I'm from California, I called for a service repair and the guy gave me an estimate of 600$ hundred dollars. So I said no thank you, and decided to fix it myself. I'm 4 month pregnant and I rather to spend 600$ hundred on my baby. Thanks to your video I did it and can't believe I just did that. Thank you very much Sir for sharing what you know.
I'm in Central Idaho where there are no shops within 180 miles. I lost a cable last week and there is no directions on which way the cable winds on the hub. After watching your video I have the new cables installed. I have issues with the cable going slack when I raise the door like the spring is not tight
You know I am a 21yr garage door vet. I subscribed not for the knowledge, but because you do a great job on your videos. Good info but most importantly promoting safety, well done. One thing I would add, is when you open your door look and make sure both cables are tight.
Yes- a loose cable when the door is in the opened position is going to eventually cause an issue, or may become tangled. Aside from tightening the drum on one side, sometimes the door itself is askew from the track. This is usually a result of the back hangers being installed slightly out of square from the vertical track.
I tried to redo my cable a couple weeks ago and left the vice grip on when I put the new cable on 🤦 I'll be ordering two new cables to install. My only question is can I put new cables just as shown in this video (garage door down and only winding on first groove)? I've seen other that show garage door in up position stating to wind the whole drum with the cable...
Your instruction and letting us know why you should or shouldn't do something is fantastic. Your to the point informative ,clear and concise and give great advise for the continued maintenence of the garage door .
Worked, I think I got mine fixed! Thanks so much. You'd be surprised how many wrong ways I tried, before I went to TH-cam and found you. Thanks so much!
I just wanted to add if you have the door open it releases all the tension in the spring, it makes it a little bit more difficult to work on the door but alot safer. I appreciate this video, mostly all the others where not helpful this was clear to the point an told what needed to be done thanks!
Nice video. I use lithium wheel bearing grease on the new cables, light coating will extend the life of the cables, silicone spray on the torsion springs will keep them quiet.
My trade is millwright since 35 years. I instaled my new garage door recently. Leveled everything with my laser level. One simple problem with it. The two cables have the same tension on both side when the door is close but at 3/4 open, they are well seated on the pulleys. The left cable is getting loose and the right one is very tight. It takes all the load. Took my caliper and measured the pulleys. The right one is 0.015'' shorter than the left. Since the pulley is grooved on it's width to make the cable running, couldn't put shim stock over it to make it bigger. Decided to put some electrical tape layer instead until equal tension on both side and voilà ! When tape will be worn, I will just put new one. No more problem. Different mold for casting and it doesn't take much difference on circonference to cause that problem. Call the manufacturer door installer. Told me 1 out of 3 doors have that same problem and they never found any solution. Told the guy mine and was very happy to ear it.
I don't think so ! When you talk to a man, an aged one for about 20 min, a very nice man asking questions and you can feel the appreciation in is voice and attitude and if it's so... hope he has learned something that day ! Happy new year from Montréal, Québec !
@@MegaJohnnyrock About the difference between cables? Beleve me, I scratched my head for a couples of hours trying to figure it out ! And nothing else but the circumference must be in involve here. As I said previously, took my caliper and yess, it was 0.015 smaller. Mould difference from China !
@danielwake2430: I had a similar thought, and you're right about getting fingers caught... I used something with a better bite than vice-grips would be preferable: a pipe-wrench. I grabbed the tube just inboard of the sheave to avoid deforming the end outside the bearing, and rolled it back that 1/8 to 1/4-turn I needed to get the wire back in the right groove.
Thanks for the simple procedure! The door on this house was up about 1/2" on one side that always drove me nuts, finally after 4 years living here I just recently noticed the cable on one side was off the track as you show here flipped over the ridge. So I followed your procedure only I had to let cable drum turn until door settled on the concrete floor for it to release enough tension to flip the cable back into place. I then needed to use a pry bar to hold some tension on the cable as I tightened the set screws - all worked out well and cable is back in place and door bottom is now even. The key was using the vice grips to hold the spring tension on the shaft.
