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 a
typical 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 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
for a do it yourselfer 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 provides 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 the 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 but 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 TM
plus 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. In
most 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
save 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 Torqumaster 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 new
springs 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.
