I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

George wrote:

I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

the Yellow Pages for someone who knows how to do this without getting
disemboweled?
fr

Use the manual disconnect on the electric door opener. See how difficult it
is to open the door manually.
I expect you will find one side of the door starts to lift more easily
then the door cocks over and jams. The tesnsion on the cables on each side
should be even on both sides with door closed.
You can release the spring pressure and trouble shoot the door but you
had better be very careful. You will need several pieces of half inch
diameter steel rods about a foot and a half long to bar the spring hub
around.. ( Some smaller doors use 3/8 bars)
Take a felt marker and draw a line along the spring full length. When
you release the spring the line will be a helix but will tell you just how
much to re-tension when your repairs are complete.
Wind up the spring enough to take up tension then loosen the set screw on
the end of the spring hub. At this point you could break a jaw if the unit
lets go. You have to carefully bar the spring collar around releasing the
pressure slowly.
Now with the door still down set your cables running true and make sure
the set screws of the cable hub are secure. My guess is that one of the
cable hub set screws loosened off and that is why you have uneven tension.
Wind up your spring hub until the felt mark is again a visible
horizontal line. Set the spring hub set screw to the shaft and then try the
door manually. If the spring cannot lift it enough then you need to wind on
more tension.
This is a dangerous operation and you should leave it to the trained
service people if you have any doubt about doing this repair.
Randy


"George" wrote in message
...
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

Have about three or four people actuate the door with you:

Then disconnect the electric garage door opener. Here's where it gets
tricky! Get the same three or four people to help you let the door down.

If it goes down easily, then it was the opener, if not, check the difference
in tension between the springs on both sides. If there is no appearant
spring breakage, look where the cable attaches to the bottom roller bracket
of the garage door as a start. It's only a small pin holding the cable on
there, and also look for the centers of the rollers elongating. (As if
needing bushings)

I hope this helps?

Refinish King
"George" wrote in message
...
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

Use the manual disconnect on the electric door opener. See how difficult it
is to open the door manually.
I expect you will find one side of the door starts to lift more easily
then the door cocks over and jams. The tesnsion on the cables on each side
should be even on both sides with door closed.
You can release the spring pressure and trouble shoot the door but you
had better be very careful. You will need several pieces of half inch
diameter steel rods about a foot and a half long to bar the spring hub
around.. ( Some smaller doors use 3/8 bars)
Take a felt marker and draw a line along the spring full length. When
you release the spring the line will be a helix but will tell you just how
much to re-tension when your repairs are complete.
Wind up the spring enough to take up tension then loosen the set screw on
the end of the spring hub. At this point you could break a jaw if the unit
lets go. You have to carefully bar the spring collar around releasing the
pressure slowly.
Now with the door still down set your cables running true and make sure
the set screws of the cable hub are secure. My guess is that one of the
cable hub set screws loosened off and that is why you have uneven tension.
Wind up your spring hub until the felt mark is again a visible
horizontal line. Set the spring hub set screw to the shaft and then try the
door manually. If the spring cannot lift it enough then you need to wind on
more tension.
This is a dangerous operation and you should leave it to the trained
service people if you have any doubt about doing this repair.
Randy
Randy, he has stretcher springs rather than torsion springs.....
You offer some good info, but he can't use it. (Other than the
fact that the spring tension should be equal on each side and
that the door should be lifted by hand without much straining.)
Ken.




"George" wrote in message
.. .
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

Oops :')
Randy, he has stretcher springs rather than torsion springs.....
You offer some good info, but he can't use it. (Other than the
fact that the spring tension should be equal on each side and
that the door should be lifted by hand without much straining.)
Ken.

In article ,
George wrote:
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,

[ ... ]

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

Hmm ... you've gotten some good advice already, but one thing
which I haven't seen mentioned which I have encountered. There are some
small rollers which are mounted at certain points to guide the door
(which is hinged to bend as it goes up over the curve. On mine (two
separate single-wide doors, not one wide enough to cover everything), I
was having problems with these rollers sliding too far in the brackets
which serve as bearings, so the end clears one of the two flanges, and
the roller tilts. This produces a lot of drag, and makes operation
rather awkward.

