Need springs for one-piece garage door
Hello –
As expected, opportunity knocks for garage door folks when I inquire about replacement springs for an old one-piece garage door.
(They are obsolete doors and we can install a new one for…)
These springs are mounted on either side (vertically) of the door opening and stretches as the door is raised.
One of the springs broke at the attachment hook point…
I would like to replace both while I’m at it so it’s a matched pair.
No luck with local hardware suppliers and garage door companies.
I would appreciate it if you can recommend an online or mail order source….I did give the local guys first stab at it with no luck.
The dimensions of the springs are 16″ long and 2″ in diameter and are easily attached/removed by hooking onto a threaded rod and tightening a nut. No, I don’t have engineering specs on these, unfortunately.
thanks,
Alan
Replies
I've seen the dangerous things for sale in stores off and on. I'd call different smaller hardware stores and save the gas. A quick fix to see you thru is to hook on a little farther up the spring. Seen guys do that and last for years.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Internet or Yellow Pages, there are lots of folks selling this stuff, including our local HD. Here're some random suppliers.
http://www.overheaddoorparts.com/
http://www.garagedoorparts.com/
http://www.jwsgaragedoor.com/springpage.htm
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Your door is commonly refered to as a crawford door, with a crawford spring. If you are capable of removing a spring, carefully without hurting yourself, garage doors are dangerous. I can't offer any help there, your on your own. You might want to find an old timer familiar with these doors to help.
After you have one off. take it to an Established Garage Door Company. They will have them custom made for you. Not cheap. Are you sure the door is worth it.
Of course it is or ,you wouldn't be going thru this.
"I was born in the country, razed in the city, I'm a natural born shaker from my hips to the ground"
Edited 8/1/2002 7:41:14 PM ET by Edgar76b
Try Holmes Hardware. This is all you need to browse to a LA company that has a complete line of tilt-up garage door hardware.
sparks
Thanks, folks, for all the replies and warnings.
The springs, which are only 16" long, are very easy to remove when in the open position. Zero danger - unthread the bolt and one end is loosened from a threaded rod.
I thought it would be a simple case of locating a replacement but it has turned out otherwise. The shortest length spring I am able to locate is 20", and that leaves no room for stretching the spring in the closed position. The old spring stretched to 29" in the closed position.
No, I'm not dead serious about reviving the old door, and I feel bad about wasting everybody's time on this.
Besides, I have serious reservations about how the old springs are attached and there is no safety cable.
It is a shame, however, because the door and the tilt hardware are in otherwise good working order. A 7x9 sectional door replacement is around $500 - $700 installed. I suppose it would be nice to have a new one with on opener.
Have a great weekend,
Alan
"Sparks" -
Just got off the phone after talking to Rick at Holmes Hardware.
He solved all my problems !
I'm going to use their lifting hardware for one-piece doors.
The major bonus with this route is I can eliminate the overhead track needed for the original hardware.
And I get to build a door for the new lifting hardware if I ever get a hankering to do so. Another excuse for a project.
Thanks so much for the unexpected outcome of this saga.
For around $170, I get everything I need to attach to the old door.
Alan
Alan,
I have two 8 x 7 ft. solid yellow pine 3 in wide t&g doors that are currently moved on overhead rails. The thought of losing these 53 year old doors to my garage replacement project was more than I could stand. I had the same experience here in San Antonio with the garage door services. When the project is completed they will be installed with jamb hardware from Holmes. I have been told that if we want to have door openers they should be the screw gear type.
glad I could help,
sparks
Hi, Sparks -
Yes, the Holmes hardware seems to be the ticket for folks like us.
My old door is just plain uninsulated metal.
The Holmes hardware is very attractive because I could play around making a door - perhaps like the ones you have.
And before that happens, I can get rid of the overhead tracks, which in itself is very attractive.
I was told the door can be opened with very little effort (if properly
adjusted) to the delight of many folks who had theirs converted to the new hardware.
