Are You a Torsion Spring Expert?

Guide to Standard Garage Door Torsion Springs

• Standard residential torsion springs come in 1 3/4", 2", and 2 1/4" inside diameters and are found on a shaft above the center of the garage door.

• A standard torsion spring has a stationary cone and a winding cone, which are used when installing, adjusting, and uninstalling the springs.

• The coils of the spring are wound up to create torque, which is then applied to the shaft that goes through the torsion spring.

• The ends of the shaft are held up by the end bearing plates, and the cable drums rest against the race of the bearings.

• The cable wraps around the cable drum and goes down to the bottom of the garage door, securing to the bottom bracket to hold the weight of the garage door.

• A properly operating garage door with the right springs should not seem to weigh nearly as much as the garage door itself.

• Standard lift garage doors are almost universally used in residential garages and are in the majority in commercial and industrial settings.

• If you have two torsion springs on your door, you should replace both of them to save time and money on shipping costs.

• If you have a larger wire size on a single-spring door, it can cause serious problems in the future, including cables breaking or peeling off the drums and steel sections getting damaged.

• The cycle life of a torsion spring refers to the rating regarding how many cycles (the door opening and closing is one cycle) the spring should make before it breaks.

• We supply black electrophoresis-coated, oil-tempered torsion springs and don't recommend galvanized springs because they tend to lose more of their tension over time.

• High-lift and vertical-lift garage door systems require higher ceilings and different spring specifications.

• You can determine the proper torsion spring measurements for your garage door by measuring your existing springs, weighing your door with an analog scale, or determining the manufacturer and model number.Garage Door Springs: Information and Database

• Many manufacturers and installers are using garage door springs with cycle lives below the industry standard of 10,000 cycles.

• Changing your garage door height to 6' 6" may require a higher cycle life upgrade for the springs.

• The database includes prices, lifts, and cycles for garage door torsion springs with 1 3/4," 2" and 2 1/4" inside diameters.

• Raynor springs often measure to be 2 1/8" or 2 3/16" but should be ordered as 2 1/4".

• All residential torsion springs provided are wound with 1/2" rods, usually 18 inches.

• Cables and end bearing plates rarely need to be replaced, but should be checked for frays and rust.

• Center bearings may only need a drop or two of oil and rarely need to be replaced.

• The database includes over 6,000 residential garage door torsion springs and can be searched in six ways.

• A winding bar special is available for orders of standard torsion springs in the database.

• Same-day shipping is available for most orders placed by noon central time.

• Tutorials on measuring and replacing torsion springs are available on the website.

• Due to COVID-related interruptions in supply chains, it is recommended to reuse old cones instead of buying new ones to save costs.