The first step, of course, is to take some pliers to grip the
shaft, and guide it back through the second hole, removing the tilt.

Then, once that is done, what *I* have done is to take a 1/16"
split-point drill bit in a hand drill and drill through the shaft just
past the second flange. I then put a cotter pin through it, and bend it
to make sure that it *stays* there -- trying to bend it so the points
won't hook on somebody's clothes (or on somebody).

This worked for me, at least.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

I wish it was the drum type!

Any idea how to compare the tensions on the two sides to see if one is
wildly different than the other?

--George

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 04:42:56 GMT, "Randy Zimmerman"
wrote:

Oops :')
Randy, he has stretcher springs rather than torsion springs.....
You offer some good info, but he can't use it. (Other than the
fact that the spring tension should be equal on each side and
that the door should be lifted by hand without much straining.)
Ken.

Any suggestions on how to compare the tension?

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 22:36:13 -0500, "Refinish King"
wrote:

Have about three or four people actuate the door with you:

Then disconnect the electric garage door opener. Here's where it gets
tricky! Get the same three or four people to help you let the door down.

If it goes down easily, then it was the opener, if not, check the difference
in tension between the springs on both sides. If there is no appearant
spring breakage, look where the cable attaches to the bottom roller bracket
of the garage door as a start. It's only a small pin holding the cable on
there, and also look for the centers of the rollers elongating. (As if
needing bushings)

I hope this helps?

Refinish King
"George" wrote in message
.. .
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

I'll check that too Don. One day, I did do a cursory check and all
the rollers were there and nothing seemed amiss, but I will do a
closer inspection.

On 20 Feb 2004 01:21:06 -0500, (DoN. Nichols)
wrote:

In article ,
George wrote:
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,

[ ... ]

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

Hmm ... you've gotten some good advice already, but one thing
which I haven't seen mentioned which I have encountered. There are some
small rollers which are mounted at certain points to guide the door
(which is hinged to bend as it goes up over the curve. On mine (two
separate single-wide doors, not one wide enough to cover everything), I
was having problems with these rollers sliding too far in the brackets
which serve as bearings, so the end clears one of the two flanges, and
the roller tilts. This produces a lot of drag, and makes operation
rather awkward.

The first step, of course, is to take some pliers to grip the
shaft, and guide it back through the second hole, removing the tilt.

Then, once that is done, what *I* have done is to take a 1/16"
split-point drill bit in a hand drill and drill through the shaft just
past the second flange. I then put a cotter pin through it, and bend it
to make sure that it *stays* there -- trying to bend it so the points
won't hook on somebody's clothes (or on somebody).

This worked for me, at least.

Good Luck,
DoN.

I wish it was the drum type!

Any idea how to compare the tensions on the two sides to see if one is
wildly different than the other?

--George

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 04:42:56 GMT, "Randy Zimmerman"
wrote:

Oops :')
Randy, he has stretcher springs rather than torsion springs.....
You offer some good info, but he can't use it. (Other than the
fact that the spring tension should be equal on each side and
that the door should be lifted by hand without much straining.)
Ken.



