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eatatjoz
Premium Member
join:2002-06-16
Mayflower, AR

2 recommendations

eatatjoz to Sbrav77

Premium Member

to Sbrav77

Re: Garage Door Cables keep coming loose

Is your top section creased? If so, you'll need to add a strut in addition to these instructions or get a new section.
This is based on a 7' high door with a normal spring setup. No low headroom stuff or any weird out of the ordinary counter balance system.

Get enough 1/2" cold roll steel bar to make two 18" winding bars. If you decide to use screwdrivers or 3/8 drive extensions, your stupid and don't need to touch the thing.
I'm assuming that you're not because you have wound them once already.

I think your problem is either 1: the door is creased, 2: incorrect tension or wound backwards. 3: God only knows, because I'm not looking at the door.

You're going to need to unwind the springs and start from scratch, so either raise the door and pop the cables off the drums like you did before,and lower it back down, or unwind them with it on the floor. DO NOT back the set screws off without a winding bar in place. I've seen one guy that lost three fingers because he just backed the set screws off with a wrench and was trying to hold the spring with his hand.

LOCK THE DOOR, AND RELEASE THE OPENER.

Now that you're unwound, loosen the set screws on the drums,
and set the door parallel to the tracks. You can use a block of wood or something under the door. If it's already sitting correctly, your concrete guys did a good job and I haven't seen much of that in years.

Starting with the left side, wrap your cable around the drum.

While holding the drum with the cable taught, set a pair of vice-grips on the shaft so that it doesn't move.

wind the cable around the right drum, and set the screws on it. Once they touch the tube/shaft, give them another 1/2 to 3/4 turn.

Now we're going to wind the springs to about 7 turns. I generally put 29 to thirty quarters on them and adjust from there.

Wind the springs up, with your body away from the spring. ALWAYS have at least one winding bar in the cone at any given time. Make sure that the bar fits, and is seated fully.

Once you have seven turns on the springs, get off your ladder, put your foot on the bottom of the door and release the lock.

The door shouldn't raise, and should be buoyant. If it jumps get the hell out of the way and let it fuck up something besides you.

Raise the door slowly to the open position without using any real lifting. If it doesn't raise with 5lbs of pressure, you'll throw the cables again and you don't want to be under it.

If all of this is successful, check the jambs for obstructions. If the door flops when raised, it's torn and needs replaced. Don't run the motor until you have raised and lowered it by hand a few times.

I can get more detailed tomorrow when I haven't been drinking, but if you understand what I'm saying, I think you'll be okay.
Just don't get in a hurry, and be very nervous.

A door man is cheaper than an ER visit.

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin

Mod

said by eatatjoz:

Get enough 1/2" cold roll steel bar to make two 18" winding bars

Just a note -- 1/2" steel rod is usually available at the big box stores in 3' lengths.
Sbrav77
Premium Member
join:2004-03-02
Bourbonnais, IL

Sbrav77 to eatatjoz

Premium Member

to eatatjoz
Yes. The door was creased in the center. My buddy that worked on it last time had an L shaped steel bar and pre drilled the bar and then pressed the door panel straight and bolted the steel bar in place. The door closed flush with the seal when he first fixed it so I'm most certain he straightened out the panel.

eatatjoz
Premium Member
join:2002-06-16
Mayflower, AR

eatatjoz

Premium Member

Look between the top two sections (panels) behind the center style, under the operator arm. You'll probably find a tear on those two sections.

Prevailer
Freeze a poopy.
Premium Member
join:2001-10-03
Your Mom

1 recommendation

Prevailer to eatatjoz

Premium Member

to eatatjoz
Great information. Only thing I would really add is a clarification on the "one winding bar in at a time." It's kind of moot since he's got the door fixed but someone else could be reading it. When winding it up, get it high enough that there's a hole pretty much vertical and get the winding bar in that one. That way if something happens, it locks up against the door. Don't start winding up until the bottom one's snug and the top one is completely out. I've seen someone about crack their skull open when they lost a grip on the bottom bar and the top wasn't completely out yet. Luckily he only had a turn or a turn and a quarter on it.