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#1
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
One of the side cables on my garage door snapped last night. Single width,
wooden door. Youtube shows at least 3 different methods for replacement. This one is done with the door in the open position. The torsion spring is not released and nothing is taken apart or even loosened. Since my GDO will open the door even with the broken cable, this seems like the easiest method. Having the door open makes accessing the bottom cable attachment very easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzsQuFj5ygU This video shows it being done with the door closed. The torsion spring is adjusted a tiny bit to remove the tension and then the cable hubs are loosened on the shaft to allow the cable to be installed. Getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WpHlhb6ENA This video shows it being done with the door closed and the torsion spring *completely* relaxed before the hubs are loosened and the cable installed. Again, getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. Afterwards, the torsion spring has to be wound back up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJToxdUt560 Can anyone see any reason why I shouldn't use the first method which seems like the quickest and easiest? Why play with the spring and/or loosen the cable hubs if it is not necessary? I know that I might have to adjust the hubs afterwards if the new cables (I'll do both) aren't the same length as the old ones, but isn't it worth giving the first method a try? Thanks for any advice you have to offer. |
#2
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 7:52:07 AM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote:
One of the side cables on my garage door snapped last night. Single width, wooden door. Youtube shows at least 3 different methods for replacement. This one is done with the door in the open position. The torsion spring is not released and nothing is taken apart or even loosened. Since my GDO will open the door even with the broken cable, this seems like the easiest method. Having the door open makes accessing the bottom cable attachment very easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzsQuFj5ygU This video shows it being done with the door closed. The torsion spring is adjusted a tiny bit to remove the tension and then the cable hubs are loosened on the shaft to allow the cable to be installed. Getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WpHlhb6ENA This video shows it being done with the door closed and the torsion spring *completely* relaxed before the hubs are loosened and the cable installed. Again, getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. Afterwards, the torsion spring has to be wound back up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJToxdUt560 Can anyone see any reason why I shouldn't use the first method which seems like the quickest and easiest? Why play with the spring and/or loosen the cable hubs if it is not necessary? I know that I might have to adjust the hubs afterwards if the new cables (I'll do both) aren't the same length as the old ones, but isn't it worth giving the first method a try? Thanks for any advice you have to offer. I would not work on any garage door while the springs were in tension. It is very dangerous. I mean lethally dangerous. If you can do the job with the door open and therefore all tension released from the springs, that is far safer. Just make sure the door cannot roll down and close unexpectedly. m |
#3
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 8:54:44 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 7:52:07 AM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote: One of the side cables on my garage door snapped last night. Single width, wooden door. Youtube shows at least 3 different methods for replacement. This one is done with the door in the open position. The torsion spring is not released and nothing is taken apart or even loosened. Since my GDO will open the door even with the broken cable, this seems like the easiest method. Having the door open makes accessing the bottom cable attachment very easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzsQuFj5ygU This video shows it being done with the door closed. The torsion spring is adjusted a tiny bit to remove the tension and then the cable hubs are loosened on the shaft to allow the cable to be installed. Getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WpHlhb6ENA This video shows it being done with the door closed and the torsion spring *completely* relaxed before the hubs are loosened and the cable installed. Again, getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. Afterwards, the torsion spring has to be wound back up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJToxdUt560 Can anyone see any reason why I shouldn't use the first method which seems like the quickest and easiest? Why play with the spring and/or loosen the cable hubs if it is not necessary? I know that I might have to adjust the hubs afterwards if the new cables (I'll do both) aren't the same length as the old ones, but isn't it worth giving the first method a try? Thanks for any advice you have to offer. I would not work on any garage door while the springs were in tension. It is very dangerous. I mean lethally dangerous. If you can do the job with the door open and therefore all tension released from the springs, that is far safer. Just make sure the door cannot roll down and close unexpectedly. m It sounds like you are saying that the first method is the best. |
#4
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
On Wed, 23 Nov 2016 04:52:02 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03
