Jeff Wisnia wrote:
dean wrote:

I was thinking of removing both the curved sections of rail and cutting
them shorted, so that the curve is less than 90 degrees. (I presume its
not all one single piece.)


I presume you are speaking about a garage door with two tension springs.

If so:

I can't see why what you propose won't work if you make your cuts very
carefully and leave enough metal for the tabs at the ends of the curved
sections which join them onto the straight sections. Some new joining
holes may have to be drilled in them, of course.

Since the opener can already handle the force needed to start lifting
the door from the fully closed position, it should have plenty of moxie
to pull the door up the incline you are creating.

Mmm.... the door will hang off the springs if it's not horizontal, so
the slack will have to be taken out of the springs in the up position
to get it up fully. Although I suppose it doesn't have to be up fully,
as long as you can drive in and out when it's up as far as it goes.



I don't think you'll even have to change the settings of the spring
tension. Just measure their stretched length when the door is closed and
get tham back to that length when you are done.

Oh, and if you don't have safety cables running through those expansion
springs PUT SOME IN when you do the work. Those springs can flail around
pretty good when an end eye snaps off. Safety cables are very cheap
insurance against someone getting beaned.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."