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  1. #1
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    Garage door repair? Anyone know anything?

    Just bought a new house. Well, it’s 15years old, but new to us.

    On DAY ONE the garage door stopped working.

    Looks like the tensioned spring broke and now it only goes up a foot and stops. It works if I support it and help lift from below as the motor does its thing.

    Is this a DIY project? Could I just pop the broken segment off and then scoot that collar over against the longer, remaining piece? Are those coils pre-tensioned with a special tool? Do I need to call a repair man (not my style)?

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    I've worked on a few garage doors and learned a coupla lessons.

    1. A simple job for the repair guy can be a severe pain in the ass for you.
    2. May be cheaper than you think, for a part and an hour of his/her time.
    3. Rewinding that spring can be tricky. Watching a pro do it seems too simple until it unwinds on you.

    I think you need a new spring there anyway. Using the long piece likely will not get you there.
    I've made this fix on a smaller, lighter door and even then it was somewhat tenuous...
    Good luck.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    3,580
    It is certainly a DIY repair. Look on youtube for videos on how to do it. I think I’d replace the spring, though, instead of trying to hack something together.

  4. #4
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    I hired a guy to do this once and watched him do it and was shocked at how easy it was.

    After that I always do it myself in about 10 minutes. Buy a new spring assy and a pair of winding rods on amazon.

    Then GOOGLE on YouTube "how to install new garage spring". Calculate how many turns your door needs for the spring. Its based on width and height of door (assumes the weight) before you start.

    Ignore the "safety warning - only install by a professional" unless you are a total retard.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    your vacation
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    you tube makes everyone think they are a pro

    I usually utube how to sit at a desk and work like a chimp
    videos of guys posting on tgr come up all the time

  6. #6
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    Is that a single stall garage door or double?
    If double...you should have two springs.

    That'll cost me about $150 or less to get them both replaced by a professional. I'll pay that every time.

  7. #7
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    I didn't know you could take a piece of 1/2" steel rod 18" long (cost of materials <$1) and sell it on Amazon to wannabe DIY types for $10 a piece, or $14 for 2 when you market it as a "winding rod" for garage door repair.

    think there should also be a cable on the sides that winds round the drum in addition to another spring.

  8. #8
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    Mar 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by dunfree View Post
    I didn't know you could take a piece of 1/2" steel rod 18" long (cost of materials <$1) and sell it on Amazon to wannabe DIY types for $10 a piece, or $14 for 2 when you market it as a "winding rod" for garage door repair.

    think there should also be a cable on the sides that winds round the drum in addition to another spring.

    Indeed you can! I got mine for $8 and the person who fulfilled it sent me a case of them bundled together rather than just the one pair in a box! I gave away to friends for free. I still have a few left...stop on by and I will give you one...although like making your own....its probably just easier and cheaper to buy a pair on Amazon like I did unless you happen to have the uncut steel rod laying around your garage already.

  9. #9
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    This is something I'll have a pro do *every* time.

    Fortunately it doesn't happen very often... IME.

  10. #10
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    Mar 2011
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    Just did this exact thing last month. Called the overhead door company. Guy came and put a little temporary clamp on the broken spring and it worked fine for a few weeks while they ordered the part. Came back and replaced the spring, total cost was under $200. They also did a “tune up” on all the moving parts, adjusted the chain tension and lubed everything up. Well worth the 2 bills

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    17,706
    Cheap ass Chinese spring, probably. Have them replace it with an American spring.
    "timberridge is terminally vapid" -- a fortune cookie in Yueyang

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by dunfree View Post
    I didn't know you could take a piece of 1/2" steel rod 18" long (cost of materials <$1) and sell it on Amazon to wannabe DIY types for $10 a piece, or $14 for 2 when you market it as a "winding rod" for garage door repair.

    think there should also be a cable on the sides that winds round the drum in addition to another spring.
    you haven't purchased steel in a couple of years i see...go to a metal fab shop and ask about the price 1/2" cold rolled. but yea buying it from amazon is teh dumbz

    if you're not an idiot, it's an easy job. and now it's cheap, about $200 now, 15 years ago they stroked us $650, no one would sell springs to the public then. if things went bad, they went really bad while tensioning

  13. #13
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    Sep 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by skaredshtles View Post
    This is something I'll have a pro do *every* time.