wrote: One of the side cables on my garage door snapped last night. Single width, wooden door. Youtube shows at least 3 different methods for replacement. This one is done with the door in the open position. The torsion spring is not released and nothing is taken apart or even loosened. Since my GDO will open the door even with the broken cable, this seems like the easiest method. Having the door open makes accessing the bottom cable attachment very easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzsQuFj5ygU This video shows it being done with the door closed. The torsion spring is adjusted a tiny bit to remove the tension and then the cable hubs are loosened on the shaft to allow the cable to be installed. Getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WpHlhb6ENA This video shows it being done with the door closed and the torsion spring *completely* relaxed before the hubs are loosened and the cable installed. Again, getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. Afterwards, the torsion spring has to be wound back up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJToxdUt560 Can anyone see any reason why I shouldn't use the first method which seems like the quickest and easiest? Why play with the spring and/or loosen the cable hubs if it is not necessary? I know that I might have to adjust the hubs afterwards if the new cables (I'll do both) aren't the same length as the old ones, but isn't it worth giving the first method a try? Thanks for any advice you have to offer. My vote is for the first video. The guy IS an expert and has been around for ages. Danny D. used and posted the web site some years ago. http://ddmgaragedoors.com/index.php Danny communicated with him via E-mail and got great support and needed parts. YMMV |
#5
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
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#6
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 3:51:37 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wed, 23 Nov 2016 05:54:39 -0800 (PST), wrote: I would not work on any garage door while the springs were in tension. It is very dangerous. I mean lethally dangerous. Only a complete IDIOT would work on garage door springs, with the springs under tension. Having one of them springs come loose is very similar to having a gun fire. I once saw the results of a broken spring, and a piece of the bracket was embedde in the garage wal If you can do the job with the door open and therefore all tension released from the springs, that is far safer. Just make sure the door cannot roll down and close unexpectedly. Clamp a vicegrips on to the track below one of the rollers. That way it cant roll down. I usually put a vicegrip on both sides of the door, in case one of the rollers was to come loose. A 2x4 propped under the door helps too, but that can easily fall down if the door is moved, so the vicegrips are a lot safer. (Better yet, use both the vicegrips and the 2x4). Wood clamps work well too. I have more wood clamps than vice grips. I used 4 clamps. Belt and suspenders. |
#7
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 2:26:30 PM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 23 Nov 2016 04:52:02 -0800 (PST), DerbyDad03 wrote: One of the side cables on my garage door snapped last night. Single width, wooden door. Youtube shows at least 3 different methods for replacement. This one is done with the door in the open position. The torsion spring is not released and nothing is taken apart or even loosened. Since my GDO will open the door even with the broken cable, this seems like the easiest method. Having the door open makes accessing the bottom cable attachment very easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzsQuFj5ygU This video shows it being done with the door closed. The torsion spring is adjusted a tiny bit to remove the tension and then the cable hubs are loosened on the shaft to allow the cable to be installed. Getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WpHlhb6ENA This video shows it being done with the door closed and the torsion spring *completely* relaxed before the hubs are loosened and the cable installed. Again, getting to the bottom attachment requires the removal/loosening of some parts. Afterwards, the torsion spring has to be wound back up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJToxdUt560 Can anyone see any reason why I shouldn't use the first method which seems like the quickest and easiest? Why play with the spring and/or loosen the cable hubs if it is not necessary? I know that I might have to adjust the hubs afterwards if the new cables (I'll do both) aren't the same length as the old ones, but isn't it worth giving the first method a try? Thanks for any advice you have to offer. My vote is for the first video. The guy IS an expert and has been around for ages. Danny D. used and posted the web site some years ago. http://ddmgaragedoors.com/index.php Danny communicated with him via E-mail and got great support and needed parts. YMMV I used the method in the first video, after verifying with a local garage door firm that that method was safe. I ended up having to change the bottom bracket also. It was an old fashioned bracket that had an enclosed pin for the cable, meaning that the bracket had to come off in order extract the pin. Then the cable had to be attached to the bracket, then the bracket remounted on the door. That meant that the method in the first video couldn't be easily employed with that style bracket. Since the bracket was pretty rusted anyway, I bought a bracket with an exposed pin from the same firm that I bought the cable and got the advice from. The cable is on and the door works, but it still needs to be leveled. The new cable is definitely tighter than the old one on the other side. I'm going to change the other side tomorrow, which may level out the door. If not, the same guy has video on how to level the door. BTW...the guy at the garage door shop was a little surprised that the GDO didn't have any trouble operating the door with only one cable. He said that they usually rack and get jammed in the tracks. Lucky for me that didn't happen. Opening the door allowed me to change the cable without having to unwind the spring. |
#8
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What's The Best (Easiest?) Way To Replace A Garage Door Cable?
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 3:51:37 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wed, 23 Nov 2016 05:54:39 -0800 (PST), wrote: I would not work on any garage door while the springs were in tension. It is very dangerous. I mean lethally dangerous. Only a complete IDIOT would work on garage door springs, with the springs under tension. You do realize how stupid that statement is, don't you? Un-tensioning and tensioning the spring *is* working on the springs. They are both done under tension, basically by definition. |
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