Thank you. Just what I was looking for!! So should I put the garage door up to hook the cable to the side of the garage door. I tried it closed, but it didn’t go up. Thanks
The cable should have stayed attached if following the video. I don't have enough info to safely advise you. This was a few days ago so I hope you have it worked out!
Sorry for the late response. A cut cable would be ideal. Cut 8 inches off the 8 ft cable and crimp on a new end. If the cable is too long it will fill up the drum and possibly come loose and get tangled.
Excellent video. I had no idea what was causing my misaligned door, and your video explained it quickly and correctly. I had to buy some vise grips, but that's much cheaper than calling someone out would have been. Thank you!
This works, but know that the door could go out of level by doing it this way, especially if it is the left drum. In the scenario here, I would've probably just lifted the vice grip a little to back wind the spring and gain a little slack, and slid the cable back in place with a screwdriver. You could also use one vicegrip as a lever to rotate the shaft, and another to clamp it down like he showed in order to hold the slack while you do your thing. Just keep your fingers clear.
I tried to redo my cable a couple weeks ago and left the vice grip on when I put the new cable on 🤦 I'll be ordering two new cables to install. My only question is can I put new cables just as shown in this video (garage door down and only winding on first groove)? I've seen other that show garage door in up position stating to wind the whole drum with the cable...
When garage door is up, how much tension is suppose to be on the coil of wire? My garag doors wires popped off when it hit something that I had stacked up next to the door guides and I cracked the nuts loose to try even the tension while the door was up but it isn't working properly, any help would be much appreciated 🙏🏼
My door springs are broken and door is closed. Can I run the cable to the bottom of the door since I am unable to lift the door at this point. Great video.
My problem as pet your video, my cable has slack when the door is in the up position, it is tight when in the down position, should I raise the door and repeat as your instructions on in the up position ?
This usually happens when the rear hangers (the angle iron coming down from the ceiling) are askew. In other words, they are slightly diagonal when compared to the straight vertical track that is on the sides of the door. Moving them over as needed (both in same direction) to the left or right even just one inch can make a big difference. Note- moving the hangers will also move the upper track which is what you are trying to do.
My cable starts rubbing the track on one side when door is about halfway closed, and then pops over the track by about 3/8” when fully closed. Can I move the drum over, or will this not help? Is the drum what locates the torsion tube so if I move the drum the whole tube will just slide over?
Help! I used the pliers to hold the door at the highest point, loosened the set screws, and wound it up and reattached to the door (both sides), but when I finished the 2nd side, it completely unwound itself when I let go even though everything was back to normal. What am I missing?
If I'm following you correctly, you may have loosened both cable drums? This would unwind the spring. Only one drum can be loosened and rewound at a time.
@@parts4garagedoors278 I ended up calling a local company and they immediately identified my spring was snapped. Once they replaced it they were able to wind it up without issue.
Is there any way to lower a garage door with the opener disconnected, Figured I would start that way first goes as far as i can but still have a 3/4" gap.
I’m coming to your video after loosing the cable but I forgot to put the pliers on the underside and the door came up a little bit. Should I loosen the torsion springs and reset everything? And should I replace the torsion springs as well?
So I did exactly what you said don't do. I loosened the set bolts without the vice grip. So I sent the tension to the other side. How can I now fix this??
Got same length torsion spring and followed the steps for replacement of springs; but issue I see is garage door only lift up till 1 foot , stay stuck and does not move up regardless how much manual lift force I put in (in manual mode). please guide. I tried going up to 33 quarter turns (16.5 half turns) as 31 or 30 turns was not helping, rotation was clock wise for 33 quarter turns.. my old part was 218 wire x 29 long spring and new one is 225 wire and 29 long spring.
I'm sure you already fixed it, but my suggestion would have been to follow the same process as shown, but back turn the cable drum enough to eliminate tension on the cable and pop the end loose from the slot in the drum. Now that you have the end of the cable unravel it completely from the rod. Next you would feed the end back into the slot in the drum, rotate the drum to tighten the slack. hold cable taught while you tighten set screws on the drum to secure it in place.