    Fortunately it doesn't happen very often... IME.
    This
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by k2skier112 View Post
    you haven't purchased steel in a couple of years i see
    that was 1/2" hot rolled priced today

    it's weird to me the premium people will pay for commodity shit on amazon for "convenience" when it's for a DIY task. I guess it's all about the difficulty of discover in the 2019 internet thanks to google/facebook breaking the fucking thing.

    it's imo not that expensive to have a pro do it, and while I don't know how many injurys occur doing it, my grandpa knew someone who died DIYing a fix, so by family tradition I don't touch the fucking thing.
    Last edited by dunfree ; 10-11-2019 at 10:27 AM.

  15. #15
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    Couple of long 1/2" ratchet extensions worked for me.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by skaredshtles View Post
    This is something I'll have a pro do *every* time.
    Yep.

    definitely on my short list of stuff not to fuck with.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  17. #17
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    Oct 2017
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    Quote Originally Posted by skaredshtles View Post
    This is something I'll have a pro do *every* time.
    I was an ironworker for a little company. They had multiple guys get mangled up by door springs. Nothing that I'm interested in doing.

  18. #18
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    Sep 2011
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    We have an SOP at the fire hall thanks to someone taking on this project as a diy.... and a ff destroying his hand trying to assist in his removal and return to the ground. It’s one of those things where you may find it worthwhile to hire an expert. We had a door guy come by the hall for some training- after we had a few hours of looking at doors and how to take out the tension etc I asked him what he charges for a call out - I can’t remember the exact number but it was one of those times I remember thinking to myself - that right there is a good deal.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by LHutz Esq View Post
    We have an SOP at the fire hall thanks to someone taking on this project as a diy.... and a ff destroying his hand trying to assist in his removal and return to the ground. It’s one of those things where you may find it worthwhile to hire an expert. We had a door guy come by the hall for some training- after we had a few hours of looking at doors and how to take out the tension etc I asked him what he charges for a call out - I can’t remember the exact number but it was one of those times I remember thinking to myself - that right there is a good deal.
    The door guy I had come out to replace my broken spring was missing three fingers on one hand.

    He said it mostly sucked but was really good for generating business.
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  20. #20
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    Aug 2010
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    I grew up in the door business. Unless your handy and the utube vids are good I wouldn't recommend it as a DIY. You'll also need to know how many turns to put on the spring. Use chalk to strike a line across the spring and count the turns when winding.

    I almost started my own business just changing springs. It's the most lucrative part of the garage door business.

  21. #21
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    Oct 2002
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    Garage door repair? Anyone know anything?

    It’s one of those things where if you’re asking the question it’s probably worth having somebody do it for you. If you’re hearing all that and still think you’ve got this, no problem, and you’ve made it this far without Darwin weeding you out, then you’re probably fine, too. Just keep in mind that these can be nasty and dangerous.
    focus.

  22. #22
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    Dec 2005
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    I just had mine done last Monday; $200 for two springs installed. Easy enough to do, but cheap enough to let a pro do it. Make sure you don't get galvanized springs; they're brittle, and you'll have to replace them again relatively soon.

  23. #23
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    I’m sure Somejongguy knows absolutely nothing about garage doors, but that won’t stop him from telling you all about them in 3,2,1....


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

  24. #24
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    Oct 2003
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    Quote Originally Posted by El Kanone View Post
    I’m sure Somejongguy knows absolutely nothing about garage doors, but that won’t stop him from telling you all about them in 3,2,1....


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    Don't you have some ignorant, demonstrably false bullshit to be spreading about global warming somewhere?

  25. #25
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    3,580
    OK, I’ll revise my statement to say, it is certainly possible for SOME guys to DIY it. I’ve done it, but I’ve also changed the head gasket on a car.

    Other pussies who value their digits should probably pay the repair man.

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