How to Replace a Garage Door Extension Spring

[@aeg100]

Excellent video instructions. I replaced springs about 20 years ago, but don't recall every step. Your video is excellent and reminds me/us of effective techniques that save future problems. Keep up your good work!

[@christopherdekonstrukt444]

I don't even think I have that safety cable on my springs. Good thing I found your video. As soon as I weigh my garage door I'm buying new springs and Dura-Brand rebuild kit.

[@reneewoodside45]

Very helpful video - just successfully changed mine out after one actually broke. Thanks!!

[@zhaney27]

Just replaced both my springs - wouldn't have been so easy without the tips in this video! Great work! Thanks for the help! and thanks for saving me money!!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

That's awesome Zach Haney - great job doing it yourself. Glad the tips helped :D

[@pcsbeat]

Great instructions. Just replaced my springs. Piece of cake, relatively-speaking, with your advice. Thank you!

[@allrock1238]

a note for people with automatic door openers ,, the door "must" smoothly operate in balance and freely by hand and not bind .. manually test first after your repair. then make sure to go through the procedure of adjusting your openers down and up force adjustments and testing the safety sensor beam that reverses the door if its light beam is blocked..

[@mustseevideos7777]

Hi, my door won't open manually even after disengaging the automatic opener. It goes up about an inch and is in the closed position with a broken spring. Any suggestion on how to open it? I checked and cannot find anything blocking the rails on the sides.

[@pablogutierrez1009]

Very thorough, precise and straight to the point. Very helpful. Thank you for the wonderful video.

[@FreedomBound23]

Best instructions out of several videos I watched. Thanks for being professional!

[@justincunningham3458]

Thanks for this DIY video and your corresponding blog (link in the video description) I also added a "quick link" rated for >800lbs. on either end of the spring to make replacement easier next time (or in my case - when I discovered that I bought springs that were too strong for my opener!)

[@brianthomason6475]

Great explanation and video done right. Get's to the point and doesn't have youtube music playing over his voice. Great job! Waiting for Lowes to deliver my springs so I was researching how-to's. I'm saving this video for sure!!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

thank you, hope your project goes smoothly

[@oepmedia9630]

Excellent Video! A garage door company wanted $125 to replace each spring. Each spring cost $18. When I replaced the first one, I thought that it could not be this easy! I replaced four springs (2 doors) - no problem.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

+OEPMedia great job, actually $125 isn't a bad price...could be far worse

[@tbheywood]

I just got a quote for $500 to replace the springs. That's why I'm here instead...

[@mustseevideos7777]

I just got a quote for $500!

[@Tolku]

Quick thank you to you! Replaced spring according to instructions in your video. Springs were under $20 at HD. Much appreciated.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Tolku glad to hear you had success, great job :D

[@misterg4089]

Great simple explanation and to the point and close enough video , we appreciate it !

[@drkdrive]

Best video ever! This helped me over come my initial fear and made my first in home repair job! Thanks!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Glad it helped!

[@stephennagle8318]

This is the best, most succinct and shortest. I wish I had watched this first before I wasted all my time on the others LOL

[@liraco_mx]

I think this just saved me a ton of money (am going to out it to practice cuz one spring snapped). Thanks!

[@sudarshanamurthy2819]

Great! presentation and tutorial. I was able to replace my garage extension spring with the help of this DIY tutorial. Suggest wearing gloves as there will be dealing with grease and rust. Thank you very much for sharing the video presentation!

[@jharris1999]

Thank you for this very clear to see & understand tutorial. It will make this daunting project doable

[@hectormendozayamamoto5499]

Thanks for the vid. The ladder safety tip was a new one for me, but seems obvious now. Also, my garage door did NOT have the safety cable wire. Anyway, it makes me feel good doing it myself. Took 2 hours because I don't do it every day

[@1luvzp]

Thanks for the video. Was a great help in replacing a spring that just broke.