@@parts4garagedoors278 Thanks for the advice! Yes, that's what we did. It was a tough job, my hat off to the pros like you that teach us how to make it work.
How do yo u fix the door when both cables come off the rollers? I tried to do it, but it looks like the spring has no tension so it didn't work when I tried to lower the door.
This is a more complicated issue. You are pretty much starting at the beginning- as if you were installing springs. You should look up videos for winding garage door springs for more details.
Hello before I saw your video I replaced the right side cable on the rt side (from the inside) I loosened the cable drum, did not realize I was supposed to put vise grips on the torsion bar. How do I get tension back on the right side ? Please advise.
Never loosen a drum without a winding bar in at least one of the springs. Also ya put your vise grip on upside down. Where you were standing will hurt someone if they didnt bar off the springs and the other drum slips(because thelast guy may not have tightened it enough)
The purpose of this method is a quick fix for a DIY'er without a winding bar. I have used this method 100's of times. It is highly unlikely for the drum on the other side to slip all of a sudden. People tend to overtighten these drums. Again, anything is always possible! Some risk is always there.
Michael Perry is 100% correct, in Florida for example a 16x7 garage door can weigh nearly 450lbs with wind loading struts. All that load will be trusted to 1drum and 1 pair of questionable Vice grips. Instead put the Vice grips on the cable on the good side, next take a pipe wrench and put it directly on the torsion tube, lift up towards the ceiling no more then a 1/4 turn with 1 hand and move cable back in the grove with your other hand.
should the cable be pretty tight after spring replacement? Mine are, it seems the spring torques the pulley, then pulls the cables tight, even if I try to loosen them. is that ok?
Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me I replaced both of my cables yesterday and I have double springs the one on the left side. I adjusted it to 30/4 turns the one on the right side I didn’t touch because it seems like it has tension in it, but now my door doesn’t go up. It goes up about an inch and then it stops. I don’t know if I should maybe unwind the right side Both of the cables that I replaced seem OK
Hello, what if both sides have loose cables? Does that mean the spring is bad or can I do what you din in this video and rotate them back, thus taking up the slack?
If the door is open and the cables are loose: either it's opened too high (should only be opened the height of the header) OR the spring(s) don't have ample tension. (29-30 quarter turns on a 7ft tall door, and 33-34 quarter turns on an 8ft tall door.
No. This usually indicates that the horizontal track (the overhead portion) is askew. In other words, the upper track need to be square or perpendicular to the front wall.
If your cables are wrapped around the bar, then this quick fix would not apply. There are some TH-cam videos out there that show you how. Please be careful.
I have a rear torsion spring and my drum is on the outside of the bearing plate on both sides, is that correct? I don't see any on youtube that show them there? It seems its there so the cable runs outside the tracks.
Just a little confused on why the locking pliers were used, I would of thought they should be on the other side of the wheel not outside the wheel. what was the point of using the locking pliers? Did it stop something from turning?
It usually jumps when it’s going up, but you don’t notice it typically until you go to close it. A lack of spring tension, or raising the door too high, or raising it too fast, are some of the common causes
@@SpectrumGarageDoorsService if I can turn the cable drums does that indicate a lack of torsion on the spring? I has the cable come off one side,tried to do re spool and noticed I could turn drum by hand.
@@paulhoward1520 well, the two drums and shaft should turn as one. When the spring is applying proper counter balance- yes you will be able to turn it by hand! Pretty easily too. The idea is to be almost weightless because of the assistance of the spring.
Ideally yes it is better/safer to release the spring tension first. The trick shown here is to use the vise grip firmly planted as described to hold the tension of the spring while performing the task (without having to unwind the springs first- it's a shortcut) Please re- watch as needed.
@@parts4garagedoors278 Thanks for the reply! I have one side where the cable is loose.. going to rewatch but am thinking of just using the vice grip approach. Thanks again!
