Please note that garage door hardware, especially springs, can be extremely dangerous if they’re not installed properly. We highly recommend having a professional work on your garage door to avoid serious injury.

1. Measure the Wire Size

To begin, we must first determine the wire size. This is done by measuring 10 coils, then measuring the next 10 coils and referencing the below chart. Ensure there are no gaps between the coils you’re measuring, or the measurements will be incorrect. For best accuracy, measure to the nearest 1/16 of an inch.

2. Measure the Inside Diameter

To determine the diameter of your broken spring, make sure you’re measuring the inside width. If the spring isn’t broken, the diameter can be found on the cone (p175 = 1 ¾” and p200 = 2”). Springs used in residential homes commonly have a 1 ¾” or 2” inside diameter.

3. Measure the Length

To determine the length of your spring, it needs to be unwound. Don’t include the cones within the measurement, and if your spring is in two parts you’ll need to remove the screws and place the ends together for a complete measurement of length.

4. Determine Direction of Wind

A typical residential home uses two torsion springs within the torsion system. The spring on the left is right hand wound (RHW) and the spring on the right is left hand wound (LHW). For ultimate performance, even if only one spring is broken it’s recommended to replace both springs within your torsion system.