George,
Simply disconnect the opener attachment up on the track from the lift
arm on the door.... Now you can lift the door manually. You
*shouldn't* have to strain very much to lift the door... it should be
almost to the point where it feels like it would go up by itself (but
you don't want it too light). If the door is *heavy* you need more
tension on the stretcher springs. You can follow the cable from the
bottom of the door, up and over a pulley at the top, back to the end
of the spring where it goes around another pulley, and then back
toward the door where the end of the cable is attached with an S hook.
It is simple to adjust the springs with the DOOR OPEN and BLOCKED!
Do not try to do it with the door down. Raise the door, place a piece
of 2x4 between the bottom of the door and the header to hold it up,
then shorten the cable at the S hook until both the spring pulleys
are about the same distance back from the door wall. It may take
you a couple of adjustments, but try to get them even. Unblock the
door, test the door weight. If still heavy, then shorten the cables a
little more until the door is okay (WATCH that the pulley on the end
of the spring doesn't get pulled so far forward that it hits anything
or gets too close to the S hook. If the door simply won't lighten up,
then you need new stretcher springs for each side (used to be color
coded with a dab of paint, red, blue, whatever, but you can buy
replacement springs for a 6', 6'6", 7' and other height doors).
NOW, after you have the weight of the door about right, and it should
stay in the raised position all by itself, you need to look at the
rollers and track. Sometimes the joint in the track at the top
corners of the doors, which are bolted together, will have the bolts
come loose, and the track will shift a little bit, or the bolt heads
will hit the rollers on their way past. Make sure everything is
straight and tight, and test the operation of the door by hand. If
one side seems "heavier", then that spring may just be weak, and you
can give it more tension or replace it. Also make sure the track
isn't too close to the side of the door. The brackets that mount the
track to the framing are slotted and can be moved toward and away from
the side of the door... ya need a little room here for the door to
float side to side.
Lastly, run a piece of cable/rope whatever, through the length of the
stretcher springs, securing the back end of the cable to the bracket
the spring attaches to, and secure the front end of the cable closer
to the wall than the S hook is mounted. This is a safety cable which
will keep the stretcher spring from flying around if it breaks
someday. With the cable through the center of the spring, the spring
may break, but will simply slide along the cable and prevent any
damage to people, cars, windows, etc.
Reconnect the opener to the door and give it a shot ---- let me
know how things work out.
Ken.

In article ,
George wrote:

I wish it was the drum type!

Should not be all that terribly expensive to have it retrofitted.

I wonder if your building has shifted, given your paint line, and that
might mean that your track is out of whack, and binding.

As for comparing the tension, start by going inside and pulling. Then
get the door about halfway up, which so far as I recall is the point
where the springs are slackest, and tug on the cables again.

--
Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...vices to live by

George wrote:

I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?
if its a detached garage it would be time to put a single door opening
in it on the side so you can get in there when the door gets stuck so
you can work on it.. alot better then kicking in a panel to get
inside...

In article ,
George wrote:

Any suggestions on how to compare the tension?

If you have a clear line-of-sight between the two cables, tie a cord
between them at the same point on each cable. Tighten the cord enough
that both cables deflect slightly. Give the cord a good tug in the
center and let it snap back into place to eliminate any bias you might
have made when you were tying it. If both cables deflect the same
amount then the tension is even. If one deflects more it has lower
tension.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail.net
http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/Iraq...LIES/britt.gif

Ken, this is great. The first free day I get, I'll give it a shot!

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 11:41:44 GMT, (Ken Sterling) wrote:

