Garage door spring installation

[JDgreen227]

Helped my neighbor with his overhead door the other day, one of the springs on his 16 foot door broke and I offered to replace both of them for him. When I released the tension on the unbroken spring and proceeded to remove both springs, I found that the original door installation crew had tightened the set screws on both springs and the cable pulleys to such an extent they actually deformed the tube by crushing it in about a quarter of an inch. I have done dozens of spring replacements but never saw any set screws tightened to that extent. Maybe I am doing it wrong but I have never seen any torque value given for the set screws and I tended to err on the side of caution because I was worried about breaking the aluminum pulleys or winding cone of the spring.

What's your opinion, thanks.

 

[hhsco]

Last time I installed springs the instructions specifically said not to tighten them so much that you "crush" the tube. A little dent is fine but if you tighten them to the point of deformation there is risk of the set screw actually penetrating the tube...which ain't good. I'd say if none of the springs you've wound ever came spinning apart then you're tightening them just fine!

 

[jaotguy]

I'd say if none of the springs you've wound ever came spinning apart then you're tightening them just fine!

Ditto

I've seen them with crushed tubes, and the alum rollers with stripped threads/ cracks... and one time I drilled and pinned a roller to save it ( unable to locate a replacement for a really old system) .... a lot of ham fisted installers out there.