Garage Door Spring Replacement

The spring is the part that actually lifts the door. The opener only guides it. When a spring breaks, the opener is suddenly asked to lift the full weight of the door, which it was never built to do.

How to tell a spring has gone

• A loud bang from the garage, often heard from inside the house.
• A visible gap in the coil above the door — the spring has separated.
• The door lifts a few inches and stops, or feels enormously heavy by hand.
• The opener runs, the door does not move.

Torsion and extension

Torsion springs sit on a shaft above the opening and are the standard on most modern doors. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks on either side and are more common on older installations. They are not interchangeable, and the correct replacement depends on the door’s weight, height and drum size — which is why a spring is measured, not guessed.

Replace one or both

On a two-spring door, springs are installed as a matched pair and age at the same rate. When one breaks, the second is usually close behind. Replacing both at once costs less than paying twice for the same call.