George,
Simply disconnect the opener attachment up on the track from the lift
arm on the door.... Now you can lift the door manually. You
*shouldn't* have to strain very much to lift the door... it should be
almost to the point where it feels like it would go up by itself (but
you don't want it too light). If the door is *heavy* you need more
tension on the stretcher springs. You can follow the cable from the
bottom of the door, up and over a pulley at the top, back to the end
of the spring where it goes around another pulley, and then back
toward the door where the end of the cable is attached with an S hook.
It is simple to adjust the springs with the DOOR OPEN and BLOCKED!
Do not try to do it with the door down. Raise the door, place a piece
of 2x4 between the bottom of the door and the header to hold it up,
then shorten the cable at the S hook until both the spring pulleys
are about the same distance back from the door wall. It may take
you a couple of adjustments, but try to get them even. Unblock the
door, test the door weight. If still heavy, then shorten the cables a
little more until the door is okay (WATCH that the pulley on the end
of the spring doesn't get pulled so far forward that it hits anything
or gets too close to the S hook. If the door simply won't lighten up,
then you need new stretcher springs for each side (used to be color
coded with a dab of paint, red, blue, whatever, but you can buy
replacement springs for a 6', 6'6", 7' and other height doors).
NOW, after you have the weight of the door about right, and it should
stay in the raised position all by itself, you need to look at the
rollers and track. Sometimes the joint in the track at the top
corners of the doors, which are bolted together, will have the bolts
come loose, and the track will shift a little bit, or the bolt heads
will hit the rollers on their way past. Make sure everything is
straight and tight, and test the operation of the door by hand. If
one side seems "heavier", then that spring may just be weak, and you
can give it more tension or replace it. Also make sure the track
isn't too close to the side of the door. The brackets that mount the
track to the framing are slotted and can be moved toward and away from
the side of the door... ya need a little room here for the door to
float side to side.
Lastly, run a piece of cable/rope whatever, through the length of the
stretcher springs, securing the back end of the cable to the bracket
the spring attaches to, and secure the front end of the cable closer
to the wall than the S hook is mounted. This is a safety cable which
will keep the stretcher spring from flying around if it breaks
someday. With the cable through the center of the spring, the spring
may break, but will simply slide along the cable and prevent any
damage to people, cars, windows, etc.
Reconnect the opener to the door and give it a shot ---- let me
know how things work out.
Ken.

I suppose shifting is possible. Thanks to you and Ken, I have some
ideas what to look at now.

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 14:19:47 GMT, Ecnerwal
wrote:

In article ,
George wrote:

I wish it was the drum type!

Should not be all that terribly expensive to have it retrofitted.

I wonder if your building has shifted, given your paint line, and that
might mean that your track is out of whack, and binding.

As for comparing the tension, start by going inside and pulling. Then
get the door about halfway up, which so far as I recall is the point
where the springs are slackest, and tug on the cables again.

"B.B." wrote: [how to compare tension in springs]

Good idea! I'm goin' out & check mine. Well, when I get around to it
:-) Bob

George wrote in message . ..
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

If the cables are fraying where they would also stretch it sounds like
your extension springs are stretching out & losing their strength to
open the door evenly. With the door open the springs should only be
stretched about 2". Change all four at the same time to make sure they
will all pull equally.

As for seeing old paint on the left I doubt if the door is shrinking
at the bottom. So either the door wasn't fully closed (may have looked
like it was though) when it was painted or your conrete slab is
sinking or the header is rising.

Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com

I also suggest, as a safety feature, that you run a separate length of
cable through the springs and fasten each end securely (new doors come
with this feature). If your spring breaks, or comes loose the cable
will restrain it.

Dave Young

The cable does have some frayed strands. I don't see any color dabs
on the springs. Any suggestions on what I need? It is a 7' tall 2.5
car wide wood composite door. As mentioned there are four springs -
two on each side.

On 20 Feb 2004 16:24:45 -0800, (Doordoc) wrote:

George wrote in message . ..
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

If the cables are fraying where they would also stretch it sounds like
your extension springs are stretching out & losing their strength to
open the door evenly. With the door open the springs should only be
stretched about 2". Change all four at the same time to make sure they
will all pull equally.

As for seeing old paint on the left I doubt if the door is shrinking
at the bottom. So either the door wasn't fully closed (may have looked
like it was though) when it was painted or your conrete slab is
sinking or the header is rising.

Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com

I'm definitely going to do that. The garage has panelling and there
are big holes from where the springs must have snapped in the past.

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 13:22:44 GMT, Dave Young
wrote:

I also suggest, as a safety feature, that you run a separate length of
cable through the springs and fasten each end securely (new doors come
with this feature). If your spring breaks, or comes loose the cable
will restrain it.

Dave Young

Hey Dave,

Are you the one that made up a portable work surface for working on
garage doors that fit in the back of you pick-up?

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 13:22:44 GMT, Dave Young
wrote:

I also suggest, as a safety feature, that you run a separate length of
cable through the springs and fasten each end securely (new doors come
with this feature). If your spring breaks, or comes loose the cable
will restrain it.

