Standard Garage Door Torsion Springs
If you have a broken garage door torsion spring, you can either order the same spring or springs that you currently have, or you can order different springs to improve the operation of the door.
Did your garage door spring or springs work well before they broke? Did you ever operate the door manually with the opener disconnected? Was the door easy to open and close? If so, then you can purchase new torsion springs with the same dimensions or longer life springs with the same lift.
However, if the garage door felt heavy when you operated it manually, or if the springs were too strong and the door was hard to close, we would recommend ordering different springs.
If you have already decided which springs to order, go directly to our torsion spring prices.
Keep Existing Torsion Spring Dimensions:
- » Making Measurements
- » Replace Both Torsion Springs?
- » One Spring or Two?
- » Longer Life Springs
- » How to Order
New Torsion Spring Dimensions:
Learn About Standard Torsion Springs:
Other Important Links:
Introduction to Standard Torsion Springs
A standard torsion spring has a stationary cone which secures the spring to the spring anchor bracket. Since this bracket is secured to the wall, the stationary cone, as its name suggests, does not move. The other end of the torsion spring has a winding cone. This winding cone is used when installing, adjusting, and uninstalling the springs. When installing the torsion spring, the coils of the spring are wound up to create a lot of torque.
This torque is then applied to the shaft, the metal tube that goes through the torsion spring. The ends of the shaft are held up by the end bearing plates. Resting against the race of the bearings are the cable drums. The cable wraps tightly around the cable drum, and the cable goes down to the bottom of the garage door, securing to the bottom bracket.
Since these cables hold the weight of the garage door, the torque from the torsion springs does not dangerously spin the shaft until the spring is loose. Instead, the garage door weight slightly exceeds the lift produced by the torsion spring(s). (The lift is the amount of weight that each spring can raise off the ground.) As a result, a properly operating garage door with the right springs should not seem to weigh nearly as much as the garage door itself. When this principle holds true through the duration of the door's travel, the door is balanced.
With the help of the torsion springs, you should be able to operate the garage door manually without much trouble. Likewise, it does not take too much work from the garage door opener to lift the garage door. As the door opens (either manually or with the opener), the torque on the shaft keeps the cable tight on the cable drum. As a result, the cable winds up on the cable drum, allowing the torsion springs to unwind.
As the torsion spring unwinds, it loses some of its torque. Therefore, it also loses the amount of lift that it can produce. Vertical lift and high lift garage doors deal with this problem in a slightly different way, and you can read about How Vertical Lift and High Lift Garage Doors Work. Standard lift garage doors are almost universally used in residential garages, and are in the majority in commercial and industrial settings.
It all comes down to the cable drums. Standard lift cable drums have a flat portion for the cable, with one or two grooves that are a little higher. (These higher grooves are addressed in the link above.) As the garage door opens, the rollers slide along the track. The door transitions from the vertical track to the horizontal track.
When the top section is supported by the horizontal track, each spring does not need to support as much weight. Since the springs have unwound a little by this point, the amount of weight supported by the horizontal tracks roughly equals the lift that was lost from the decrease in torque in the torsion springs.
When the garage door is fully open, there is still about 3/4 to 1 turn still applied to each torsion spring. Since the bottom roller on the garage door typically rests on the curved portion of the track, the door will want to fall down. The extra torque in the torsion springs, though minimal in comparison to the torque when the garage door is closed, keeps the door open.
Keep Existing Torsion Spring Dimensions
The following sections will help you determine what torsion springs you need for your garage door based off of your current spring dimensions. If you decide that you want different springs after you have measured your old springs, it is easy to make the switch.
If you have trouble making the measurements and you want springs with the same dimensions, you can e-mail a high resolution image of your spring system. The picture should include all the springs on the shaft. The picture needs to be crisp and clearly show the break. Multiple pictures can help, but we need at least one picture that shows the full spring length. Also, if there is a spring that is not broken in the picture, let us know if it is wound or unwound. Pictures of the tracks and any labels may help us identify the model of your door to confirm that your old springs had the correct dimensions. You send us an e-mail at: the word "mail" followed by the "at" symbol then our URL - ddmgaragedoors (then a period) com
Measure Your Old Torsion Springs
There are five important characteristics of torsion springs. If you have more than one spring on your door, we recommend that you replace all of them (see below). You will need to carefully determine the measurement or style of each characteristic for each torsion spring in order to receive springs that will work properly with your garage door. These properties are: inside diameter (ID), wire size, length, wind, and end types.
Since some of these measurements need to be taken in a very precise manner, be sure to carefully read our How to Measure Garage Door Torsion Springs page.
Replace Both Torsion Springs?