I've adjusted my torsion springs to level the door but I have a half inch gap on both sides. The door has a slight bend in it because the cables seem too tight. I've tried backing off the springs but then they dont provide enough lifting support for the door (when off the track will slam close from 1', or will close on it's own when half open). I'm stumped on what I can do?
Sorry, this one might be difficult to truly understand the issue without seeing it in person. Definitely sounds like the springs are undersized for starters.
The torsion tube is held stationary by the vise grip. The cable is simply pulled straight, then the drum tightened. Once the vise grip is removed, then the cable will become super tight.
I bought some cables from Amazon but they came without a stop ferrule. Suggestions? Do companies that install motors, springs, and cables carry these stop ferrules?
Most do. You could also buy a ferrule at Home Depot or Lowes. You may have mistakenly bought extension cables instead of torsion cables. the length also needs to be correct. For a 7 ft tall door the cable length would be 7 ft 6 in, and for an 8 ft tall door the cable length would be 8 ft 6 in.
![Garage Door Torsion Spring Replacement: How to by [Professional Tech]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5k9qrgZ9rPs/mqdefault.jpg)
![Garage Door Torsion Spring Replacement: How to by [Professional Tech]](/img/tr.png)
I'm from California, I called for a service repair and the guy gave me an estimate of 600$ hundred dollars. So I said no thank you, and decided to fix it myself. I'm 4 month pregnant and I rather to spend 600$ hundred on my baby. Thanks to your video I did it and can't believe I just did that. Thank you very much Sir for sharing what you know.
Wow. Great mom! Congrats!
❤❤
I'm in Central Idaho where there are no shops within 180 miles. I lost a cable last week and there is no directions on which way the cable winds on the hub. After watching your video I have the new cables installed. I have issues with the cable going slack when I raise the door like the spring is not tight
You know I am a 21yr garage door vet. I subscribed not for the knowledge, but because you do a great job on your videos. Good info but most importantly promoting safety, well done. One thing I would add, is when you open your door look and make sure both cables are tight.
Yes- a loose cable when the door is in the opened position is going to eventually cause an issue, or may become tangled. Aside from tightening the drum on one side, sometimes the door itself is askew from the track. This is usually a result of the back hangers being installed slightly out of square from the vertical track.
I tried to redo my cable a couple weeks ago and left the vice grip on when I put the new cable on 🤦 I'll be ordering two new cables to install. My only question is can I put new cables just as shown in this video (garage door down and only winding on first groove)? I've seen other that show garage door in up position stating to wind the whole drum with the cable...
I've watched 10 vids and this was the best of all! Clear and concise!
Your instruction and letting us know why you should or shouldn't do something is fantastic. Your to the point informative ,clear and concise and give great advise for the continued maintenence of the garage door .
I agree
Dean
Seattle
Thank you from Vaughan, ON, Canada! 15 mins fix and my lady is proud of me + I've saved 100+ CAD. Cheers
and stay safe!
Making women proud of their guys since 2008. LOL.
Thank you. Short and sweet, you've saved me time, effort and frustration. Cheers
Love how clear, straight to the point, no hype this helpful video and the gentleman explaining it is! Thank you much!
Worked, I think I got mine fixed! Thanks so much. You'd be surprised how many wrong ways I tried, before I went to TH-cam and found you. Thanks so much!
I just wanted to add if you have the door open it releases all the tension in the spring, it makes it a little bit more difficult to work on the door but alot safer. I appreciate this video, mostly all the others where not helpful this was clear to the point an told what needed to be done thanks!
BIG THANKS - It worked on my Garage Door - Phew - a lot of tension in these wires. This is a Safe method!
You're welcome!
Thank you for posting this. Just saved me some money!!!
Thank you so much for the video! Took me literally 5 minutes and my door was working normal again. Saved a lot of money and the fix was so simple.
Glad it helped!
Nice video. I use lithium wheel bearing grease on the new cables, light coating will extend the life of the cables,
silicone spray on the torsion springs will keep them quiet.
Nice I found this video after I took it all apart now I’m fixing it for the third time
Hope the video helps!
