How to Replace Garage Door Extension Springs

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By skyedanzer
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (3 Ratings)

Heading out to work and when lifting your garage door you hear this loud snapping sound almost like a gun went off. There is resistance on the right side and the spring is dangling. Replacing garage door extension springs can be tricky.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Safety goggles
Screw drivers
Work gloves
Vice grips

Step 1

Put your safety goggles and a pair of gloves on. It is important to realize that these springs have a bit of tension on them even when at rest; you have to be careful when working with them.
Step 2

Replace both springs even if the other one is working fine, they age and work the same amount and when 1 breaks the other will not be far behind.
Step 3

Raise your garage door all the way to the top. Clamp 2 pair of vice grips in the track behind the wheels on either side of the roller track.
Step 4

Unhook each spring. Be careful when unhooking the one that is not broken as there will be a little tension on it. Pull up on the top or down on the bottom of the spring to allow it to release from the eye loop.
Step 5

Contact a local overhead door company to see if they stock your type of spring, they may have to order on in for you. Once you have your springs off your best bet is to use a local door company.
Step 6

Install the new springs by inserting the hook into the bottom eye-hole. Pull up on the spring until you can set the top loop into the top eye-hole.