# Adjusting old garage door springs



## perpetual98 (Nov 2, 2007)

Your best bet is to have a pro come look at them. There's a lot of bound energy in those springs. It's one of the short list of things that I won't touch at home, but I have the coiled spring on the wall opposed to the springs that stretch on the horizontal. Not sure which ones you have.


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## Jiffycake (Jan 21, 2008)

Its not hard to figure out. Check the pair of pulleys on each side. The cable may have came off these. Also check to see if the safety cable "knot" has undone. Remember to do this when the garage door is OPEN. When the door is closed there is a lot of tension in the system. There should still be a good amount of tension when the door is open but not nearly as much when closed. Adjust the safety cable knot accordingly.


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## handyman78 (Dec 29, 2007)

Since you have already changed them I know you are familiar with the safety involved and how they are installed.
If you are speaking of a sectional overhead garage door (4 or 5 panels) these should be able to be lifted by hand using the spring power with mild effort. Check for binding in the door's movement, lubricate the wheels, generally make sure it is not that the door is sticking.
Those springs are adjusted by the length of the cable as long as the correct weight springs are used. How large is the door 7x8, 7x9, 7x16? 
8 or 9' doors have one spring on each side, 16' have two on each side. 

Moving the cable one hole isn't much of a change. As long as the spring isn't fully extended and hitting the pulley when the door is closed you may still have room to have it stretched further. Make sure the springs are stretched evenly though. Lastly, your door could have absorbed an exceptional amount of water making it very difficult to raise. I just replaced an original waterlogged door in my home with a high efficiency steel and foam sandwich type. Major difference in weight. 

As perpetual mentioned, the spring on the wall is a torsion spring- you do not have this- they work on the twisting of the spring tension around a pipe, not the stretching you have described.

Also, the best tool I found for holding the door in the upright position while adjusting the spring is a ViseGrip plier clamped on the flat of the track.


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## skeeter_ca (Jan 14, 2008)

No, no, no..........This is a solid one piece large wooden door. I know it is an antique but i like it as it cannot be damaged as easily as the section metal doors. It has two long springs on each side and is 7'x16'. i'll try to post a pic of the lever mechanism but right now i can't seem to get photo bucket to upload my image. I have looked the world wide web over and cannot find any reference to these old doors.


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## skeeter_ca (Jan 14, 2008)

Here's a pics. Hope it shows up.

IMG]http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h221/skeeter_ca/DCP_1894.jpg[/IMG]


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## skeeter_ca (Jan 14, 2008)

Here, let me try again.


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## handyman78 (Dec 29, 2007)

So, you have a cantilevered door with 2 springs on each side. You have moved the spring in the wrong direction- go further out on the end of the bar, not closer. If you get to the end of the bar and still do not have success, - you may have to get a higher tension (capacity) spring for the purpose.


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## skeeter_ca (Jan 14, 2008)

Thanks, i'll try that. I thought that might help with the force when the door is lower but it looks to me it would be less force to hold the door open. I'll try it though and post back.


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## handyman78 (Dec 29, 2007)

skeeter_ca said:


> Thanks, i'll try that. I thought that might help with the force when the door is lower but it looks to me it would be less force to hold the door open. I'll try it though and post back.


Hard to tell by the picture but you also might want to try and shorten the length at the bottom bracket if you can. Having slight tension on the spring when the door is fully open is fine to keep it there.


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