Garage Door Springs - FAQs & Troubleshooting

Garage door springs counterbalance the weight of the door so it can open and close smoothly. If the springs are damaged, worn out, or improperly sized, the door may become heavy, unbalanced, noisy, or unsafe to operate.

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Why Is My Garage Door Heavy to Lift?

Garage door springs are designed to offset the full weight of the door. If the door suddenly feels heavy or difficult to lift, the spring system may no longer be balancing the door correctly.

Common causes include:

• Broken garage door springs
• Worn or fatigued springs
• Incorrect spring sizing
• Worn rollers or track friction
• Binding or misaligned tracks

Disconnect the opener using the emergency release cord and carefully lift the door manually. A properly balanced door should stay near waist height without drifting significantly up or down.

Types of Garage Door Springs

Garage doors commonly use one of three spring systems:

• Torsion Springs: mounted above the garage door on a shaft and twist to store energy.
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• Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Springs: enclosed inside a metal tube with specialized winding hardware.
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• Extension Springs: mounted alongside the horizontal tracks and stretch as the door closes.
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Garage doors should generally continue using the same spring system type originally designed for the door unless a complete conversion is performed.

How to Determine Garage Door Weight

Garage door weight determines the correct spring rating required to balance the door safely.

Common methods include:

• Checking the manufacturer label or TorqueMaster tube label
• Using existing spring part numbers
• Weighing the garage door directly

TorqueMaster springs can often be identified:

• By wire size and spring length
• By door weight
• By part number from the spring tube label

TorqueMaster Spring Selector Tool

Signs of a Broken Garage Door Spring

• Garage door feels extremely heavy
• Door will not stay open manually
• Garage door opener strains or stalls
• Loud bang heard from garage
• Door opens unevenly or crooked
• Visible gap in torsion spring coils

Should Both Springs Be Replaced?

If one spring breaks on a dual spring system, replacing both springs is strongly recommended. Springs typically wear at similar rates, and the remaining spring is often near the end of its service life as well.

Garage Door Spring Safety

Garage door springs are under significant tension and can cause serious injury if handled improperly. Proper tools and safety precautions should always be used during spring replacement or adjustment.