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Your garage door uses springs to provide the necessary force to lift or lower the panels.
There are two types of garage door springs — torsion and extension springs.
Older types of garage doors use extension springs installed on each side.
They must work well together to balance the door’s movement.
On the other hand, modern garage doors use torsion springs installed at the top of the garage door.
Although they are more expensive, extension springs are much more durable and sturdier than extension springs.
In a typical residential garage door, torsion springs last for about 10,000 cycles or 7-10 years on average.
Through time, garage door springs can become loose.
But working with them involves a lot of risks since they are always under heavy tension.
It is best to leave them with garage door technicians since they know how to tighten garage door springs accurately.
But if you are curious about how garage door experts tighten springs, you can check out these steps:
Adjustment Preparation
As mentioned, springs are under a lot of tension, requiring careful handling and proper adjustment execution.
Here are some of the preparations on how to tighten garage door springs:
- Identify the type of garage door springs — extension or torsion.
- Look for signs of loose springs, such as uneven movement and hard-to-move garage doors.
- Equip safety gear and necessary tools, especially clamps that hold the garage door while working on the springs.
Side-Mounted Springs Adjustment
Extension springs are side-mounted.
To adjust them, here are the steps involved:
- Fully open the garage door and disconnect it from the opener.
- Put C-clamps at the bottom-most roller or put locking pliers on each side.
- Using a wrench, remove the hook connected to the spring and track.
- To tighten the spring and reduce its length, attach the hook to a lower hole on the tracks.
- Adjust the springs on the other side by following steps 3-4.
- Test the door’s movement, and lower the hook one at a time to adjust accordingly.
- For minor tension adjustment, shorten the hole attached to the track and hook.
- Test the garage door’s movement once again and adjust accordingly.
Top-Mounted Springs Adjustment
Torsion springs are top-mounted attached to the inside overhead space of the garage door.
To adjust them, here are the steps involved:
- Fully close the garage door and disengage it from the opener.
- Put C-clamps at the bottom-most roller or put locking pliers on each side.
- Locate the winding cone (cone with four holes) located at the end of the torsion spring.
- Using winding bars, try to loosen the set screws on the winding cones.
- If the spring requires an increase in tension, turn the winding bars at 90-degrees up.
- If the spring requires a decrease in tension, turn the winding bars at 90-degrees down.
- Test the door’s movement and adjust the set screws accordingly.
- Stretch the spring 1/4 inch away from the center of the winding cone using the bottom-most winding bar.
- Tighten the set screws and adjust the other winding cone at the end of the spring following steps 3-8.
- Test the garage door’s movement once again and adjust accordingly.
- Apply a silicone-based lubricant on the springs for maintenance.
Again, these steps on how to tighten garage door springs require a professional.
If you are looking for a trusted garage door service provider in Austin, Austin Garage Doors is the best choice.
Our garage door repair in Austin knows how to tighten garage door springs without any fault.
Moreover, our garage door installation in Austin can conduct spring replacement if your springs have damages that are beyond repair.
Most Reliable Garage Door Services in Austin
Austin Garage Doors takes pride in our garage door services.
For either a quick or complicated garage door repair in Austin or to the most affordable garage door installation in Austin — we are the right ones for the job.
As long as it involves garage door concerns, Austin Garage Doors can undoubtedly help you!
We have the up-to-date procedures and equipment to serve all of your garage door needs.
Ask for a quote from us, and we can give a detailed breakdown of our offered garage door services without hidden charges.
Our garage door installation and garage door repair in Austin are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Our emergency garage door technicians always got your back for urgent garage door concerns.
Call Austin Garage Doors now and expect that we will arrive as soon as possible.
