Jake wrote:

so these springs apparently break about every 5 to 7 years and one of my 2
springs went sproing over the weekend.

from scouring sears, home depot and lowes, they sell everything I need,
except the torsion springs (they sell the vertical type, not the
horizontal type that runs on the bar across the garage)

from reading a few online sites, it appears many people have written
excellent descriptions and have successfully replaced their own springs
without dying or getting maimed or blinded - a few even have excellent
step-by-step videos, though some of these clearly sell parts online.

what say you ? at issue is why should I pay someone close to 300 for a job
where the parts cost 30 to 65 ?

easing the tension on the spring is no laughing matter but it's no more
dangerous than lifting your car on a jack and replacing a tire.

It's vital that you have a proper set of bars that fit the holes in the
spring flanges and are long enough to provide the leverage you'll need.
You will need to wind them about 7 revolutions.

The place that sells you replacement springs will need to see the old
one(s) since there are several different gauges of wire, the length
of the coil, and right or left-hand wind matters.

I've been through it several times on my door and for neighbors and
I am always relieved to get it over with. Scary job but do-able.