Pitch of the Torsion Spring - DDM Garage Doors Blog

Clients frequently ask us, “Why is one of my garage door springs slinky and the other tight?” Or, “Why is one spring stiff and the other loose?” The answer lies in the pitch of the torsion spring wire.

When a spring coils, the wire normally winds at a 90-degree angle from the spool or rod it is wound around. In the door industry, there are no hard standards for this 90-degree angle. As a result, it varies slightly with every spring providing for a different torsion spring pitch.

In reality, from a theoretical view, no two springs wind exactly the same. One will always have a slightly different torsion spring pitch. The end result is that one torsion spring may be perfectly straight when held by one hand in the middle. At the same time, another spring may form an upside-down “U.” This may appear to be a problem. However, a tight spring always has an identical torque rating to a loose torsion spring.

Should you be concerned? No. The pitch of the spring does not impact its performance.

I hope this helps. If you’re looking to learn more, watch our YouTube video “Garage Door Torsion Springs,” for a helpful overview.

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