Garage door spring reminder

[QwikKotaTx]

How did it come off the rod/pipe? Mine goes through the center of the coil spring and when it broke both halves were still captured on the rod.

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[Gobirat]

OMG... So I picked up my new wrangler about 2 weeks ago after a 4 month wait. I absolutely love it. I have the doors off, added a few small mods, I still drive around and can't believe that she is really mine.
I parked in the garage tonight, and my son and I were admiring the jeep and standing around looking at a way to run a wire for a flashlight charger. We went into the basement, shut the door, and BOOM! We hear this explosion. My wife is yelling from upstairs all scared, I didn't know what the hell happened. We go back into the garage and the door spring had snapped. The safety cable that runs thru the spring to keep it safe in case this happens also snapped. Right over the jeep. We had been standing right there about two minutes earlier.
I was afraid to walk around and see damage, I came around the back and the giant heavy spring is on the floor right alongside the jeep, the cable snapped back and was hanging a few feet away. There was sheetrock dust all over the hood. And ZERO damage. I can't believe that spring managed to fly off and avoid smashing anything. My adrenaline is still pumping and I feel so lucky right now. Here I park in the garage to keep the thing safe, right?? So we had the doors put in 20 years ago and I have never even thought about it, but just a heads up if your door opener springs are old you may want to think about changing them out. Off to buy the kit (both new springs and cables) tomorrow. WHEW!!!

I had a 2022 new Corvette in Red sitting in my garage. There was a piece of flat metal that I had from fabricating something and never new it was on a top shelf. It was flat and I couldn't see it. I went to pull a drill down that was stacked on the shelf in a lockable box and that metal came out like a helicopter rotor. Heading right for the paint on the rear quarter. I tried to bat it away and did a bit but it still hit and put a one inch scratch in the rear bumper cover.

At least that was an easier fix than if it hit where it was going because in that area it would have been hard to section off and paint. About 1100.00 later it was fixed again. Ended up realizing where I live it is just not that practical for a sports car and especially a seasonal car. Traded for a 23 392 XR Jeep.

As far as springs on the doors, I won't mess with the torsion type after hearing horror stories of people getting smoked. They store so much energy. The garage door guy told me this old guy bought a spring to replace and was winding it up to attach it to the door. He got wrapped up in it when the rod he was using to wind it slipped out of the hole. Broke his arm in several spots and lacerated the skin on his arm bad. I fix a lot of things at home, but those things I leave to those who do it every day.

 

[NJJeep Guy]

The large torsion springs are the dangerous ones. This spring is easily replaced. It is only pulled when the door closes.

 

[Gobirat]

The large torsion springs are the dangerous ones. This spring is easily replaced. It is only pulled when the door closes.

Yes, you are correct. When I worked at the power company they had the big overhead commercial doors for the big line trucks. When those things were wound they were dangerous. I heard one break one day walking down the bay with all those doors and it was like a loud firework going off lol

 

[Yzfguy]

How did it come off the rod/pipe? Mine goes through the center of the coil spring and when it broke both halves were still captured on the rod.

Yeah, there is a cable running thru each spring, and this cable actually snapped! Yikes.

 

[sailscall]

You have to apply this to the spring, wheels, chain and tracks twice a year.

 

[NewJLU2019]

I second the use of garage door lube. My big door only had 1 spring and when it blew it was like a bomb. Never fell off. It was about 8 years old.

My garage guy put 2 springs on and gave me a new can of this spray. Been using it regularly and the springs look brand new and have no rust and still twist easily.

Glad it missed your Jeep.

 

[blnewt]

Had our house built in 2003, already on our 4th set of garage springs. I use the door lube and try to keep them oiled up every 6 months. Not sure what else I can do to ensure longevity. It truly is amazing in this age of helmets for anything that kids do, safe toys, safe cars, safe-safe-safe, that they can't so anything more to prevent catastrophic garage spring failure, REALLY!!!!!

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Yeah, there is a cable running thru each spring, and this cable actually snapped! Yikes.

I have not seen that arrangement before. Most I have seen have a 1" pipe running across the top with pulleys on the end and a spring in the middle. When the spring fails the pipe captures it.

 

[Chupacabra]

How did it come off the rod/pipe? Mine goes through the center of the coil spring and when it broke both halves were still captured on the rod.

Don't think his were torsion springs, but the kind that run along the side of the door.

 

[Tool Guy]

You folks need to understand that there are many types of garage door springs. More than the torsion springs that most of you have.

 

[Valpo Jeep]

We broke a torsion spring at the new house this spring so I just went and bought my springs and winding tools. You have to know size and weight of the door to get the right springs and replace both springs. I spent a summer in college working at Wabash Semi Trailer in college so winding was old news to me. Without that experience I would have hired it out.

 

[58Willys]

I did the other door a few years ago. You aren't handling the spring while it's under tension, and make the adjustments while it's not stretched. What could happen?

I was assuming it was a torsion spring that you have pre-load, or wind up. Vertical springs are pretty mild, you’ll be fine on those.

 

[Lightguy]

OMG... So I picked up my new wrangler about 2 weeks ago after a 4 month wait. I absolutely love it. I have the doors off, added a few small mods, I still drive around and can't believe that she is really mine.
I parked in the garage tonight, and my son and I were admiring the jeep and standing around looking at a way to run a wire for a flashlight charger. We went into the basement, shut the door, and BOOM! We hear this explosion. My wife is yelling from upstairs all scared, I didn't know what the hell happened. We go back into the garage and the door spring had snapped. The safety cable that runs thru the spring to keep it safe in case this happens also snapped. Right over the jeep. We had been standing right there about two minutes earlier.
I was afraid to walk around and see damage, I came around the back and the giant heavy spring is on the floor right alongside the jeep, the cable snapped back and was hanging a few feet away. There was sheetrock dust all over the hood. And ZERO damage. I can't believe that spring managed to fly off and avoid smashing anything. My adrenaline is still pumping and I feel so lucky right now. Here I park in the garage to keep the thing safe, right?? So we had the doors put in 20 years ago and I have never even thought about it, but just a heads up if your door opener springs are old you may want to think about changing them out. Off to buy the kit (both new springs and cables) tomorrow. WHEW!!!

Buy lottery ticket!

 

[Yzfguy]

Yes, I have the kind with a spring on each side running along the door track.

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