Guide to TorqueMaster Springs

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster torsion springs can be found inside the garage door shaft that runs parallel to your door and located about 8”-12” above your garage door. In most cases we do not suggest that you attempt to replace a standard torsion system but with a TorqueMaster system manufactured by Wayne Dalton garage doors it is a DIY type project. At door-parts.com we stock and sell hundreds of replacement springs for the do-it-yourselfer. Should you already have the system, it is easier and much more economical to replace your broken or worn out springs than to convert to a torsion spring style system. If you call a garage door service company to replace your TorqueMaster springs I would verify they are familiar with the TorqueMaster system before accepting their services. Many door companies will only change out the system to a torsion style costing you to spend more of your hard earned money.


Wayne Dalton's TorqueMaster spring system uses unique hardware. The track radius is typically 12” and smaller than on many other doors, the cable drums are a bit smaller, and the shaft has a unique teardrop shape. The springs are safely housed inside the shaft providing a clean look. With the springs located in the inside of the shaft they typically are less susceptible to rust and the elements that shorten the life of other systems.


Because the springs have a smaller outside diameter, they need to be longer than a typical garage door torsion spring. To help keep the springs from being too long, Wayne Dalton uses smaller wire sizes. Springs with smaller wire sizes typically have a shorter cycle life. This is not the case with the TorqueMaster system. Wayne Dalton utilizes a music wire design spring wire that provides a 25% to 30% improved cycle life over atypical torsion spring system. Another contributing key to the cycle life of a garage door spring is the moment arm. This is the distance from the center of the spring to the point where the cable spools off the garage door cable drum. Wayne Dalton uses a tapered cable drum using a much smaller diameter (roughly 2" as opposed to 4" on standard garage door spring systems), This way the torsion springs does not have to provide as much lifting capabilities.

When you lessen the drum diameter, you also increase the number of turns that will need to be applied to the door spring. The length of cable that needs to wrap around the drum needs to be roughly the height of the garage door. To get the proper cable length to wrap around the drum, you need more turns on the spring. Typically The more turns you apply to a spring the more you will reduce its longevity.

Despite a few of the negatives, TorqueMaster springs offer more advantages than torsion springs. The main advantage is safety and the ability to do it yourself to service and install these springs. If you have two springs on your garage door, there will be a winding mechanism located at each end of the spring tube. You can use a drill with a socket extension to wind and unwind your TorqueMaster springs. This feature helps make the TorqueMaster springs much safer for do-it-yourselfers to install, adjust and replace than the springs in the standard torsion spring system. Should You only have one TorqueMaster spring on your garage door, it is almost always located on the right side of your door if you are looking from inside out. The winding unit will also be located on the right side.

TorqueMaster springs have a special winding cone on each end. On the original TorqueMaster the winding end will have a spline and on a TorqueMaster Plus system it will have a hexagon end. The winding cone connects to the gears in the winding unit on an original system. On the TorqueMaster Plus system the winding cones provide a place to attach a ¾” socket to wind or unwind the spring. The stationary cone fits within the shaft and has a matching profile as the shaft. As soon as the spring is fully tensioned, the stationary cone wants to twist the shaft and the winding assembly. Because the winding unit does not allow the winding cone to turn, the spring remains stationary. When your opener lifts the garage door, the spring assists the door up. The spring twists the shaft, which pulls upward on the cables. With The help of the opener, the garage door can open. As soon as the door is fully open, the springs only have about a turn or two left, which is enough to hold the door from falling and cables tight enough not to unspool.

Determining what TorqueMaster Torsion Springs You Need
In order to help determine the springs that will best suit your garage door, you will have to make a few simple measurements. The first measurements you need to make are your garage door dimensions. We're going to need to know the height of your door (the distance from the floor to the top of the door) and the width of your door (the distance from the right to the left side).

We will also need to know how many springs are on your door. When you have a winding unit on the left and right side of your garage door, you have two TorqueMaster springs. Otherwise if you only have a winding mechanism on the right you just have one.

The next measurement may be a little more difficult. We need to know the weight of your garage door. The Shaft on most TorqueMaster systems has the door weight printed on a label located on the right side of your spring tube. If you see this label, the weight listed should be accurate.

If you have this label, we suggest that you verify the door weight. Should you not have a label or it does not contain the weight or is not legible, you will have to weigh your garage door. You will need an analog bathroom scale - digital scales tend to be less accurate. Start by disengaging the opener. Without any spring tension obtain the help of another and lift the garage door a few inches off the ground then slide your scale under the center of the door.

Please do not try to use the opener to help you lift the door, as you may damage the opener or the door. Let the door rest on the bathroom scale. If you do not have access to a scale, use the contact us form and send us a few photos of the inside of your door and the size of your door and we will send you the balance weight based on the model of your door.

If you have two TorqueMaster springs on your garage door, note how many turns are on the unbroken spring, and unwind it using an electric drill. Stop when you get to zero.

Now shake the door to make sure that the rollers are loose in the tracks. Read The door weight off of the scale and note it on a sheet of paper. Although we do not recommend it, if you need to continue to operate the garage door manually, you can wind your unbroken spring back to the number of turns it originally had. The last thing to note before ordering is to check and see if you have a TorqueMaster Plus system. If your Torquemaster springs were installed prior to 1997, you most likely have standard TorqueMaster springs. If your garage door is newer, you may have the TorqueMaster Plus system. You can see also see our guide to how to determine TMplus vs TM Original for additional help.

When you have a dual spring system we recommend you replace both of them of them at the same time as they both have reached their useful life. Inmost situations, the spring that broke will have used up all of its cycle life. This means that the other spring is also running low on cycles and will likely break soon also requiring you to go through the process again.
By replacing both TorqueMaster springs, you will save yourself time - replacing both springs at the same time is faster than replacing each spring individually. Replacing both Torquemaster springs saves you money in the long run and you will not be forced to order twice and pay additional shipping charges.

How to Order
Once you have the information to complete the form and your garage door measurements as outlined above, you can fill in the fields located on the Torquemaster spring order form. This will allow you to order a spring or a pair of springs that will work with your garage door. It is important to note that your news prings may not be the same length as your old ones or the right and left side spring may not match in length. This is due to some changes in the spring wire now used coupled with the pairing of springs to match your exact door weight.This is due to some changes in the spring wire now used coupled with thepairing of springs to match your exact door weight.

Please email us with any questions.

Thank you