Dave Young

Good. Very cheap insurance....

Dave

George wrote:

I'm definitely going to do that. The garage has panelling and there
are big holes from where the springs must have snapped in the past.

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 13:22:44 GMT, Dave Young
wrote:



I also suggest, as a safety feature, that you run a separate length of
cable through the springs and fasten each end securely (new doors come
with this feature). If your spring breaks, or comes loose the cable
will restrain it.

Dave Young

George wrote in message . ..
The cable does have some frayed strands. I don't see any color dabs
on the springs. Any suggestions on what I need? It is a 7' tall 2.5
car wide wood composite door. As mentioned there are four springs -
two on each side.


When you say it is a composite door do you mean that it is flush (may
be smooth or rough sawn) on both sides or does it have composite
material panels (a row of squares or rectangles across each panel.

What is the actual width of the door? 2.5 car could mean different
things to different people & would make a difference on the weight.

With the above info I could look it up on a chart. If I were to guess
it would be in the 325 to 400 lb range.

Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com

It wasn't me....

Dave

Brian Lawson wrote:

Hey Dave,

Are you the one that made up a portable work surface for working on
garage doors that fit in the back of you pick-up?

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 13:22:44 GMT, Dave Young
wrote:



I also suggest, as a safety feature, that you run a separate length of
cable through the springs and fasten each end securely (new doors come
with this feature). If your spring breaks, or comes loose the cable
will restrain it.

Dave Young

The cable does have some frayed strands. I don't see any color dabs
on the springs. Any suggestions on what I need? It is a 7' tall 2.5
car wide wood composite door. As mentioned there are four springs -
two on each side.

On 20 Feb 2004 16:24:45 -0800, (Doordoc) wrote:

George wrote in message . ..
I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

If the cables are fraying where they would also stretch it sounds like
your extension springs are stretching out & losing their strength to
open the door evenly. With the door open the springs should only be
stretched about 2". Change all four at the same time to make sure they
will all pull equally.

As for seeing old paint on the left I doubt if the door is shrinking
at the bottom. So either the door wasn't fully closed (may have looked
like it was though) when it was painted or your conrete slab is
sinking or the header is rising.

Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com

Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

When the power twinkles or the like around here, I often get false setup
on the Shop door. (normally cars stored in it but I never do that!)

Martin

George wrote:

The cable does have some frayed strands. I don't see any color dabs
on the springs. Any suggestions on what I need? It is a 7' tall 2.5
car wide wood composite door. As mentioned there are four springs -
two on each side.

On 20 Feb 2004 16:24:45 -0800, (Doordoc) wrote:


George wrote in message . ..

I can't get my garage door to open where my tools are at. It is a
wide 2.5 car door and has 2 large long springs on each side. Yes,
this is the old dangerous kind of spring that loves to snap through
boards & people when they break.

When I look at the door from the outside, there is a visible drop on
the left side which I can plainly see due to a change in paint color
from where I painted it a year back vs. newly uncovered old paint that
was previously hidden. Thus, I know one side has definitely dropped.
I look at the railing/guides and everything tooks fine. Did a cable
slip or is one of the old springs giving out? The springs look okay
and the cable is on both pulley wheels. Beyond that, I don't know
what to look for.

If I lift on the door while someone else actuates the electric door
opener, it will then open with a little help.

Any suggestions on what to check?

If the cables are fraying where they would also stretch it sounds like
your extension springs are stretching out & losing their strength to
open the door evenly. With the door open the springs should only be
stretched about 2". Change all four at the same time to make sure they
will all pull equally.

As for seeing old paint on the left I doubt if the door is shrinking
at the bottom. So either the door wasn't fully closed (may have looked
like it was though) when it was painted or your conrete slab is
sinking or the header is rising.

Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com




--
Martin Eastburn, Barbara Eastburn
@ home at Lion's Lair with our computer
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

The panels are smooth. When I accidentally scratched one once, it
looked like it was made of chipboard/particleboard. The door is made
up of articulated rectangular sections. Each section goes straight
across and is solid (no inserts, etc.).

