What To Do If Your Torsion Springs Were Replaced Incorrectly

Are your garage torsion springs consistently breaking after only a few years? If so, there is a chance you may not have the right springs installed. The DASMA (Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association) standard for torsion springs requires them to be rated for 10,000 door open and close cycles based on the specific attributes of your garage door. This averages to about 7 years for the average American household opening and closing the door 4 times per day. When a torsion spring breaks, it can be dangerous to anyone in or near the garage.

Step 1. Measure your current springs

Step 1a: Measure out 20 coils on the spring.

Count out 20 coils on your torsion spring and measure them with your tape measure. This measurement determines the wire gauge, which corresponds to the color painted on the spring. Refer to the table below to determine your wire gauge based on the spring color and/or 20 coil measurement.

Step 1b: Measure the overall "coil to coil" spring length.

Measure your spring from wire to wire. Do not include the winding or stationary cones in this measurement. When looking for a replacement, you can safely increase or decrease the length by one inch if necessary.

Step 1c: Measure the inner diameter of the spring.

Use your tape measure to find the inside diameter of your spring. This can be measured on a broken spring. The diameter is usually 1-3/4" or 2" for residential doors and larger for commercial doors. The inner diameter is also typically stamped on the winding cone if you are having issues measuring the spring.

Step 2: Measure the height of your door

Measure from the ground to the top of the door. Residential garage doors are typically 7 feet or 8 feet tall.

Step 3: Weigh the door with a bathroom scale.

Remove power from your garage door opener and disengage the opener arm from the garage door panels. Then unwind the torsion springs so that there is no tension on the garage door. Once you have done this, place a bathroom scale at the center of the door to determine the true weight of the garage door.

Step 4: Measure the drum diameter.

The drums are located on the ends of the torsion shaft. These are the hardware that lift the cables up. The drum size is normally engraved on the side.

Step 5: Measure the track radius.

The track radius is the measurement of the bend in the track. Measure the track radius by measuring the from the top horizontal track to where the vertical track begins to bend.

Step 6: Contact DURA-LIFT Door Hardware.

Once all of these measurements have been completed, please fill out the torsion spring request form so that we can recommend the correct pair of springs for your door.

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