If you have multiple torsion springs on your door, you should replace them all. Most doors have springs with the same cycle life rating. In other words, when one spring breaks, the other spring or springs will probably break before too much longer. Since you will be going to the trouble of changing one torsion spring, it is usually better to change your second spring as well. This will save you time in the garage as well as money on the shipping costs.
Some doors, however, have two springs with different dimensions. Many times, the cycle life of the broken spring is shorter than the cycle life of the unbroken spring. This means that you may still have another couple thousand cycles left on your unbroken spring. If you only change one spring now, you will probably need to change your other spring fairly soon down the road. Therefore, we recommend that you still replace both springs, but that you purchase springs with different dimensions.
If this is the case, you will need find the lift for each of your torsion springs. This can be done with our Find My Spring Database™ for most residential springs. Each of your new torsion springs will need to lift 1/2 of the total lift of your two old springs.
If you purchased two torsion springs with different dimensions, it is possible to maximize the cycle life on the two springs. See our Maximizing Cycle Life on Unmatched Torsion Springs page for more information.
For help determining whether you should replace both springs on your door, see our Torsion Spring FAQ's page. You can also read more about springs with different dimensions.
One Spring or Two?
A lot of people have a garage door with only spring on it and wonder whether they should upgrade to two springs. If the new torsion spring that you will install on your door has an inside diameter (ID) of 1-3/4" and a wire size of .250 or larger, we suggest that you convert to two torsion springs. The same holds true with a 2" ID and .2625 wire size or a 2-1/4" ID and .283 wire size.
The problem with having a larger wire size on a single-spring door is that the spring pulls on the shaft as the door opens and closes. This can cause serious problems in the future including cables breaking or peeling off the drums and steel sections getting damaged. While it usually costs $5-$10 to convert over to two springs, it can save a lot of money down the road.
One question that people frequently ask when converting to two springs is whether they need a second bearing for the second spring. The answer is no. The purpose of the bearing is to keep the stationary cone centered on the shaft so that the spring is centered on the shaft. Since the stationary cones from the two springs will be secured to each other in the process of securing the springs to the spring anchor bracket, the second spring does not need a bearing. Additionally, if you add a second bearing, you will probably break one or both of the stationary cones.
For more information to help you decide whether to have one spring on your garage door or two, see our One Torsion Spring or Two? page.
Longer Life Springs
Once you have measured your current torsion springs, you have enough information to order. We do, however, offer longer-life options. Every spring is rated at a certain number of cycles - that is, the number of times the garage door should open and close before the spring breaks. We can find springs with the same (or very similar) torque as your old springs that will last longer. When you double the cycle life, the price of the spring usually increases by a factor of only 30%. Therefore, you end up paying less for each cycle that you will get from each spring.
This cable drum says APCO 5750-120. Many cable drums, like this one, are covered in paint, dirt, or other substances which make it difficult to read the label.
Hold a level at the bottom of the track junction, and measure the distance from the horizontal track to the top of the level.
The two springs under the heading "Your Torsion Spring" are the left and right wind springs for what you entered. Check the lift for the appropriate track radius. This is how much one spring will lift. For example, a 1-3/4" ID, .187 wire size 20-inch spring will lift 61.9 lbs on a 7' high garage door. If you have two springs, your door should weigh twice that much - 123.8 lbs. Check the weight of your garage door with our How to Weigh a Garage Door instructions. If these numbers are more than 10 lbs off, there was a measuring error or your old springs were properly matched for your garage door. Go to our Torsion Spring FAQs page to see possible solutions to this problem.
The springs listed under the heading "Compatible Replacement Torsion Springs" will work with you door (provided that your old springs match your door weight). You can use the column titled "Cycles" to find a spring with a longer cycle life than your old torsion springs.
How to Order
Once you have determined the springs that you want to purchase, contact us with the part number from our Find My Spring Database™ or the following information: length, inside diameter, wire size, and wind. If you are ordering a spring with special ends, be sure to let us know. If you are ordering residential springs, let us know if you do not want the cones installed. If you are ordering commercial springs, be sure to add the part number(s) of the cones to your order. If you want any other parts such as winding bars, cables, etc. include their respective part numbers and descriptions.
When you order a torsion spring, it is to your advantage to give us as much information as you can. We will check the information against the spring(s) that you order to make sure that there is not an obvious mistake. This does not, however, relieve you of your duty to ensure that you properly measure your springs.
New Torsion Spring Dimensions
Calculating new torsion spring dimensions tends to be a safer way to go in finding new springs. There are two ways to go about doing this: you can either send us the door manufacturer and model number and have us figure out what springs you need, or you can take some measurements to find your springs yourself.