I went out and measured the door - it is 7 foot tall by 16 foot wide
overall and is comprised of four rectangular sections.

--George

On 21 Feb 2004 10:54:06 -0800, (Doordoc) wrote:

George wrote in message . ..
The cable does have some frayed strands. I don't see any color dabs
on the springs. Any suggestions on what I need? It is a 7' tall 2.5
car wide wood composite door. As mentioned there are four springs -
two on each side.


When you say it is a composite door do you mean that it is flush (may
be smooth or rough sawn) on both sides or does it have composite
material panels (a row of squares or rectangles across each panel.

What is the actual width of the door? 2.5 car could mean different
things to different people & would make a difference on the weight.

With the above info I could look it up on a chart. If I were to guess
it would be in the 325 to 400 lb range.

Doordoc
www.DoorsAndOpeners.com

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 22:05:49 GMT, Ken Sterling wrote:
It's a 25 year old house and the garage is attached. Three of the
springs are of unknown vintage but have rust forming on them. One I
took a guess about the weight and replaced about 3 years ago. I'm
pretty sure that at least a few of the springs have been replaced over
the years as there are marks on both sides of the door where the
springs have snapped and smashed through the 1/4" panelling.

I checked the rails and they look good. I ensured the cables are on
the pulleys and the door still raises up the one side faster than the
other and jams. A spring imbalance seem to make the most sense.

--George



Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 22:05:49 GMT, Ken Sterling wrote:
It's a 25 year old house and the garage is attached. Three of the
springs are of unknown vintage but have rust forming on them. One I
took a guess about the weight and replaced about 3 years ago. I'm
pretty sure that at least a few of the springs have been replaced over
the years as there are marks on both sides of the door where the
springs have snapped and smashed through the 1/4" panelling.

I checked the rails and they look good. I ensured the cables are on
the pulleys and the door still raises up the one side faster than the
other and jams. A spring imbalance seem to make the most sense.

--George



Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

Okay, you state that the "door still raises up the one side faster
than the other", which means that the spring tension on that side is
higher.... increase the opposite side's tension until the door raises
up "evenly" (by hand). The opener should not have to strain to lift
the door - that's what the springs are for.
Ken.

Ken, Sterling wrote:

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 22:05:49 GMT, Ken Sterling wrote:
It's a 25 year old house and the garage is attached. Three of the
springs are of unknown vintage but have rust forming on them. One I
took a guess about the weight and replaced about 3 years ago. I'm
pretty sure that at least a few of the springs have been replaced over
the years as there are marks on both sides of the door where the
springs have snapped and smashed through the 1/4" panelling.

I checked the rails and they look good. I ensured the cables are on
the pulleys and the door still raises up the one side faster than the
other and jams. A spring imbalance seem to make the most sense.

--George



Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

Okay, you state that the "door still raises up the one side faster
than the other", which means that the spring tension on that side is
higher.... increase the opposite side's tension until the door raises
up "evenly" (by hand). The opener should not have to strain to lift
the door - that's what the springs are for.
Ken.

Or if the wheels and pulleys are rusted and are seized such that they drag
rather then turn, one side could drag enough to cause a jam. Has the rolling
gear been oiled every year ore at least lately?

I just came in from working on cars, so now's a good time to answer.
My son pushed the button to turn on the door opener & I gave a real
gentle lift on the one side that opens slower. My guess is maybe only
10 - 20 pounds. I'm big so it's hard to gauge, but I'm definitely not
lifting very hard at all. Once the door gets past 6-12 inches , I can
stop lifitng and it will then go up the vast majority of the way on
it's own.

All of the rollers and pulleys have been oiled each year. Next time I
open the door, I'll watch the one side and make 100% sure all pulleys
are turning. That I have not done yet, but definitely will.

