torn them apart many times.
 

Pritch

Active member
Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
33
I say, if someone is the least bit worried about DIY, pay up.

Having said that, I do my own. An experienced installer once told me to take some chalk and draw a line along the spring with no tension on it, then turn it until the line turns into 10 seperate marks. Seems to work out OK. I use 2 pieces of all thread-1/2" I think-about 2' long each.

One other thing I ran into last time a spring broke on my attached garage-I had a heck of a time finding someone to sell me a spring. Several door companies said too much liability to sell them to the public. Now, I am a building superintendent for a large commercial contractor and ended up getting the spring from a supplier that knew me personally. It probably helped that I drove up in my logo'ed company truck.
 
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