[@yellowjacket2222]

Best one I’ve found on this topic. Great job.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thanks

[@robweaver3727]

Great video very helpful! I do think you should add a note early in the video to warn people not to weigh their door! Many other do it yourself videos for garage spring replacement suggest that you should disengage the pulley and springs and then put your door down and weigh it! If the door is heavy, which many old doors are, it may be very difficult to lift it back up without the help of springs. Just a suggestion to great video.

[@keshavshah9504]

Good instructions and very details. I haven't found pulley bracket which allows safety cable go through. Home Depot sells a regular pulley bracket and no one had any clue to find one on old spring. Thanks, Keshav

[@rednoise0]

Were you ever able to find a pulley with a safety cable bracket? Like you I haven't been able to find one - just plain pulleys with no bracket.

[@l337pwnage]

It's a nice feature, but it's not really needed. In a pinch one could drill two holes in a piece of angle metal, put a grommet in one hole, if you wanna be fancy, and just bolt that on the bracket.

[@kentrose2520]

Just fixed mine a few minutes ago; thanks for the guide!

[@badbn405]

Thank you for sharing this video! I have to change the springs on mine too!

[@darrencooper2337]

Thanks Jeff, saved me $200, great instruction

[@HomeRepairTutor]

That's music to my ears Darren Cooper, great job :D

[@lungilemoloko9365]

Hi just watched your video and its educational thank you. i have a question, i bought sectional garage door that comes with torsion spring and bar, however the headrest is too short meaning the garage is 2510m high. So when we tried to put the torsion spring, we foid out that the garage opener wont have a space to be mouted to. So i was adviced that i must put two tension springs and cut the vertical track. My question is by how much do i need to cut the vertical tracks? Or even if you can share dimensions of the (sectiinal garage door assembly with springs). Thanks, David

[@brendancripps8890]

Excellent step by step tutorial. Thank you!

[@tamikaa4780]

Thank you! I really needed this tutorial! Keep the videos coming. Great work!

[@abdulqadirhussain9321]

Great video for my old garage door. thanks.

[@jiffmiller]

You really should make sure the garage door opens and closes manually WITHOUT the opener before you hook it up. If you don't and have something wrong, you could overwork and damage your opener which would require a lot more videos and $$$$ to replace. Checking it this way also ensures that it works during a power outage.

[@sandydization]

Thanks Jeff. Informative video which helped me with my garage door spring change.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Glad to help Sandeep Desai :D

[@canelaybianca]

Excelente explicación. Aunque no entiendo el inglés hablado, si entiendo los subtítulos. El expositor tiene gran capacidad de enseñanza. Felicitaciones.

[@Padresilverjohn]

nice, complete and simple to understand video. thanks!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thanks John

[@garagedoorrepairco3829]

Nice info. We work with many Garage Door Repair issues in our business.

[@vipgransom]

Very Helpful!!! Where do you recommend buying replacement springs?

[@marionhair1447]

Changed my extension springs and door is approx. 1" from landing on floor. Adjusted down button on opener but will not close all the way. Help Thanks

[@SagarSharma88]

Woow ur video is awesome 👏🏻 👏🏻 ... I have a question : - How can we take spring dimensions ( wire size x Spring OD x Length ) as per weight of Door . Like i know the color as per weight..i am mot able to find spring dimensions chart as per color or weight of door..it will be hreat favour plz if u hv any website link to find this all details ???

[@afnbahrain8686]

Can you combine 2 extension springs for the combined weight of the door? i.e. my door is 210lbs. Can I use a 110lb and 100lb spring connected together and if so, how would I connect them?

[@DIYSalvageGuy]

About to go tackle this now since this makes it look so easy! thanks for the tutorial.

[@belogical3961]

What if only one side is bad? Do I still replace both? The garage door springs are 15 years old but one looks great with no stretched out springs and the other one is extremely streched out, so much, the steal cabling attached to the pulley is extremely slack.