My trade is millwright since 35 years. I instaled my new garage door recently. Leveled everything with my laser level. One simple problem with it. The two cables have the same tension on both side when the door is close but at 3/4 open, they are well seated on the pulleys. The left cable is getting loose and the right one is very tight. It takes all the load. Took my caliper and measured the pulleys. The right one is 0.015'' shorter than the left. Since the pulley is grooved on it's width to make the cable running, couldn't put shim stock over it to make it bigger. Decided to put some electrical tape layer instead until equal tension on both side and voilà ! When tape will be worn, I will just put new one. No more problem. Different mold for casting and it doesn't take much difference on circonference to cause that problem. Call the manufacturer door installer. Told me 1 out of 3 doors have that same problem and they never found any solution. Told the guy mine and was very happy to ear it.
Great solution. Thanks for sharing!
He probably didn’t care and was happy to get you off the phone
I don't think so ! When you talk to a man, an aged one for about 20 min, a very nice man asking questions and you can feel the appreciation in is voice and attitude and if it's so... hope he has learned something that day ! Happy new year from Montréal, Québec !
Have been installing garage doors for 27 yrs, still can't figure it out???
@@MegaJohnnyrock About the difference between cables? Beleve me, I scratched my head for a couples of hours trying to figure it out ! And nothing else but the circumference must be in involve here. As I said previously, took my caliper and yess, it was 0.015 smaller. Mould difference from China !
@danielwake2430:
I had a similar thought, and you're right about getting fingers caught...
I used something with a better bite than vice-grips would be preferable: a pipe-wrench. I grabbed the tube just inboard of the sheave to avoid deforming the end outside the bearing, and rolled it back that 1/8 to 1/4-turn I needed to get the wire back in the right groove.
Thanks for the simple procedure! The door on this house was up about 1/2" on one side that always drove me nuts, finally after 4 years living here I just recently noticed the cable on one side was off the track as you show here flipped over the ridge. So I followed your procedure only I had to let cable drum turn until door settled on the concrete floor for it to release enough tension to flip the cable back into place. I then needed to use a pry bar to hold some tension on the cable as I tightened the set screws - all worked out well and cable is back in place and door bottom is now even. The key was using the vice grips to hold the spring tension on the shaft.
Great job!
Hi. Both of my cables came off of the drum. Can I still use this same method, or do I have to take tension off of the tension spring directly?
Nailed my issue, thanks for explaining how to do it safely!
Glad it helped!
Thank you 🙏 !!! I love the way you explained everything right to the point and very clear !!! My husband and I just fixed our garage door 💕
Very simple detail to confirm. Great advice.
Thank you sir , for the valuable information.
Wonderful, sir. You just saved my door and my wallet 😄. Thank you very much.
Glad I could help!
Very clear and understandable explanation.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you. Just what I was looking for!! So should I put the garage door up to hook the cable to the side of the garage door. I tried it closed, but it didn’t go up. Thanks
The cable should have stayed attached if following the video. I don't have enough info to safely advise you. This was a few days ago so I hope you have it worked out!
Thanks ...
March 24 2022 (2133 hrs)
Your welcome!
thanks for your time and help
Thank you for the clear video. I have a question about my garage door, my door is 7 feet 4 inch height, can I use the 8 ft door cable for replacement?
Sorry for the late response. A cut cable would be ideal. Cut 8 inches off the 8 ft cable and crimp on a new end. If the cable is too long it will fill up the drum and possibly come loose and get tangled.
Excellent video. I had no idea what was causing my misaligned door, and your video explained it quickly and correctly. I had to buy some vise grips, but that's much cheaper than calling someone out would have been. Thank you!
Great to hear!
good one! - quick and to the point! - Much appreciated!
Glad it helped!
Thank you. I did mines differently, but your video helped understand the mechanics and safety issues that come with. Thank you 🙏
Thanks
Nice video!
