What (Else) To Replace After a Garage Door Spring Breaks

Most people do not realize that factory standard parts on a garage door have a life span of 10,000 cycles.  This includes the springs, rollers, bearings, drums and cables.  The spring is usually the first thing to go which gives you a sign that you had used your garage door at least 10,000 times.  Some people just change a spring but this just causes more problems later on.  It is best at this time to change the springs, rollers center bearing, bearing plates, spring shaft or tube and cables. 

Why You Should Replace Your Remaining Garage Door Parts When Your Spring Breaks

When replacing a spring you should consider replacing the other parts that wear out as well, especially because Garage Door springs work together to ensure a smooth operation.  Just because you can’t see the wear, doesn’t mean it is OK. It will cause further issues which will cost you more money from all the return trips and missed days of work. The life cycle of your garage door parts is about three years. 

The question is, how often do you use your garage door?  By the time a husband goes to work and comes home, a wife goes to work and comes home, kids go to school, take out the trash, go to soccer practice or go grocery shopping you can easily open and close your door 10 times a day which accounts to about 3650 times a year.  If you’re one that uses your door about 10 times a day you might want to consider high cycle springs, nylon ball bearing rollers, new center bearings and end bearing plates and cables. 

An example of this is a standard roller which will lift about 50 pounds and be good for about 10,000 cycles while an 11-ball bearing roller is good for 75 pounds at 15,000 cycles. The best roller, a 13-ball bearing 6200 Z sealed roller, is rated at 100 pounds and good for 100,000 cycles; the cost difference between the rollers is only a couple of dollars.  

There are several types of drums to use- the standard one holds about 530 pounds.  You do have options of drums that will hold 750 pounds and 1500 pounds.  The grooves in the drums wear out from the cables and cause the cables two roll over themselves which in turn causes the cables to fray. This can cause major issues if the cable breaks and can be very dangerous.

Get Help From a Member of Our Team

The most common item on your door that breaks first is the spring, but it is a reminder to change everything else on your doors. Garage door springs are offered in a factory standard 10,000 cycles, 15,000 cycles 25,000 cycles or more.  To get a high cycle spring, the wire size has to be bigger and the spring has to be longer in order to get the same IPPT, (Inch Pounds Per Turn).  I know this sounds complicated, but trust me, you won’t be able to add or remove any turns on the spring. If you have any questions regarding spring size reach out to one of our technicians and they’ll be happy to help! 

Here at Best Overhead Door, we are committed to fixing your door right the first time so you’re not left with any lasting issues.  This is why we offer packages at discounted rates and routine maintenance services so you can come home from work every day knowing that your door will be quiet, reliable and work every time.