[@moemoes5989]

Wow great video dude. Fully explained in you tutorial. thank you.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thanks, appreciate your kind words

[@coltonholland5470]

Hey partner. I think we should remind folks. That one new spring is going to have more tension than the other so you should replace both. And at the end of the cables you can put clamp-able farrows on them for safety and to keep them from unthreading. God bless

[@mikedixon8741]

Where did the end of the safety cable go? I see where you tied off at the top where it came out of the spring and you tightened with the pliers but I don't know where the other end went.

[@christopherdekonstrukt444]

I have an old door and no factory parts available I have to match up what replacement parts I have before hand so I won't be stuck not being able to use the door while waiting for parts.

[@advorlando9855]

Good video. One of my extension springs broke last night and thank God no one was in the garage. This video will be very helpful in replacing the broken one. For good measure I guess I should replace both as the other is the same age. Is there any lubrication to parts that can extend life to these units?

[@aznnp77]

How important is it that you match up the right weight rating on the spring? As you probably know the weight rating on newer springs are color coded. I have a 7x9 single wooden door. And 7x9 doors apparently go from like 90-130 pounds going by the chart I saw on home depot. But I got the springs replaced on the other garage door sometime in the past, and they put 150 pound springs on it. Unfortunately Lowes only had 140 or 160, so I got the 160. But I think both of the springs are wrong and I probably need a 120 or 130. Is that a big deal if I used a higher rating than necessary? The springs on my other doors seem to have some slack. The one I just installed is so tight that it jiggles even after the garage door has been closed for several minutes.

[@emomuzz5883]

You just saved me at least $200. Megathanx!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thanks Emo, that’s awesome

[@scottfagerstrom8391]

I have replaced the springs. How do I get the door to close with my garage door opener? I have to be outside and grab the door and pull it hard to the left in order for it to come down. It gets stuck on the right side at about 12" from the top of the garage opening and I don't know how to fix it.

[@JB-bp1vk]

One of my springs is green and the other yellow what do I do I weighed the door105 pounds I think yellow is to strong any thoughts.

[@arthurvandermark5397]

The one extension spring left shows one stretched link. Can I open the door for repair on one spring without ruining new gear shaft recently installed. I did try to open door not knowing one spring broke but it stopped 2 ft up. I thing pulley cable got stuck in broken side pulley and triggered sensor. 2nd only have one ladder. C clamps ok by themselves?

[@WhiteNovel773]

This video made me smile. I never heard something explained like that ☺

[@williamchapman2607]

Great vid. I can do this. Going to Lowe's to buy a pair of springs.

[@ryanchoi9305]

thank you for the information, quick question. after replacement springs, the door won't close all the way even change the force down level all the way. there is about 1-1.5inch gap on the bottom. any idea or solution?

[@allrock1238]

Does the Door bind during its closing travel ? or is it trying to forcibly spring back open from the closed position ?

[@rayhara3046]

How do you select the correct spring and how do you adjust the the up and down force so bottom door wont warp. Thanks, Ray

[@richcpz]

Great presentation, with a comforting voice (to go along) brings confidence to the DIY'er. I'll be checking out some other DYI Vid soon. First gotta check out Building Moxie first.

[@robbyramone6920]

Very informative, nice job !

[@syboney1]

Great video!!! How do you go about selecting the correct replacing cable? I have a single door that weights 80 pounds, so that means I should use the 90lbs one from HD. However, the old cable I am replacing has a white end, which corresponds with the 130lbs cable. Better to go by cable closer to the weight or is it OK to go over and get a more powerful cable?

[@slurpeyatari]

Don't use a more powerful cable. I made this mistake and ripped my garage door. Make sure the cables match in weight.

[@JayThomas-b8c]

Hi Jeff, can I apply these same principles if I want to convert my garage door to a high-lift garage door? What extra parts will I need?

[@Phil68th]

Thanks!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@ByTrickzx]

how far from the garage door should the springs be installed

[@yaright8762]

Thanks for the post helped out tremendously

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thanks ya right - glad to hear the video helped you out :D

[@arvitkopliku7232]

I replaced both springs same color and all but my garage door isn’t closing. Any ideas??