This works, but know that the door could go out of level by doing it this way, especially if it is the left drum. In the scenario here, I would've probably just lifted the vice grip a little to back wind the spring and gain a little slack, and slid the cable back in place with a screwdriver. You could also use one vicegrip as a lever to rotate the shaft, and another to clamp it down like he showed in order to hold the slack while you do your thing. Just keep your fingers clear.
I'm interested in this job ..it's good 👍🏼
Good luck!
Great video.Should I buy brand specific cables my door is a Clopay. Thanks.
Only need the same length and diameter.
I tried to redo my cable a couple weeks ago and left the vice grip on when I put the new cable on 🤦 I'll be ordering two new cables to install. My only question is can I put new cables just as shown in this video (garage door down and only winding on first groove)? I've seen other that show garage door in up position stating to wind the whole drum with the cable...
When garage door is up, how much tension is suppose to be on the coil of wire? My garag doors wires popped off when it hit something that I had stacked up next to the door guides and I cracked the nuts loose to try even the tension while the door was up but it isn't working properly, any help would be much appreciated 🙏🏼
Hitting an object is a common reason for the cables to come loose or tangled. When the door is nearly opened, there is not much tension left.
My door springs are broken and door is closed. Can I run the cable to the bottom of the door since I am unable to lift the door at this point. Great video.
I would need more information. Thanks.
Great video
My problem as pet your video, my cable has slack when the door is in the up position, it is tight when in the down position, should I raise the door and repeat as your instructions on in the up position ?
This usually happens when the rear hangers (the angle iron coming down from the ceiling) are askew. In other words, they are slightly diagonal when compared to the straight vertical track that is on the sides of the door. Moving them over as needed (both in same direction) to the left or right even just one inch can make a big difference. Note- moving the hangers will also move the upper track which is what you are trying to do.
My cable starts rubbing the track on one side when door is about halfway closed, and then pops over the track by about 3/8” when fully closed. Can I move the drum over, or will this not help? Is the drum what locates the torsion tube so if I move the drum the whole tube will just slide over?
Thanks a ton for this video. It helped me immensely and saved me $$$!
Best Wishes from Calgary in Canada
Glad our video could help!
Your video was very helpful!
Thanks!
Much appreciated, you just saved me $160 CA. It's delinquent what they ask for just to do a quick fix.
Very true! Great job!
Do you do the same thing on the other side?
Yes
Help! I used the pliers to hold the door at the highest point, loosened the set screws, and wound it up and reattached to the door (both sides), but when I finished the 2nd side, it completely unwound itself when I let go even though everything was back to normal. What am I missing?
If I'm following you correctly, you may have loosened both cable drums? This would unwind the spring. Only one drum can be loosened and rewound at a time.
@@parts4garagedoors278 I ended up calling a local company and they immediately identified my spring was snapped. Once they replaced it they were able to wind it up without issue.
Is there any way to lower a garage door with the opener disconnected, Figured I would start that way first goes as far as i can but still have a 3/4" gap.
I’m coming to your video after loosing the cable but I forgot to put the pliers on the underside and the door came up a little bit. Should I loosen the torsion springs and reset everything? And should I replace the torsion springs as well?
Unwinding the springs, then rewinding is going to be your best bet. Only replace the spring if it is older, rusty, or near the end of it's cycle life.
Wow, you just saved me money!
So I did exactly what you said don't do. I loosened the set bolts without the vice grip. So I sent the tension to the other side. How can I now fix this??
Got same length torsion spring and followed the steps for replacement of springs; but issue I see is garage door only lift up till 1 foot , stay stuck and does not move up regardless how much manual lift force I put in (in manual mode). please guide. I tried going up to 33 quarter turns (16.5 half turns) as 31 or 30 turns was not helping, rotation was clock wise for 33 quarter turns.. my old part was 218 wire x 29 long spring and new one is 225 wire and 29 long spring.
What do I do if the cable keeps jumping off the drum every time I raise/lower the door?
Thanks dude, I’m on my moms phone right now, but took the car last night and hit the garage. Just fixed it all.
Great!
As the cable is going down to the bottom bracket, should it be at a slight angle? Or dead straight ?