--George


On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 10:21:44 -0500, Roy wrote:

I checked the rails and they look good. I ensured the cables are on
the pulleys and the door still raises up the one side faster than the
other and jams. A spring imbalance seem to make the most sense.

--George



Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

Okay, you state that the "door still raises up the one side faster
than the other", which means that the spring tension on that side is
higher.... increase the opposite side's tension until the door raises
up "evenly" (by hand). The opener should not have to strain to lift
the door - that's what the springs are for.
Ken.

Or if the wheels and pulleys are rusted and are seized such that they drag
rather then turn, one side could drag enough to cause a jam. Has the rolling
gear been oiled every year ore at least lately?

A couple of months ago, I put a new opener in my folks garage. A week later
the weather turns cold and my step father tells me it isn't working.

I had exactly the same symptoms you describe.

It turned out, that the rubber weather stripping at the top of the jamb got
stiff in the cold and hung up on the top of the door.

I trimmed the rubber with a razor knife and boosted the lift strength on the
opener and that fixed it.

Paul K. Dickman

George wrote in message ...
I just came in from working on cars, so now's a good time to answer.
My son pushed the button to turn on the door opener & I gave a real
gentle lift on the one side that opens slower. My guess is maybe only
10 - 20 pounds. I'm big so it's hard to gauge, but I'm definitely not
lifting very hard at all. Once the door gets past 6-12 inches , I can
stop lifitng and it will then go up the vast majority of the way on
it's own.

All of the rollers and pulleys have been oiled each year. Next time I
open the door, I'll watch the one side and make 100% sure all pulleys
are turning. That I have not done yet, but definitely will.

--George


On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 10:21:44 -0500, Roy wrote:

I checked the rails and they look good. I ensured the cables are on
the pulleys and the door still raises up the one side faster than the
other and jams. A spring imbalance seem to make the most sense.

--George



Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

Okay, you state that the "door still raises up the one side faster
than the other", which means that the spring tension on that side is
higher.... increase the opposite side's tension until the door raises
up "evenly" (by hand). The opener should not have to strain to lift
the door - that's what the springs are for.
Ken.

Or if the wheels and pulleys are rusted and are seized such that they drag
rather then turn, one side could drag enough to cause a jam. Has the
rolling
gear been oiled every year ore at least lately?

Hmmm... I'll check that Paul, thank you.

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:47:03 -0600, "Paul K. Dickman"
wrote:

A couple of months ago, I put a new opener in my folks garage. A week later
the weather turns cold and my step father tells me it isn't working.

I had exactly the same symptoms you describe.

It turned out, that the rubber weather stripping at the top of the jamb got
stiff in the cold and hung up on the top of the door.

I trimmed the rubber with a razor knife and boosted the lift strength on the
opener and that fixed it.

Paul K. Dickman

George wrote in message ...
I just came in from working on cars, so now's a good time to answer.
My son pushed the button to turn on the door opener & I gave a real
gentle lift on the one side that opens slower. My guess is maybe only
10 - 20 pounds. I'm big so it's hard to gauge, but I'm definitely not
lifting very hard at all. Once the door gets past 6-12 inches , I can
stop lifitng and it will then go up the vast majority of the way on
it's own.

All of the rollers and pulleys have been oiled each year. Next time I
open the door, I'll watch the one side and make 100% sure all pulleys
are turning. That I have not done yet, but definitely will.

--George


On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 10:21:44 -0500, Roy wrote:

I checked the rails and they look good. I ensured the cables are on
the pulleys and the door still raises up the one side faster than the
other and jams. A spring imbalance seem to make the most sense.

--George



Are you sure you need new springs yet?
Ken.

Okay, you state that the "door still raises up the one side faster
than the other", which means that the spring tension on that side is
higher.... increase the opposite side's tension until the door raises
up "evenly" (by hand). The opener should not have to strain to lift
the door - that's what the springs are for.
Ken.

Or if the wheels and pulleys are rusted and are seized such that they drag
rather then turn, one side could drag enough to cause a jam. Has the
rolling
gear been oiled every year ore at least lately?