[@billmoss8172]

great video ...just curious ....house and springs are very old ...original springs have no paint coding to help determine how to choose the correct new spring size (120# / 130# 140# or 150# or 160#) .... b/c I could not tell I chose by simply comparing size and ended up with 160#. My question is can you choose too large or too hefty of a spring? what's the danger of over doing it? thanks - bill

[@mikedoro6461]

Great question. If you're changing the springs for the first time, it's a good idea to check the weight of the door, no matter what the color code says. You do that by removing the extension springs and allow the door to come down slowly onto a regular bathroom scale placed on the ground, in the middle of the door. Keep in mind that the pulleys are going to get moved while you're doing that, so tie some string to them and thread it through the holes in the metal bracket inside the garage where the extension springs and safety cable terminate (There may be a better way to do that part, but I haven't discovered it yet!). If you can get a helper to hold onto the string while you're closing the door, that's a plus! As for selecting too hefty a spring... It's a bad idea. You're opener will have to work against an unreasonable force to close, and you may have problems with the door stopping mid-closure and not wanting to close. It thinks there is something caught under the door! Conversely, too light a spring is as bad as a worn spring. It's not taking the load off of the opener as the door closes, and puts unwanted load on the openers chain and gear, causing excessive wear and early failure.

[@mikedoro6461]

One additional thought. Keep in mind that older houses that have been painted a few times the weight of the door can easily increase to the next level. All the more reason to check the real weight before changing the springs.

[@CuriousKaviCruiser]

Thank you. Very helpful video.

[@pigeonpallz1733]

Hey at 1:56 did you lose control of your garage door ? When you pulled it I saw it start moving and you werent near enough to stop it . I was wounderin cause I kinda did the same thing lol . Thank you for the video it helped tons ! Your awsome

[@meachy]

Thx, heading to my folks place to fo this now.

[@tomcarlson3913]

Might be a good idea to put a drop of thread lock on the pulley nut threads during reassembly to keep it from coming loose.

[@ronhurd2595]

Great video. Many installation tips given. Thanks.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

+Ronald Hurd glad it helped

[@frankthompson3712]

Excellent Video! Thanks!

[@jamessilverman4887]

I saw a device to adjust tension with a drill. Do you recommend this? Where can I purchase parts for attaching to the springs. My garage door is so old and does not have parts that support installation that looks orderly and safe as your video shows.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

I'm not sure about the tension adjustment...it's best to call in a professional if you're uncertain. These springs are under tremendous tension and can cause serious injury.

[@l337pwnage]

+James IMO, those are more of a pain than they are worth. Plus you are tensioning it while you are in the line of fire. With the standard way, you are changing the setting under slack conditions. Safer, IMO. Hardware store or home improvement store. But you can get stuff from an online garage door place if you want "official garage door parts". I use DDM garage door. I guess it depends on what you need. If you don't know what force it will see or how to determine that, you may have to call a pro.

[@frk040]

Great video - covered everything - Thanks Question: Is it a good idea to replace both springs instead of just the one that is broken? I've noticed that these springs are sometimes sold in pairs.

[@littlewazz]

I would change both since they are almost always under tension when the door is down and age of the springs lose their strength over time. Also I would get a can of garage door lube and lube the rollers that ride in the track.

[@belogical3961]

I have the same issue. One spring looks fine and the other is very stretched out. I think it's best to replace both. But I have two doors with one side being fine and the other is bad. I'm tempted to just buy one pack of springs and just replace the bad side.

[@nareshshah2094]

My garag door is closed and one spring is broke. I relase and unlock the garage door opener but I can not open door by manually. Please tell me how can I open door so I can install spring. Thanks,

[@xiron55]

similar thing happened to me. check if your pulley is jammed in the track, preventing you from opening.

[@seanfaulk2405]

Where do I buy new springs and a safety cable??

[@windowreplacementagencywis5122]

Thank you for this nice video.

[@chokumYnai]

thank you for the information

[@esonnoricco]

Thanks! It helped me today.

