Springs · Toronto
Extension Spring Replacement
The opener groans on the way up and the door slams the last foot on the way down, hard enough to rattle the windows. The motor is the same one it always was; something in the springs has stopped doing its share.
Extension Spring Replacement
In plain words
Garage doors are balanced by one of two spring systems, and the extension kind is the one you find on many single-car doors and older detached garages. Instead of a spring wound on a shaft above the opening, an extension system uses two springs stretched along the horizontal tracks, working through pulleys and cables. It needs less headroom, which is why it suits garages with a low ceiling. Replacing these springs is its own service with its own parts: springs chosen by door weight, pulleys, S-hooks and containment cables. A technician confirms which system is on your door before any part is chosen.
How the visit goesA bang like a dropped toolbox came from the garage last night. This morning one of the long springs beside the track hangs in two pieces, and the door will only rise a few inches before the opener gives up and stops.
Toronto
How the visit goes
Torsion or extension, and which extension layout
The technician confirms the counterbalance type before choosing any part. Extension springs hang beside the horizontal tracks, one each side, with a pulley on the front end of each spring and a second, fixed pulley on the track angle near the door opening; the lift cable runs from the bottom corner over both. A torsion system has a spring on a shaft above the opening and belongs to a different service. Extension systems also vary: single or double springs per side on heavier doors, hangers fixed to the ceiling or to the rear track support, and cables that adjust at an S-hook, a clip or an eyebolt. Each affects the parts brought to the job.
Taking the old springs down
With the door open and clamped, each old spring is nearly slack, and removal is straightforward. The technician unhooks the lift cable from its S-hook or clip at the front, which lets the spring's pulley end drop free, then lifts the rear loop off the hanger. The old containment cable is unclipped from its anchors and pulled out of the coil. On a door with a broken spring, the two halves are gathered and the containment cable, if there was one, is inspected for the marks of having done its job. Everything that comes down is laid out on the floor so the old spring can be measured against its replacement and you can see the wear.
Lubrication that keeps the new set turning
Twice a year, in spring and before winter, a can of garage-door lubricant does most of the maintenance the springs need. Spray a light coat along each extension spring, working from the hanger to the pulley; it slows rust in a damp garage and quiets the coils. Put a drop on each pulley axle and on the bolts through the pulley forks, then on the hinge pins and roller stems. Leave the tracks dry and wipe them clean, since grease there collects grit and stops rollers rolling. Heavy grease and general-purpose oil are avoided on the springs because they hold moisture against the wire. Run the door a few times afterwards to spread the film.
Extension Spring Replacement
In the van
- S-hooks and adjusting clips
- Rear spring hangers and angle iron
- Containment (safety) cables
- Extension springs, matched pair
- Garage-door spray lubricant
What affects the quote
Same fees day, night or weekend
1Converting to torsion instead
Where the garage has the headroom, some owners take the opportunity to move to a torsion system. That is a different job with different hardware and is quoted as its own option.
2Getting the van to the garage
A detached garage down a shared laneway, a rural property or a building with the bay behind a gate takes more time to reach and set up in, and the quote allows for that.
3One spring per side or two
Heavier doors sometimes carry a pair of springs on each side rather than one. Four springs, four containment cables and the extra setting time show as their own lines.
Extension Spring Replacement: questions
How long do extension springs last?
Springs are rated in cycles, one cycle being a full open and close, and a standard set is built for a number in the ten-thousand range. A door used four times a day gets through that in several years; a door used a few times a week takes far longer. An unheated, damp garage shortens the figure through rust. Regular lubrication and a door kept in balance stretch it out.
Why does the opener get adjusted after new springs?
Because the door is now much lighter for the opener to move. Over the years, as the old springs weakened, the opener's force setting may have been turned up to keep the door going, and its travel limits were set against a door that sat differently on the floor. Left alone, that extra force would push the newly balanced door too hard. Resetting force and travel, then repeating the reversal tests, matches the opener to the door it now has.
What if the spring hanger has pulled loose from the ceiling?
It is put right as part of the job. The rear hanger takes the full pull of the spring on every cycle, and lag screws driven into thin plywood, a split joist or drywall work loose over the years, which is often why a door slowly goes out of balance. The technician re-fixes the hanger with fresh lag screws into solid framing, or adds a length of angle iron to reach it, before the new springs are hung.
Springs & Hardware
Extension Spring Replacement near you
Every garage door service we offer in Toronto is described the same way: what you might have noticed, what the technician checks first, how the work is done and what you have afterwards. Start with the symptom you are seeing and the right service will be easy to find.