Obtaining Garage Door Information
Most garage doors have some information about the manufacturer and model number. This information can be difficult to find at times, but it is usually on the bottom section of the door. Sometimes it is located on the inside of the garage door, and sometimes it is located on the side. If it is on the side, it may be difficult to read as the track is usually in the way. You may also be able to find the manufacturer and model number if you have paperwork from when you bought the door.
We also need to know the door dimensions - the height and width. Measure how wide the door is as well as the distance from the garage floor to the top of the top section.
You will also need to measure your track radius. The replacement springs that are needed for a door depend on whether you have 12" or 15" radius tracks.
We will also need to know how many struts are on the door. These are silver metal bars that run across the length of the door. They will be either be about 2-1/4" or 3" off the inside surface of the door. Struts add weight to the door, so we need to know how many are installed on your door.
Once you have this information, contact us with this information. As always, the more information that you can provide, the better. Once you contact us, we may need to ask you a few follow-up questions regarding your door in order to send you the correct springs. We will then give you pricing options and let you decide whether or not you want longer life springs.
Finding the Information Yourself
You can also find some replacement torsion springs for your garage door by making some other measurements. This is primarily based off of the door weight, but there are several other factors that influence what springs you will need.
To begin, read our How to Weigh a Garage Door instructions. You will need an analog scale for this, as digital scales scales tend to be less accurate. Analog scales will change the weight that is displayed if you bounce up and down. Most digital scales will not do this as they are typically made to display a weight that you can still read once you step off the scale. When you shake the door and make sure that none of the rollers are sticking to the track, the effective weight of the door may increase. An analog scale may show this difference, but most digital scales will not.
Next, you will need to determine the track radius. You can see how to determine this by going to our FAQs page. Springs on a door with a 12" track radius will lift less than if the door was on 15" radius tracks, but the springs will last longer with the 12" tracks.
This cable drum says "OMI 8". There is typically a 4 or an 8 on 4-inch diameter cable drums. If the drum says 525, 575 or 800 the diameter is larger.
Check the cable drum diameter. This can be done easily by reading what is written on the cable drums. If you have a cable drum with a diameter greater than 4" or you have a vertical-lift or high-lift garage door, you will need to contact us to calculate the springs you will need. (For more information on vertical-lift and high-lift cable drums, see our How Vertical-Lift and High-Lift Garage Doors Work page.) For more information on cable drum diameters, see our information above.
Using our Find My Spring Database™
1. Your cable drums are not 4" in diameter.
2. You have a high-lift or vertical-lift door.
3. You have a commercial door.
4. Your door is greater than 8' high.
If you cannot use our database, contact us with the information listed above.
After you click on the button for the inside diameter that you want, a huge list of springs will show up. They are sorted in groups by the lift that they have for doors with 12" radius tracks. The lift for 15" radius tracks is slightly higher, and it is shown in another column. Each group is sorted by the number of cycles that the spring should have before it breaks. Scroll down to the range that matches how much each spring on your door needs to lift. If you have one spring, the lift will be your door weight. If you have two springs, the lift will be 1/2 of your door weight.
You will see several springs with lifts that are within 5 lbs of each other. Each of your new torsion springs should be within 5 lbs of the necessary lift based on your door weight so that the door will balance properly.
If you have only one spring on your door, you will also need to determine the wind of the spring.
Longer Life Springs
As you browse through our database, you will see a large list of possibilities. As you scroll down the range of spring lifts the cycle life increases. If you want springs that will last you longer, move down the list and pick a spring with more cycles.
Let's look at an example. Let's say you have a 7' 6" high door with two springs that weighs 136 lbs, and you have 12" radius tracks. Each spring will need to have a lift of 68 lbs (136/2). For 12" radius tracks, the 2" inside diameter (ID), .187 wire size spring that is 17.25" long lifts exactly 68 lbs. It is rated at 13,000 cycles, and each spring costs about $19. If I scroll down the list, I could get 2" ID, .207 wire size, 27" long for about $30. This spring, instead of only having 13,000 cycles, will instead have 42,000 cycles - that's 2.5 times more cycles, and it only costs a little more than 50% more. Even though each of the springs would lift 69.4 lbs instead of 68 lbs, you door will still operate normally as the lift is within 5 lbs for each spring.
What Information to Send Us
If you are sending us your door information, we will need the following information that is listed above:
- Manufacturer & Model Number
- Door height & width
- Track radius
- Number & Size of Struts
If you made your own measurements and found your spring in the database, send us the following information:
- Part Number(s)
- Description (including the wind of the springs)
- Optional: The measurements that you took to determine what torsion springs you need
If you made your own measurements and could not (or did not) use our database, send us the following information:
- Door weight
- Track radius
- Door height & width
- Cable drum diameter
Once you are ready to order, contact us with the appropriate information listed above. The more information you give us, the smaller the chance for mistakes. For more information, see our How to Order page.
