Why you should never use makeshift tools on a spring
Screwdrivers, rebar and pliers can slip or snap under spring torque and become projectiles. Why proper winding tools matter and why springs need a technician.
A garage door spring stores enough energy to hurt or kill, and a tool that slips under that load can fly. This guide explains why makeshift tools fail and why the right answer is a trained technician, not a better improvised tool.
What a torsion spring stores
Garage door springs hold the door's weight in tension. Clopay says springs store immense tension and can cause severe injury or death if not handled properly. DASMA, the door manufacturers' association, calls springs arguably the most important and most dangerous part of the door, and says spring systems should be repaired only by trained professionals.
On a torsion system, the spring is wound on a shaft and held by a winding cone at the end of the coil. Adjusting it means turning the cone against the spring's force, a few steps at a time. A tool in that cone is carrying a heavy, springing load. If you are not sure which type you have, see torsion vs extension springs.
Why makeshift tools fail
Manufacturer instructions for torsion systems call for approved steel winding bars of the correct diameter. A Wayne Dalton installation manual warns that failure to use only approved steel winding bars of correct diameter can result in severe or fatal injury, and says not to wind springs with screwdrivers or other improvised items.
A door service company that writes on the topic explains the mechanics:
- Screwdrivers have shafts that are undersized and tapered, so they seat only partly in the cone hole. Under load they can snap or cam out mid-stroke.
- Rebar is soft and flexes under load, so it can slip.
- Pliers and similar tools can slip or bend under the torque.
- When a tool fails with the spring partly wound, the cone can spin violently and the tool can whip through the space where your head and forearms are.
That source lists the injuries as fractured forearms and hands, facial injuries and finger amputations. It describes real winding bars as solid cold-rolled steel, sized to fit the cone holes snugly. That is one company's account, and the injury list is theirs, but it is consistent with the manufacturer's warnings.
Other ways a spring job goes wrong
Tools are only one hazard. The same manufacturer warns that winding in the wrong direction can cause spring fittings to release and could result in severe or fatal injury. DASMA says the number of turns should always follow the door manufacturer's installation instructions, and that a dropped or thrown torsion spring can crack its cast fittings and injure the installer.
Other parts are also dangerous. DASMA says lift cables on the bottom brackets, and brackets connected to the springs, are under extreme tension and should be handled only by a trained door systems technician. A door with a broken spring can also fall. For the signs, see signs a spring is broken.
The wrong spring is another risk. Springs have to match the door's weight and height. See replace one spring or both and what a spring replacement visit involves.
What you can safely check
There is nothing about a spring that you need to touch to get it fixed. What you can do from the floor, with the door at rest:
- Look for a gap or separation in a coil, a stretched spring, or rust.
- Look at the cables for fraying or slack.
- Take photos of the spring area, the ends of the springs and any labels.
- Keep people and pets away from the door.
Do not operate the door to see what is wrong, and do not climb a ladder to look closer. If a spring has broken, the door is heavy and can drop.
When to stop and bring in a technician
If you are reading this because you are thinking about doing a spring job yourself, the answer is to stop. Bring in a technician if:
- A spring has broken, or you suspect it has.
- You were told a spring needs more or less tension, or the door will not stay open partway.
- A cable is frayed, or a bracket looks loose or bent.
- You have bought a spring online and are not sure how to fit it.
- You have started a job and are not sure of the next step. Step back and do not touch the winding cone or bars.
We replace garage door springs. Our technicians use the proper tools, confirm the cause before replacing anything, and size the springs to your door. See spring replacement and cable repair.
No tool makes this a DIY job
DASMA says spring replacement should only be performed by a trained door systems technician. Buying correct winding bars does not replace the training.
Related services
Sources
Need a technician?
If something on your door looks damaged, stay clear and let a technician handle it.
Questions and answers
Can I wind a spring with a screwdriver if I am careful?
No. Screwdrivers do not seat fully in the winding cone and can snap or slip under load. A Wayne Dalton manual specifically says not to wind springs with screwdrivers or improvised items.
What are the right tools for winding a torsion spring?
Manufacturers call for approved steel winding bars of the correct diameter. That does not make the job safe for an untrained person, which is why DASMA says to use a trained technician.
Is there a spring system that does not use winding bars?
One source mentions a Wayne Dalton system wound with a drill. That is a manufacturer-specific design with its own instructions, and it is still technician work.
What if I have already started and the spring is partly wound?
Step away and do not touch the cone or the bars. Keep people clear of the door. A technician needs to finish or reverse the job safely.
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