6 Steps To Replace The Garage Door Extension Spring And Cable Yourself

If you have some basic DIY knowledge of garage doors, and you are handy with tools. You can safely replace the garage door extension spring and cable yourself. There are six basic steps required to get the job done. All you need is a few tools and ability to follow directions carefully. 

Tools You'll Need

Along with the new spring and cable to replace the old, you need to have a few tools on hand. 

Gloves

Locking Pliers

Crescent wrench

The Six Steps

Carefully following these six steps will lead to successfully replacing an old door extension spring and cable and get your garage door working properly again. 

  1. Unplug the automatic door opener and disengage the trolley. Open the garage door to release tension from extension springs and lifting cables;clamp a pair of locking pliers at each track immediately below rollers for support, so the door doesn't fall.
  2. Disconnect one end of the safety cable; it may be tied or bolted. Using a gloved-hand, grip the spring to prevent it and other hardware from swinging down, and detach the lifting cable's fitting and S-hook from the front track and brace with the free hand. 
  3. Wearing gloves on both hands, and while still holding the lifting cable, lower the spring and pull the lifting cable off the clevis pulley. Unhook the spring from the rear track and the clevis pulley, and attach the new spring to pulley and the rear track brace. 
  4. Remove the bottom fitting to release the stud the holds the cable loop. (The loop may just lift off the stud or may be secured with a cable clamp) Check the new cable's length against the old one and attach it to the door. 
  5. Feed the lifting cable over the stud pulley, through the clevis pulley, and toward the front track. Loop the adjustable fitting onto the cable and attach the S-hook fitting. When cable is attached properly, the pulley should face should be vertical.
  6. Feed the safety cable through the spring and its loop. Reattach it to the brace and repeat on the opposite side. Adjust the tension spring by moving the S-hook to a different hole or rethread cable in fitting as needed. Keep in mind that shortening the cable increase the tension. 

To complete this task, you'll need to know the working parts of the garage door. You should have a garage door manual to refer to at your home to study the different working parts. If you don't feel comfortable completing this task on your own, you can call a garage door contractor from a place like AAA Garage Door, Inc. to replace them for you, even if you get started, but feel like you're in over your head. 


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