How To Measure Garage Door Torsion Springs

[@justinporter2275]

Who would have thunk that such seemingly minor differences in wire diameter can make such a big difference. I found out the hard way. There was green painted on my springs to track the number of winds. I assumed that meant I had green springs. Also, I measured the length of the unbroken spring from end to end. Ordered and installed .243", 2" I.D., 33" long. Scratching my head when the door took off like a rocket, but didn't have enough wind at the top to keep the drum cable from jumping off the drum. Watched your video and measured my springs properly. I need .218, 1.75" I.D., and 29" long based on what was installed. Doh! Thank you for an excellent, concise, informative video!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Justin! Yes, wire size can make a huge difference in getting the right springs for your garage door, and getting that right makes in a huge difference in weather your door will work properly or not. We're glad that you found our video to be helpful! We hope that you were able to get your door opening smoothly again, and not shooting off on you! Blessings!

[@FarshadFavorites]

OH my goodness, Mr. Dan, this is most informative video presented in perfect way. You know your business so well and you are such a excellent presenter. Thank you so much.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Farshad! We always strive to make our videos informative and useful for people trying to fix their doors. Thanks for the kind words! Blessings!

[@MichaelMcCandless]

Why on earth are there so many more down votes than up votes for this video? What gives Google? The video is amazingly well done. He's clearly amazingly experienced and knowledgeable about this topic. He highlights common pitfalls, suggesting measuring/confirming length and width of the coil separately, explaining how to measure all springs including even the less common and older ones, etc.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Michael! That was a jealous competitor that used "Click Farms" in order to boost his videos and to put downvotes on ours. We've written about that at our blog: ddmgaragedoors.com/blog/2016/11/15/click-farms/

[@PatrickMurray_murphsouth]

Way to go Dan! It's obvious that you take your business serious and cover this topic seriously. The video is a bit long, but if you're willing to go through it, you can get the right spring the first time.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Thanks, Pat. Salesmen here used to spend most of their time answering the same questions that we answered in the video. The video eliminated the need for an extra salesman.

[@OllieProphet]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge of garage door balancing. This video was a big help in the repair of my garage door system, which had an improperly tensioned spring, from years of use, which was compounded by a loose wire that came off the drum, and a subsequently jammed door, due to the force imbalance. Now the door operates smoothly, and will stay open even at the midpoint! I would not have felt safe messing with that torsion spring without this knowledge!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Thank you for your kind words. Glad we could help. I can measure springs in a minute and change them in 20 minutes. But the video for measuring took about twice as long to produce. There are more details than I had expected.

[@robertbroadbent3881]

I keep losing this, and re-finding it. Now I have it for keeps. GREAT!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

We're glad you were able to find our video again, Robert! Glad you found it to be helpful enough to find it again!

[@barrytheodosi6020]

Very informative. Extremely well presented and explained. Thanks.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Thank you, Barry! We're glad you found it to be informative!

[@mechpatt]

Extraordinary ability to instruct exactly what needs to be done, an what to look out for! Thanks for your time and effort, some of the best instructional videos I've seen on any topic.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Thanks for the kind words, mechpatt! We're glad that you found this to be helpful in measuring your springs. Blessings!

[@skliros9235]

This guy knows his springs!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

We're glad that you think so, skliros! Thanks for watching!

[@meetmonkey10]

Very detailed and informative. Thank you for sharing. I assume any thumbs down are attributed to people wanting a quicker answer.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Jason! We're glad you found the video well detailed! Those thumbs down are actually predominantly from a jealous competitor who used "click farms" to artificially add thumbs down to a couple of our videos. You can read about those here, if you have any interest: ddmgaragedoors.com/blog/2016/11/15/click-farms/

[@danchang5928]

Success! Measure twice, order once.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Dan! Yes, we always recommend double-checking your work if you are ever unsure. Always a good rule of thumb!

[@marizen2]

Very informative and well done instructional video. Thank you for sharing.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

+marizen2 You're welcome. Thank you.

[@wolfy1]

What if the wire size measure is off 1/16th? I get the same on both sides of 10 coils (2 3/16) but when I measure all 20 it's 1/16 more (4 7/16 rather than 4 3/8). Why? I made sure to pull on the tape measure, made sure the end is square, measured in the middle of the coil, even tried moving the paper pieces over a bit. Always the same, 1/16" more when I measure all 20. I noticed on your website that "compatible" springs can have larger wire. Could you explain how important measurement is then? I want to make sure to get the right ones but also it would be nice to get ones that have more cycles to them because we open/close the garage door quite a bit everyday. Thanks so much for your videos you are a gold mine of information for this type of project.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Wolf House! Measurement helps you figure out the wire size of your current springs, so that you can know what you should ideally replace your broken springs with. If you look at our ddmgaragedoors.com/diy-instructions/how-to-measure-torsion-springs.php page, you will see that the correct measurement for your 4-3/8" measurement is a .218 wire spring. We are guessing that pulling on your tape measure can give you that extra 1/16" measurement. If you want to upgrade these springs, we have a spring calculator that can help you upgrade to a higher wire size to get more cycles out of your springs. Thanks for watching!

