If you think you need to order new torsion springs it is vitally important that you order the right product for your garage doors. Your torsion springs are an integral part of the mechanics in your garage door, which means the door won’t work correctly and may pose a danger.

The torsion springs are what allows the door to open, close, and remain stationary. They are carrying all the weight of the door and also help to dictate the speed at which the door operates. The coils of torsion springs are constantly winding in and out which will eventually result in wear and tear.

Wind Direction

First of all, you need to know the wind direction of your torsion springs. This part is either right-wound or left-wound. You may want to consider changing out both torsion springs as it is highly probable that the seemingly working spring is nearly the end of its lifespan. Unless your garage door uses reverse torsion, your torsion springs are on the opposite side of a stationary cone. That means the left-wound spring is on the right of the cone and the right-wound spring is on the left.

Wire Size

You will need to measure the wire size of your torsion springs in order to ensure you purchase the correct parts for your door. There is a pretty simple method of determining wire size, which involves measuring along with the distance between 10 and 20 coils. Companies that supply torsion springs will have corresponding measurements recorded on a wire size chart.

Measuring intact torsion springs is also a simple process. You can use 3 paper scraps to determine the wire size quickly and accurately. Put the first scrap of paper between any two coils. Next, count ten coils down and insert the second scrap. The third scrap should then be placed a further ten coils down from the second. Measure from the first to the last scrap and, again, you will have a corresponding measurement from the wire size chart. You can follow the same steps for broken torsion springs so long as there are 20 coils available to provide measurements.