[@user-iv9qw5my6q]

how do you attached the spring to "eye bolt"? You skipped this step. In 6:05, you just jumped to where the spring is attached already. The end of the spring is very tight so it is not easy to secure "eye bolt" to it. I tried to use a flat head screwdriver to pry it open but it won't budge

[@j29maniac]

Eddie Chew I would like to have seen that too. I hate it when people leave out an important step in these how-to videos.

[@maxxandme2ryan14]

You left out very important info

[@nmssis]

Thank you for this. Although my garage walls were right against the rail so it was tricky but got it done.

[@SJRogers0786]

What size are those C clamps?

[@DavidEHeino]

I replaced a set of springs yesterday. The door goes up really easy but when it gets about a foot off the ground it is really tough to bring it down. The garage door opener then kicks back in and the door goes up. I can't figure out what I've done wrong. The original spring was really rusty and had no color on it, and someone had replace the other spring and that had a gold or yellow end on it. This is only a 8'x7' door. I'm not sure how to correct this issue.

[@DarrenR84]

I just had the same issue. The right spring broke and I replaced it. This being the first time I ever had to do it and I'm a novice at home repairs. I wanted to make sure it would work before replacing the left one too. Anyways, I manually put the door down and it stopped about 6 inches from the ground. I pulled the door up a bit and then back down. After a few times, the new spring gave way and let the door shut completely. I guess it needed to be stretched a few times. I used the garage door opener afterwards and it was fine back and forth. Just a thought from my experience, good luck.

[@DavidEHeino]

Yes thank you. I did have the wrong springs. Put on a 90 lb and the door worked great.

[@Bourbonlvr1792]

+Moon Pie 3 different people at Home Depot didn't know so I talked to a door guy I know and he told me which ones to buy.

[@l337pwnage]

+Moon they actually go all the way down to 10 pounds. www.dasma.com/PDF/Publications/TechDataSheets/CommercialResidential/TDS171.pdf I know this because I recently had to work on a 50# door and that was a tough spring to find.

[@dg1234ify]

Tot, taught or taut? How tight?

[@m3rdpwr]

If the old springs are not color coded, what is the best way to figure out the strength of the spring to replace.? thanks

[@HomeRepairTutor]

take a look at the door and see if there are any measurements and then call the manufacture. If the door is older then take the old spring to the store and see what they think. But be careful as these springs are very dangerous if installed incorrectly.

[@l337pwnage]

+Mario You need to weigh the door, which I recommend anyway. A bathroom scale works fine for this, but you may need wood scraps so the door puts pressure only on the foot pads. You'll need a friend or two, depending on the weight of the door so you can safely lower the door with no springs on it. If it's a 150 pound door, you need two 150 pound springs. (Each spring holds 1/2 the weight, but the pulley puts 2X that tension on the spring) Make sure you have an idea of the weight of the door before you do this. If you have some fancy 500 pound door and you don't have the ability to lower it with some rigging, then don't try this. Like Home Repair Tutor says, the manufacture can also tell you, _if_ the sticker is still on the door and readable.

[@allenhaynes2563]

Great video

[@thetango8017]

What about making sure you have the correct length spring - these springs come in several different depending on the door. One length does NOT fit all doors.

[@Ocean8881]

I would like to install extension springs with safety cables but I do not spot any brackets to attach the safety cables. there is only one hole in the bracket that holds the eyebolt. What is the alternative? do I have to install a hanger or bracket on the ceiling? hope to hear from you soon .. thanks.

[@FreedomBound23]

Same issue. Hope we get a reply.

[@l337pwnage]

You could use cable clamps to terminate the cable. That would let you go through one hole, or around a beam or bracket. Just remember, "never saddle a dead horse". ;) i.e. the U-bolt goes over the "dead" end of the cable, and the "saddle" goes on the "live" part of the cable(the part going through the spring). Or, just drill a second hole. You only need two holes to do the proper "knot". Here is a picture of one type of knot: www.holmesgaragedoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Ideal-Extension-Spring-Install-Supplemental.pdf

[@unti419]

Great video. I recently had a spring break and have ordered all new rollers and springs. This helps a lot. Two questions I have: How do you adjust the final spring tension using the lifter cables? And will long term unplugging the drive opener affect the remote opener units and their codes? Thanks.