I just came in from working on cars, so now's a good time to answer.
My son pushed the button to turn on the door opener & I gave a real
gentle lift on the one side that opens slower. My guess is maybe only
10 - 20 pounds. I'm big so it's hard to gauge, but I'm definitely not
lifting very hard at all. Once the door gets past 6-12 inches , I can
stop lifitng and it will then go up the vast majority of the way on
it's own.

All of the rollers and pulleys have been oiled each year. Next time I
open the door, I'll watch the one side and make 100% sure all pulleys
are turning. That I have not done yet, but definitely will.

--George
Okay, George....
I guess, from what you are doing, that you are either not reading the
posts, or you are ignoring the information given to you.... Many
suggestion have been given concerning spring tension adjustments and
checking.... and you come back and say one side of the door is lighter
than the other, but you say you will check the weatherstripping.....
You have not unhooked the opener from the door and checked the weight
or other tips.... so.... I'm done.
Ken.

I was just wanting to get all the suggestions together. I am going to
do them Ken and will report back.

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 03:28:28 GMT, Ken Sterling wrote:

I just came in from working on cars, so now's a good time to answer.
My son pushed the button to turn on the door opener & I gave a real
gentle lift on the one side that opens slower. My guess is maybe only
10 - 20 pounds. I'm big so it's hard to gauge, but I'm definitely not
lifting very hard at all. Once the door gets past 6-12 inches , I can
stop lifitng and it will then go up the vast majority of the way on
it's own.

All of the rollers and pulleys have been oiled each year. Next time I
open the door, I'll watch the one side and make 100% sure all pulleys
are turning. That I have not done yet, but definitely will.

--George
Okay, George....
I guess, from what you are doing, that you are either not reading the
posts, or you are ignoring the information given to you.... Many
suggestion have been given concerning spring tension adjustments and
checking.... and you come back and say one side of the door is lighter
than the other, but you say you will check the weatherstripping.....
You have not unhooked the opener from the door and checked the weight
or other tips.... so.... I'm done.
Ken.

BTW Ken - my goal is to work on the doors this upcoming weekend due to
all the hours I'm putting in at work. I'm just trying to
explain/reinforce that I'm not trying to waste peoples' time.

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 03:28:28 GMT, Ken Sterling wrote:

I just came in from working on cars, so now's a good time to answer.
My son pushed the button to turn on the door opener & I gave a real
gentle lift on the one side that opens slower. My guess is maybe only
10 - 20 pounds. I'm big so it's hard to gauge, but I'm definitely not
lifting very hard at all. Once the door gets past 6-12 inches , I can
stop lifitng and it will then go up the vast majority of the way on
it's own.

All of the rollers and pulleys have been oiled each year. Next time I
open the door, I'll watch the one side and make 100% sure all pulleys
are turning. That I have not done yet, but definitely will.

--George
Okay, George....
I guess, from what you are doing, that you are either not reading the
posts, or you are ignoring the information given to you.... Many
suggestion have been given concerning spring tension adjustments and
checking.... and you come back and say one side of the door is lighter
than the other, but you say you will check the weatherstripping.....
You have not unhooked the opener from the door and checked the weight
or other tips.... so.... I'm done.
Ken.

George wrote in message . ..
The panels are smooth. When I accidentally scratched one once, it
looked like it was made of chipboard/particleboard. The door is made
up of articulated rectangular sections. Each section goes straight
across and is solid (no inserts, etc.).

I went out and measured the door - it is 7 foot tall by 16 foot wide
overall and is comprised of four rectangular sections.

--George


Sorry but the charts don't agree w/ your setup. Most of these doors
have 1/8" masonite on both sides, which according to the chart the
door would weigh
266 lbs. However this would only take 2 springs and not four and your
door must have a heavier type skin. The only way to know for sure is
to weigh the door without the spring tension. Sorry I couldn't give
you a more accurate idea.

Doordoc