They also told me about using an inexpensive opener such as a Genie, but didn't mention that it needs to be a screw type.
Thanks again !
Alan
Wow, I have never seen a repair kit for those doors. What's the name of the company that markets that.
As far as the price, that is probably close to what you might pay to have new springs made. Maybe a little less not much.
"I was born in the country, razed in the city, I'm a natural born shaker from my hips to the ground"
http://www.garagedoorcenter.com/gdc-home.htm
Click on the top photo on the right.
It's not necessarily a repair part.
The entire lifting mechanism is replaced with the Holms unit.
Evidently many older one-piece doors have been fitted with this new hardware, making it very easy for older folks to lift them with very little effort. And the mechanism is adjustable so it can handle different weight doors. So if I want to later replace the steel door with a wooden one, it can handle the heavier load.
that is Excellent! Thank you, I have one Question . Did you have to weigh the door to determine which springs you need to go with your door?
"I was born in the country, razed in the city, I'm a natural born shaker from my hips to the ground"
Edgar,
I have not purchased my hardware yet. The ordering package comes with a chart and worksheet on how to guestimate the weight of the door. You use different springs for different weights. In my case when we take the doors off the rails we will weigh one of them.
sparks
Edgar -
If I may chime in behind Sparks, the hardware has several attachment points for the springs, etc. to compensate for different weight doors.
So a particular model has a broad range of weight that can be handled.
Mine is a 9x7 (H) door and I was told the E902 is what I would use.
Right now the header detail on our opening is a bit sketchy so they're sending me a fax of the installation manual so I can get a better idea of that particular detail.
(Out door closes and butts up against an L-iron that is mounted within the opening at the top, which is causing some confusion.)
Is the angle like a door stop? I am not that familiar with these types of doors. I am very curious about this adjustment thing. It doesn't make sense to me.
That cannot mean that, If your door is too heavy all you have to do is put more tension on the spring. A spring has about 4 or 5 inches of allowable adjustment. Above that, It is dangerous , below it is not working properly. A spring is a spring. I wonder if the adjustments serve some other purpose. Like how smoothly the door progresses on the track. that would make more sense to me.
No matter what kind of door you have . It must be balanced. Which means you should be able to set the door anywhere on its path and it should stay still, except for maybe the last 6" either way, on heavier mass doors.
I would think you MUST still be able to match (within 10 lbs of your actual door weight,) your new springs, to the door. Am I wrong about that? I want to understand this. If it is one thing I know, doors do vary in weight.
Take that old 16" spring to a garage door company and get them to tell you what the weight is. If I was near by I could tell you. They should be able too as well. Then make sure you have the right kit for your door. Are you telling me one size fits all? If its true i'd like to know how.
I am interested to find out how this whole project works for you.
"I was born in the country, razed in the city, I'm a natural born shaker from my hips to the ground"
Edited 8/3/2002 10:36:42 AM ET by Edgar76b
Edited 8/3/2002 10:39:46 AM ET by Edgar76b
Edited 8/3/2002 10:41:44 AM ET by Edgar76b
Edgar -
My understanding is....
The device works through leverage and the spring is an assist.
By changing the pivot point, different weights can be 'balanced' to within a certain weight to maintain the effortless lifting capability.
If you look at the the device in the picture - you did go the their web site ? - each device has two springs.
You may want to call and ask for a Rick Povenmire, who is very helpful.
I didn't want to waste his time so didn't ask any detailed questions.
Waiting to receive a fax for the installation instructions, which will give me a better idea how the device works.
They are not web saavy with PDF files, etc. so fax or mail is how they can send the info.
Alan
Ah the old lever and Fulcrum trick. I am still a little skeptical. I will have to call. There must be an exact amount that the adjusted pivot point changes. I'll be watching for updates thanks."I was born in the country, razed in the city, I'm a natural born shaker from my hips to the ground"