Vintage garage door spring question

[weldtoride]

1940s door, time to replace this entire wood 8x8 door.

Lift assist comes from a pair of winding tension springs, one on each side, but not connected to each other.

How did they wind this spring? It's held by a "U" shaped plate, the end of which you can see, that is slipped through a slot and over a spoke.

No holes or notches in the piece that corresponds to a modern winding cone on the fixed end of the spring. Cant figure out how to unwind.



As for disassembly, these springs are pretty tired, door requires some effort to open. When the door is fully open, I can pull on the cables, about a 30 pound bow pull or less.

So right now I'm contemplating reaching in with a long pair of bolt cutters when door is open. Cable is surprisingly thin, but can't argue with its success....

 

[Jlbc212]

An old Baldor door --- the springs are wound with the door in the up position, just one turn should be sufficient to keep the door in the position. A door mechanic would lock the door in the up position with a pair of vice grips, then wind the cable onto the cable spool until the cable is tight, then continue one more full turn of the spring by hand and only then place the metal clip on the other end of the spring to hold the tension. Then do this same procedure to the cable and spring on the other side. As the door is lowered the springs receives the rest of the needed tension to get the door back up.

 

[firebirdparts]

I agree. Be reasonable, okay? The door is heavy, and when you cut that cable, you'll have it over your head, and you really should expect it to close with crushing weight. Don't hurt yourself.

You can get it down somehow, or you can dismantle it overhead, or whatever. but your solution of cutting the cables with it open is really fine. What happens after that is the trouble. You need to be sure you have it adequately propped open when you cut that.

 

[weldtoride]

Jlbc212, ThankYou! Your description makes perfect sense. I wasted way too much time down the WorldWideWabbit hole tying to get info about this spring before I posted here.

I was hoping there would be someone here with the answer, should have come here first...

Jlbc212, if you're still out there, I have a second question: This is a concrete block structure, my masonry opening is 107" wide (1" shy of 9 feet) and it was wood-framed out to accommodate the current 8' wide door by the builder in the 40s.

I will definitely be attaching a new 2x6 frame on the interior wall around the opening. If I re-trim the openings' side edges with 3/4" material, I will have an opening 2 1/2" shy of 9 feet. Can I mount a 9' door without too much wear on the door? Function over fashion here, this is a shop. Custom door out of the question.

firebirdparts, your caution about the door closing w/o springs is noted.

Thanks again,

Mark

 

[jstroede]

so your opening is going to be 8'9 1/2 inches? You can definitely lap the jambs on both sides. Commercial doors do it all the time. It looks like you don't have much side room though? You can overlap the jambs no problem. Commercial doors often lap the jambs by 1" on each side and use reverse angle mounted track, but if you have the space you can use standard bracket mounted track.

John

 

[weldtoride]

Thank you John, I was hoping that'd be the case. There is enough side room, about 16" on the side in the photo, unlimited on the other side.

Mark

 

[weldtoride]

" Commercial doors often lap the jambs by 1" on each side and use reverse angle mounted track, but if you have the space you can use standard bracket mounted track."

Duly noted, planning on getting a door at local big box, nothing special order, so maybe I'll frame the inside wall opening with 2x8 instead of 2x6. Definitely will get new door onsite before I start.