How To Level A Garage Door With Springs

Raise the door and release the garage door opener.

How to level a garage door with springs.

Use two pair of vice grips or two c clamps to clamp the track below the roller. Once your garage door is secured remove the spring hook from the track hanger which will allow you to move the hook and adjust the spring s tension. Under tightening the drums could cause the drum to slip and the door to cock or fall. If the gap is less than an inch make the marks one eighth of an inch apart.

To keep the door from falling it must be clamped to hold it in place. Open it just as wide as you can without hitting the garage door opener s stop bolt and place a clamp on the track on both sides to keep the door in place. Push the door up as far as you can to release the tension on the springs. So with a gap on the left side you will begin leveling on the right side.

If the garage door is level tighten the set screws 3 4 turn past the point at which they meet the hollow shaft. To rise the side of the door that is lower turn the set screws in the drum clockwise. If the door was closing too quickly move the spring to the next higher hole on the bracket. Heavier doors may require an additional 1 4 turn.

If it was opening too quickly move it to the next lower hole. To begin safely you need to open the door but let it lean against something to relieve the tension and avoid things spinning out of control. Climb up to the drum and use a marker to make one mark on the drum and another approximately one fourth of an inch above the mark on the drum if the gap under the door is 1 inch or more. If they have a lot of give you may want to consider replacing them.

Start with the side which is opposite to where the gap is. Remove any safety cables from the springs before loosening the springs themselves. Uneven garage doors may also be the result of issues with torsion springs and their tension so it may be worth adjusting them. Adjust the springs on both sides of the door the same way.

Once the spring is free of tension remove from its track hanger. To adjust your garage door s side mounted springs first open your door fully and secure it in place with a c clamp below the bottom roller.