Side-mounted extension springs run above and parallel to the door track, and they’ll have an attached pulley and cable. [2] X Research source The cable, which holds the spring, attaches to hooks in the track hanger assembly. There will be two springs: one above each track on either side of the garage door.
Lighter and smaller doors may only have a single torsion spring, while larger and heavier doors may have two springs, with one located on either side of the central plate.
Be difficult to open or close Open or close too quickly Not close fully or properly Close unevenly and leave a gap.
Decrease the tension if your door isn’t closing fully, is difficult to close, or opens too quickly. Increase the tension if the door is difficult to open or closes too quickly. Adjust the tension on one side (where the gap is) if your door is closing evenly.
The rods or bars should be 18 to 24 inches (45. 7 to 61 cm) in length. Solid steel bars can be purchased at hardware stores. You will need to measure the diameter of the holes in the winding cone (the collar that secures the spring to the metal shaft) to determine what size bar or rod to use. Most cones have a hole diameter of 1/2 inch. Do not attempt to use any sort of tool as a substitute for the winding bars or steel rods. [6] X Research source
Open the door, unplug the opener, and disconnect the door from the opener[7] X Research source by pulling the emergency release cord down and back until the spring locks in the open position. [8] X Research source You will then be able to open the door fully and release the tension on the springs.
You’ll now be able to move the hook to a lower or higher hole to decrease or increase the tension.
To decrease tension and fix a door that isn’t closing fully, is difficult to close, or opens too quickly, hook the spring onto a lower hole on the track hanger. This reduces the length of the spring and the tension on it. [12] X Research source To increase tension and fix a door that is difficult to open or closes too quickly, hook the spring onto a higher hole on the track hanger. This stretches the spring and increases the tension on it. [13] X Research source To adjust tension on one side and correct a door that wasn’t closing evenly, adjust the spring only on the side where the gap was. Decrease the tension on that side by hooking the spring onto a lower hole on the track hanger. [14] X Research source
To decrease tension and fix a door that isn’t closing fully, is difficult to close, or opens too quickly, hook the spring onto a lower hole on the track hanger. This reduces the length of the spring and the tension on it. [12] X Research source To increase tension and fix a door that is difficult to open or closes too quickly, hook the spring onto a higher hole on the track hanger. This stretches the spring and increases the tension on it. [13] X Research source To adjust tension on one side and correct a door that wasn’t closing evenly, adjust the spring only on the side where the gap was. Decrease the tension on that side by hooking the spring onto a lower hole on the track hanger. [14] X Research source
Repeat steps one to five until your door is closing properly and evenly, or until your gap is gone.
Shorten the cable to slightly increase the tension, or lengthen it to slightly decrease the tension. [15] X Research source Your cable may be attached to the track by an S-hook, and if that’s the case, move the hook to a higher hole to increase tension slightly or to a lower hole to decrease tension slightly. [16] X Research source
When you have finished with your adjustments, be sure to remove anything that was securing the door in place, pull on the emergency cord to release the spring and reattach the door to the opener, and plug in your automatic door opener.
The springs will be under tension, which increases the risk of injury. Call a professional if you don’t feel confident dealing with a spring under this much tension. You should have sufficient lighting in the garage to work comfortably. You will need an alternate way out if anything should happen. All your tools need to be inside the garage with you when you begin.
To alter the tension on the spring, you will be adjusting the winding cone by inserting the winding bars into the holes and rotating the cone in one direction or the other.
Check the shaft to see if there are any flattened or depressed areas where the screws are meant to be set. If so, make sure you replace the screws in these same flats when you are finished with your adjustment to ensure they hold more securely. [19] X Research source
To increase tension for a door that’s difficult to open or closes too quickly, wind the cone up[22] X Research source (in the same direction as the garage door cable goes through the pulley). To decrease tension for a door that isn’t closing fully, is difficult to close, or opens too quickly, wind the cone down[23] X Research source (in the opposite direction from how the garage door cable passes through the pulley). [24] X Research source Unless you know exactly how much you need to adjust your door, go through all the steps and test the door. Repeat as necessary, working in 1/4 turns, until you achieve the proper tension.
Continue holding the bar up and over and tap on it with the second bar. Tap it just below the winding cone. Tap it away from the center plate and toward the mark on the shaft. Tap the bar until you have stretched the spring to meet the mark on the shaft.
Make sure you replace the screws into their flats if there were any on the shaft.
Once your adjustments have been made, plug your opener back in if you have an automatic garage door.
