Torsion springs are the most commonly used spring system in the world. We currently offer 2" torsion springs and 1-3/4" torsion springs. Torsion springs are durable, cost-effective, and made to order. On average, they last from 7 to 15 years, depending on how often the garage door is opened and closed. All single springs or pairs of springs are rated for a standard lifespan of 10,000 cycles. Many smart garage door systems track your cycles now. This will give you an idea of how much you are truly using your garage door each day.
Before ordering a torsion spring, there are four key specifications you must determine:
It is important to get each specification as accurate as possible, especially Inside Diameter and Wire Size. Spring length can be rounded up to the nearest inch.
Finding Inside Diameter:
For residential garage doors, you most commonly will find that your springs either have a 2” diameter or a 1 ¾” inside diameter. To correctly find what inside diameter you have, you need to measure the inside width of the spring from each inside edge, as shown below on a 2” diameter spring.
Finding Wire Size:
This is the most important and most accurate specification needed. In order to find the correct wire size of your spring, you need to count out 20 coils on your unwound spring. A wound spring constricts onto itself and will provide you with inaccurate measurements. You can use a small piece of paper to mark out the beginning and end of the 20 coils to make it easier to visualize. Once you have each end marked, use a tape measure to find the distance between the two pieces of paper to the nearest 1/16 of an inch. Once you have the correct measurement, take the value you got and divide it by the number of coils you measured, which was 20. This will give you your per unit, which is the wire size in this case.
For example, if you measured a distance of 5 inches, you would take 5 divided by 20, which is a 0.250 wire size.
Finding Spring Length:
Finding the length of the spring is as simple as measuring from one end of the coil to the other. Make sure that you are not including the cones on each end, as they do not factor into the length when ordering your spring. Again, do this when the spring is unwound. Due to the spring constricting onto itself when wound, a spring can stretch up to 1-3". This is why you might often notice that your wound spring is longer than the broken spring.
Spring lengths can be rounded to the nearest inch without affecting the lifecycle or counterbalance.
Finding Wind Direction:
This can sometimes be the trickiest specification to figure out. There are many tips and tricks to find the wind, and we will provide you with the majority of ways so you can check and double-check your work.
- Visual Test: This is the easiest and most accurate method. Straddle the spring and look at the cut end of the last coil. If the coil points to the left, it is Left-Wound. If it points to the right, it is Right-Wound. See the photo below to see a Right-Wound Spring.
- Color Code: Check the paint on the winding cone (where the winding bars are inserted). Generally, red paint indicates Right-Wound, and black paint indicates Left-Wound. Note: Use this only as confirmation. Some universal cones can give false indicators.
- Placement: In standard installations, the Right-Wound spring sits on the Left side of the garage door, and vice versa. Exception: Low headroom doors (less than 12" clearance) may have different configurations.
What if you get it wrong? Don't panic - there is often a fix. If you have the wrong wind for a specific side, you can usually simply switch the side of the door the spring is installed on to ensure it winds correctly.
Ordering Example:
If you were ordering a .250 wire × 2″ ID × 31″ length spring, you would go to our 2” torsion spring page and make the following selections in the two drop-downs for wind and length. If you do not have winding bars already, it is advisable that you get a pair, as you will need them to wind your spring while installing. It is also a good idea to lube your springs periodically to prolong their life cycles and ensure a smooth-running door.
