Has anybody else ever installed or replaced a garage door.


I can save about 400 bucks in installation fees (about the cost of the CMP Garand I need to order) if I install it myself.


I will have ARlady's help, but have never been through this process.  

Is this something that is not overdifficult, or will I need alot of special tools.  I have basically a complete mechanics toolbox, and all the basic handtools one could use.  I guess I was a little worried about removing and replacing the spring, any input is much appreciated.

thanks for the help.

Was in the same boat 2 years ago. Got all of the way to the spring and had to call a guy. He had some specialized 'spring installer' tools and it still took him several hours.

I am relatively handy, built a deck with a roof, finished our addition, work on my motorcycles, and installed my own wood burning stove (from scratch). This garage door job kicked my ass.

Call an installer an ask if you will get a discount if you do everything but the springs. This may save you $200 to $300.

Good luck

If the door has a long bar with one or two springs on it just above the door when it is closed, those are torsion springs.

If it has two springs hanging in the air over the track rails, those are extension springs.

If you have torsion springs, unwinding the old ones and winding the new ones is very dangerous. It is relatively easy if you have done it before and only requires two bars about 18" long of the correct diameter. Not really special tools. If you do not know how to safely unwind them, you could easily break a wrist or take half your face off. Same thing with winding the new ones.

Plus you have to know which one is right and which is left, if there are two of them. The instructions usually will not tell you how tight to wind them.

If you have tension springs, it is pretty easy. Open the door and put a C-clamp on the track on one side to hold the door open. That takes all the preasure off the springs. Unhook the spring cables and take them out of the way. Hold the door up, remove the clamp, let the door slam down. Not on your foot.

I used to install them for a living so I can help. If the door you buy has extension springs that go along the top track you can do it yourself fairly easy. If it uses the springs that go on the bar above the door and have to be wound you are better off paying to get it done because you can really get hurt winding the springs if you don't have the right size winding bars and don't know what your doing. What size is the door?

thanks guys.  (ARlady here)

we've got the torsion spring crap above the door, so we're gonna go with th professional installation.  [:(]

really appreciate the advice, even if it wasn't what we wanted to hear.  but, hey, at least we'll have our hands and faces for the next shoot! [:D]

Be [b]very[/b] careful of the springs.  A guy in town wears an eye patch and will for the rest of his life because of a spring breaking.

I replaced my own but it was the extension type. A construction friend warned me never attempt to install or remove the torsion type because even when they appear unwound they are not.

One of the extension springs broke at the end when I was rolling down my door. Thank god I was not in the path of the spring, it punched a huge hole in the ceiling! After that I learned about the safety wires that run through the center.