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Why so many downvotes?

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi! Those were done by a jealous competitor who used "click farms" to boost his own videos while putting thumbs down on their competitors videos. You can read about that here, if you have any interest: ddmgaragedoors.com/blog/2016/11/15/click-farms/

[@nickpenney441]

this guy is amazing

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Thank you, Nick.

[@michaelhartman160]

Thank you for your awesome videos. I found them after one of my garage door springs broke today and I was wondering if I could tackle the repair myself. My inside diameter is 2" and the wire size is .2187. The broken spring is the "left side" right wind and is 23.25". The "right side" left wind is 30". Should I replace both springs? Since the springs are not equal length, does that change the number of quarter turn winds for each one? Thanks again!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Michael! Yes, we usually recommend that you replace both springs when one breaks. This is because if one is broken, the other is likely to follow shortly thereafter; even if it doesn't, you will have to repeat this process when the other spring goes as well. No, it would not change the number of turns you would put on the springs, because the number of turns is based on the door height, not the spring size. If you do wish to replace both springs, we would also recommend that you go with a matched pair. This ensures that you get the most cycle life out of your springs, as both are likely to go at around the same time, or shortly thereafter.

[@michaelhartman160]

@@DDMGarageDoors Thank you!!!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

@@michaelhartman160 We're always happy to help! Thanks for watching!

[@ppett1]

This is great video. The springs on my 40 year old 18X7 wooden do are weak but intact. Unfortunately, I did not see any markings on the winding cones other than the brand ( Overhead Door Corp and Made in USA) . Is the any other way to find the diameter of the springs without unwinding and removing them. I don't want any downtime.

[@ppett1]

Oops, I jsut found the number 5005 one of the cones. What inner diameter spring do I order ?

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi ppett1! We would recommend that you do unwind the springs and take them off the shaft. There is no real way to know for sure what size the inside diameter is unless you measure it. It does seem, though, that you are seeing "200S", which is what is printed on 2" inside diameter cones for springs, because there is no 5005 that should be printed on a cone.

[@mattpower6399]

Great helpful video Thank you

[@DDMGarageDoors]

You're welcome, Matt. Thank you.

[@yomismosoyelregalo2266]

You assume I have a broken spring which is confusing. I’m trying to move to a high lift door but you don’t cover the case where both springs are still ok.

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi there! Normally, the time to measure your springs comes up when one of them breaks. If both springs are okay, you can either keep them wound, and follow the method shown in the video, or you can unwind them and measure them, making sure to measure the wire from end coil to end coil, and making sure to not measure the cones.

[@Gixxr11]

I need my garage door sealed 100%

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Silva Jr! If you need help with getting your garage door sealed, you should refer to our weatherseals video or our stop molding weatherseals video. These can point you in the right direction of what you need to get your door to seal all the way around it.

[@AnythingSaid]

this is the most informative video I have ever watched!

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Thank you for the kind words, QuartzQueen!

[@fangorn1000]

you are great. thank you for sharing

[@DDMGarageDoors]

You're welcome. Just sharing my experience. I think I've made just about every mistake measuring springs. It can be challenging.

[@ProfessionalDad]

Hello, I have a "Torque Force" spring with the number 99002660 on it. There are no other marks. Any idea what I would need for a new one?

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi ProfessionalDad! Torque Force is the name of the manufacturer of the cones, and isn't the company that makes the springs themselves. Here's a link to the tutorial where we show you how to measure your springs to get the correct wire size, inside diameter, and length for the door that you have. ddmgaragedoors.com/diy-instructions/how-to-measure-torsion-springs.php

[@sandeepmenon9630]

How many Torsion Springs needed for 16'x7' (Double car garage door) Vinyl Door from Wayne Dalton?

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi Sandeep! We usually would recommend that you use a two torsion spring setup for a door of that size. This is because if one spring breaks, the door will not simply come crashing down to the ground and risk injury to anyone near the door. Please refer to our torsion springs page (ddmgaragedoors.com/springs/standard-torsion-springs.php) to get a better idea of what may be required to figure out your door's specifications.

[@horacioh1]

Thanks

[@DDMGarageDoors]

Hi horacio! Thanks for watching!