[@lduranceau8046]

Here's my problem with your video. It starts at 6:42. You show us earlier the old extension spring and the new one side by side (5:29), and we see that the new spring is SHORTER than the old spring. When you reconnect the pulley wheel to the new spring at 6:42, how do you do it so easily? If the new spring is SHORTER than the old one, how does the pulley wheel reach the red end of the new spring without any problem? When I did it, I was at least 6" short, and could not finish the job. To go one step further, at 3:13 you place some blue tape with a marker, but later this tape is never mentioned again. Why not? Thanking you for the help in advance.

[@terrythomas790]

Just last night,1:30am ,I'm sitting at the computer nice and quiet, and ,"BOOM". I jumped thinking "What the f...! was that"? The floor shook also. As I m thinking what happened I realized I better check the garage door, because years ago I heard one break. and Its loud!! Sure enough. one of the springs broke. Make sure you always put the safety cable through the springs! If not, you will have a loose missile in the garage when it breaks! There's a lot of tension as they just sit up there when your door is closed. Just try too pull a new one apart by hand when you get one to see just how much there is! You dont want to be near on if it breaks.

[@Tworth23]

Hello. How old was the old springs you replaced?

[@HomeRepairTutor]

I'm not sure Tworth23 but I'd guess about 14 years old.

[@elihertz2007]

Awesome tutorial. Thanks for doing it.

[@rickwhitebeinz]

Great video Jeff Patterson. I have one question: What if the color code on my broken extension spring appears to be gray (grey)? That color is not listed in the color code list for Garage Door weight and spring requirements. I'm baffled! If I guess that it's a light green, then my door weighs 130 lbs. If I guess that it's white, then my door weighs 110 lbs. Yellow is 120 lbs. No grey exists. If I guess wrong, then I'm risking the safety of the garage door and my family's well being every time I open the door. Any recommendations? Just to repeat, it is *definitely* grey (gray) colored paint on the end of those springs. No doubts!

[@kenmcenany4990]

I read somewhere that you can use a bathroom scale and a length of 2x4 lumber to weigh the door.

[@johnd7904]

I almost switched this vlog off when I saw that large mouth in the beginning. The camera was too close. I stayed with it and it is a good video.

[@dwight00001]

Great vid

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thank you

[@xiron55]

you skipped over the "replace the frayed cable" very quickly. that's where I'm stuck. do you have another video of that part?

[@HomeRepairTutor]

I don't have another video on that part but is there a specific problem you're having? The S hook can be a real pain.

[@xiron55]

Jeff Patterson because of low visibility (my track rail is almost right against the side wall) I couldn't see how the cable detaches/attaches to to door bottom. took a picture with my cell phone, and saw it's just looped around something on the door bottom. problem solved. the "s" hook wasn't bad. fortunately, I have the good spring side to look at to model everything. in my case, the cables that came with the spring set were too short, so I had to make another trip to the store to buy the longer ones. I like your tip about the duct tape wrapping the cable end. those little steel wires that make up the cable are mean! it took me longer than it should have, but I've got one side (the broken spring side) done. now to repeat the process on the "good" side.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Great job Howard Stern - it's always nice to have two sides to something. I compare stuff all the time. Yah, steel braided cables can be wicked. I've cut my hands many times on them

[@spkendrick]

Do you use Paul Michelle hair products?

[@Bobaganusche72]

My spring snapped, and neither of them are painted on the ends.

[@jeffreyholloway7490]

Does anyone have a door that has dual springs on both sides? If so is the process that same as the single spring?

[@diygaragedoorparts]

Jeff your videos are great, if it helps out we ship out garage door springs and all door parts on our store the same day. Let me know if I can help you out with any of your projects, I would be glad to donate the parts.