Disconnecting a Garage Door Tension Wire

Identify Your Garage Spring Type

• 1

  Put on gloves and safety goggles and wear them throughout the tension spring disconnection process. Examine your garage door system to identify whether you have side-mounted springs or torsion springs.

• 2

  Look at the metal track system for the garage door. If you see long, heavy springs mounted on each side of the track, you have a side-mounted spring system.

• 3

  Observe the front of the garage door if you do not see springs on the sides. If there is a fixed metal shaft running parallel to the top of the door, with a coiled spring, you have a torsion spring system.

• 4

  Turn off all electrical power to the garage door system before starting disconnection steps. Use the corresponding directions to disconnect the springs for your garage door based on the type of spring system you have.

Disconnecting Side-Mounted Springs

• 5

  Open the garage door fully so you can release the tension on the spring before attempting to disconnect it.

• 6

  Release the emergency release rope to disable the door from operating. Attach a C-clamp at a point on the frame or rail right below the edge of the door to keep the door in the open position while you work.

• 7

  Disconnect safety cables, if applicable, from the springs using pliers and/or a screwdriver. Remove the springs from the garage door track and from the pulley unit.

Disconnecting Torsion Springs

• 8

  Lower the garage door into its down position, manually or by using your electric garage door opener. Secure the door in place by screwing a C-clamp on the garage door track underneath the bottom roller.

• 9

  Look at the end of the spring to locate the adjustment collar. The end of the spring that attaches to the collar is movable, and this is where you want to start.

• 10

  Find the setscrew on the collar. This is a large, bolt-like screw that locks the spring in position. There are also open or empty holes on the collar. Find these holes and use one to insert a solid steel metal rod into one of the holes. This will hold the collar in place so you can disconnect the torsion springs.

• 11

  Examine the setscrew to determine what type of screwdriver you will need to fit the setscrew head.

• 12

  Hold the rod tight with one hand, and use the other hand to loosen the setscrew with the appropriate screwdriver. Take the rod and use it to turn the collar counter-clockwise to loosen all the tension from the torsion spring. Remove the torsion spring from the collar.