Hi! How can we repair the cable if it has come off the reel and onto the rod that goes across the top? It's a REEL mess in our garage.
I'm sure you already fixed it, but my suggestion would have been to follow the same process as shown, but back turn the cable drum enough to eliminate tension on the cable and pop the end loose from the slot in the drum. Now that you have the end of the cable unravel it completely from the rod. Next you would feed the end back into the slot in the drum, rotate the drum to tighten the slack. hold cable taught while you tighten set screws on the drum to secure it in place.
@@parts4garagedoors278 Thanks for the advice! Yes, that's what we did. It was a tough job, my hat off to the pros like you that teach us how to make it work.
Hello friend, what are the principal garage door suppliers you can recommend on Texas?
How do yo u fix the door when both cables come off the rollers? I tried to do it, but it looks like the spring has no tension so it didn't work when I tried to lower the door.
This is a more complicated issue. You are pretty much starting at the beginning- as if you were installing springs. You should look up videos for winding garage door springs for more details.
Hello before I saw your video I replaced the right side cable on the rt side (from the inside) I loosened the cable drum, did not realize I was supposed to put vise grips on the torsion bar. How do I get tension back on the right side ? Please advise.
Never loosen a drum without a winding bar in at least one of the springs. Also ya put your vise grip on upside down. Where you were standing will hurt someone if they didnt bar off the springs and the other drum slips(because thelast guy may not have tightened it enough)
The purpose of this method is a quick fix for a DIY'er without a winding bar. I have used this method 100's of times. It is highly unlikely for the drum on the other side to slip all of a sudden. People tend to overtighten these drums. Again, anything is always possible! Some risk is always there.
Michael Perry is 100% correct, in Florida for example a 16x7 garage door can weigh nearly 450lbs with wind loading struts. All that load will be trusted to 1drum and 1 pair of questionable Vice grips. Instead put the Vice grips on the cable on the good side, next take a pipe wrench and put it directly on the torsion tube, lift up towards the ceiling no more then a 1/4 turn with 1 hand and move cable back in the grove with your other hand.
What’s the torque on the set screws? I d rather not to guess the number of turns. Thanks
Really informative!
Thanks
My torsion cable keeps coming off, is their a way to adjust the torsion drumb so it doesn't come off anymore?
Thanks, it worked. You da man !!
Glad I could help
should the cable be pretty tight after spring replacement? Mine are, it seems the spring torques the pulley, then pulls the cables tight, even if I try to loosen them. is that ok?
Hey thanks a lot buddy
Worked like a charm. Thank you.
You're welcome!
Thanks amigo 👍
De nada
Awesome video, thank you.
what socket were you using on those square headed screws on the drum? Special 4 point one (which Home Depot does not carry) or something else?
12- point 7/16 socket, or 3/8 open end wrench
Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me I replaced both of my cables yesterday and I have double springs the one on the left side. I adjusted it to 30/4 turns the one on the right side I didn’t touch because it seems like it has tension in it, but now my door doesn’t go up. It goes up about an inch and then it stops. I don’t know if I should maybe unwind the right side Both of the cables that I replaced seem OK
Hello, what if both sides have loose cables? Does that mean the spring is bad or can I do what you din in this video and rotate them back, thus taking up the slack?
If the door is open and the cables are loose: either it's opened too high (should only be opened the height of the header) OR the spring(s) don't have ample tension. (29-30 quarter turns on a 7ft tall door, and 33-34 quarter turns on an 8ft tall door.
@@parts4garagedoors278 Thank you!
When the door is up, is one cable supposed to be looser than the other side?
No. This usually indicates that the horizontal track (the overhead portion) is askew. In other words, the upper track need to be square or perpendicular to the front wall.
Hmm. So the bar and pulleys are supposed to turn? Mine aren't and while it's down the cable is loose and wrapped around the bar
If your cables are wrapped around the bar, then this quick fix would not apply. There are some TH-cam videos out there that show you how. Please be careful.
