How Torsion Springs Work

The garage door torsion spring serves as a counterbalance mechanism for the weight of the door. It is made-up of two springs that are wounded tightly on shaft of steel cable fixtures on both sided. The whole apparatus is attached to the upper wall over the electronic garage door. This component can be quite complicated for an amateur. If you don’t have the adequate instructions and training, contact any garage door company in Altadena for professional assistance.

Spring Supports

The springs have 3 supports which includes nylon or steel garage door bearings, 2 ending bearing pieces on each end, and a plate for bearings in the center of it. There is a cone that is stationary and connects to the middle bearing plating. The cone has anopening per each 90 degree position that winds the spring and forces the screws to secure the spring shaft.

Counterbalancing Parts

The counterbalancing garage door cables flow through a roller bracket at the lower door corners to a single notch in the cable’s drum. As the door lifts up, the spring unwinds which makes the housed tension raise the door by rotating the shaft. Within the same movement, the drums on the cable are turned, causing the cable to wrap around the set grooves that are located on the drum. As the door goes back down, the cable releases from the drum while the springs are winded back up to high tension.

Industry Cycles

Due to industry standards, most garage door torsions springs have a capacity between 10,000 and 15,000 cycles (the amount of openings and closes). This gives a performance life of 3-7 years. Most manufactures offer cycle up to 30,000 uses. It is imperative to consider that alterations and additional door weight can reduce the life cycles. If you door had additional windows installed, insulation, or multiple paint coats applied, it will become heavier. These factors will have an adverse effect on the cycles.