I feel Stupid

[Hugh R]

One of the torsion springs on my garage door broke today. I've always been told don't mess with them if you don't know what your doing. So I hired a company to come out and replace them $420 for both springs, it took him less than an hour. Watched him do it and looked on the internet and found step-by-step directions and could have bought both springs for about $125. If I can rebuild engines, why didn't I attempt this my self, or at least do a little research first? Must have been the beer I drank last night, clogged my thinking. Oh well.

[fintstone]

Not too tough once you have seen it done. Pretty scary the first time though. I have seen installers with some pretty gnarled hands. If you buy or make the correct tools...it is not too tough. At least you know how to keep it adjusted now.

[Flatbutt1]

consider the extra $300 tuition

[MRM]

It's actually dangerous to do. Those springs pack a wallop. It was money well spent. Consider the time saved by having a pro do it to be an extra few hours of your life you can enjoy and consider him doing it instead of you to be buying insurance. The next beer's on me. Don't sweat a few bucks and enjoy the free time you're not spending fixing the door.

[scottmandue]

It is better to feel stupid than to be stupid...

I think I read that in a fortune cookie so it must be true!

When mine broke it was in the middle of the night and it sounded like someone set off a LARGE gun in the garage. I investigated but couldn't see anything wrong in the garage (used side door) but then when I went to open the garage door the next morning I found the problem.

I also paid someone else to fix it.

[dtw]

I look at my history of '1st attempts' at various mechanical tasks, combined with all the warnings about garage door springs. Weighing the two, I have decided I will never attempt repair/replacement of garage door springs.

[Dantilla]

I do lots of stuff on my own. Fixing garage door springs is not one of them.

[bt1211]

Ya, cant fix everything yourself. Now get back to work on that damn oil pump!!!

[fintstone]

I would much rather replace garage springs than do a valve adj.

[rick-l]

Originally posted by MRM
It's actually dangerous to do. Those springs pack a wallop.

He bought the propaganda hook line and sinker.

[oldE]

Having built my garage from the ground up, part of the job was assembling the torsion spring to aid in opening the door.
I can tell you it was not my favorite job.
It took a lot of energy, stored in that spring, to help lift the wooden door. I am still quite careful with it and keep the instructions sealed in plastic nearby if I have to do it again.
I find myself becoming more cautious as I get older.
Les

[dad911]

Not to change subject, but anyone with coil, non-torsion springs should have a safety cable run through the spring. This will help prevent the spring from falling on your car when it breaks.

[Rick V]

I don't have the type of springs that need to be wound, mine are the linear type. One of them let go one night. I thought someone was shooting in the garage. (right below me)
This is when I found out about safty cabeling, a lesson I learned the hard way, in the form of a nasty gash in my right mirror.
As for your springs, if you don't feel good about doing the job, pay someone else for the service. I don't clean my chimney, even though I know how.

[on2wheels52]

It was around $180 to replace one of mine. A lot less than I would have charged someone.
Jim

[sammyg2]

Over the years i have replaced both the long springs on the side and the coiled springs for the roll up doors. The long ones on the sides of the door are more dangerous if not done right. The coiled springs above the door are easy.
I never pay someone else to do something that I can pull off, but that's cjust because I'm so tight with a dollar I squeak.

[turbo6bar]

Tightwad checking in. Garage door springs are really not that hard. I don't make $100/hr, so it's cheaper for me to DIY.

[upwardr]

I bought a used door for my storage building and tried to install it with an employee. A couple of times of trying the lever flew out at about 400 miles an hour and struck my helper about 1/2" above the eye. After about 3 hrs at the hospital and 5 stitches later I am glad his eye was still in the socket. The next day his face looked like he had been in a car wreck.
I wouldn't do it again.
The doors in my new shop were installed by pros.
The door on the storage building has never been finished or lifted.

Know when to walk away.

Larry

[turbo6bar]

Gosh, remind me to never hire Pelicanites for skilled labor.