I have a rear torsion spring and my drum is on the outside of the bearing plate on both sides, is that correct? I don't see any on youtube that show them there? It seems its there so the cable runs outside the tracks.
Yes, I have seen systems like this.
Just a little confused on why the locking pliers were used, I would of thought they should be on the other side of the wheel not outside the wheel. what was the point of using the locking pliers? Did it stop something from turning?
The channel locks hold the tension of the spring. The cable on the other side holds half of the tension.
What size socket did you use?
7/16... 12 point
Thank you. Learned a lot. I would like to know what causes the cable to jump out when clossing the door?
It usually jumps when it’s going up, but you don’t notice it typically until you go to close it. A lack of spring tension, or raising the door too high, or raising it too fast, are some of the common causes
@@SpectrumGarageDoorsService if I can turn the cable drums does that indicate a lack of torsion on the spring? I has the cable come off one side,tried to do re spool and noticed I could turn drum by hand.
@@paulhoward1520 well, the two drums and shaft should turn as one. When the spring is applying proper counter balance- yes you will be able to turn it by hand! Pretty easily too. The idea is to be almost weightless because of the assistance of the spring.
Really help !!
My pleasure !
Great video!
Is this why my door is higher on one side, when it’s in the open position? Thanks
Could be. Take a close look at how the cables load into the drum for both sides. Do they load line by line perfectly?
Great clip
Thanks for your sharing 👍
No problem 👍
Thank you sooo much! you are the best!!!!
Thanks for watching!
Great video. Exactly what I needed. Thx so much.
You're welcome!
Why do you have center bearing plates on the outside?
Good observation. It was easier to set up the demo that way. (There is no lower track to bolt to)
I don’t really understand what is the function of connecting the vice grip to the torsion bar? Isn’t the other side holding the spring in place?
Do I need to release the spring to do this?
Ideally yes it is better/safer to release the spring tension first. The trick shown here is to use the vise grip firmly planted as described to hold the tension of the spring while performing the task (without having to unwind the springs first- it's a shortcut) Please re- watch as needed.
@@parts4garagedoors278 Thanks for the reply! I have one side where the cable is loose.. going to rewatch but am thinking of just using the vice grip approach. Thanks again!
Great video, especially the safety aspect but please lube up that ratchet!!! 😂😂
Will do. LOL.
Thanks for posting......
Your welcome!
What if your cable goes into a bolt with a pin how do you remove
I've adjusted my torsion springs to level the door but I have a half inch gap on both sides. The door has a slight bend in it because the cables seem too tight. I've tried backing off the springs but then they dont provide enough lifting support for the door (when off the track will slam close from 1', or will close on it's own when half open). I'm stumped on what I can do?
Sorry, this one might be difficult to truly understand the issue without seeing it in person. Definitely sounds like the springs are undersized for starters.
What are the set screws on the spring?
Set screws are the screws with a red square head- used to tighten down and secure the spring to the torsion tube.
THANK YOU
Worked great !
Awesome!
Is the tension rod have to be tight before u tighten the cables
tension should be taught not to loose or tight so u can set cable as the same to the other side very critical you're welcome
The torsion tube is held stationary by the vise grip. The cable is simply pulled straight, then the drum tightened. Once the vise grip is removed, then the cable will become super tight.
I bought some cables from Amazon but they came without a stop ferrule. Suggestions? Do companies that install motors, springs, and cables carry these stop ferrules?
Most do. You could also buy a ferrule at Home Depot or Lowes. You may have mistakenly bought extension cables instead of torsion cables. the length also needs to be correct. For a 7 ft tall door the cable length would be 7 ft 6 in, and for an 8 ft tall door the cable length would be 8 ft 6 in.
@@parts4garagedoors278 I thought for a 7 foot door it was 8ft.6in. Can you check?
YOu do this with the door open (No tension) or door close(full tension)?
You can do it with the door closed. Just be sure to firmly plant the vise grip on the top side of the bar as described.
EXCELLENT! What & Why is always good.
Thanks!
IT WORKED... THANK YOU!! 🙂🙂🙂
Great!