When identifying garage door springs to replace broken or damaged originals, you should first check the front and back of the garage door for a manufacturer name. This will help you to narrow down your search to the correct brand. Depending on the manufacturer, you might be able to then identify the spring based on the image alone, but often the springs will all look too similar for this to be error proof. In these situations, you will need to take measurements of the original so you can compare them to the specification online.
When measuring the springs, it is important that the spring is relaxed, otherwise the spring will be extended, and the measurements will be incorrect. If it is a Retractable Garage Door (springs are at the side, and when the door is open, the door slides back completely into the garage) then the spring will be relaxed when the door is open. There should not be any visible gaps between the coils.
The main measurement, which is often incorrectly measured, is the spring length. The hooks/eyelets at each end are not included in the measurement, only the coil body should be measured. Make sure you measure in mm to get a more accurate measurement.
The spring diameter is the next measurement. This is measured from the outside of the coil body, from one side to the other. Again, please measure in mm rather than inches.
The number of coils is the number of times the spring’s wire is coiled around. This is the main body of the spring. There is usually quite a few of these, so it is recommended to count twice to double check you have the correct number.
The spring wire diameter is the distance from one side of the wire to the other side (another way to think of this is the thickness of the wire). Please measure in mm.
Finally, the width of the garage door. Springs used on double width garage doors are usually stronger than springs used on single width doors. A single width door is usually around 8 feet wide, whilst double width doors are 14 feet wide. Please check your door width to ensure you get a spring around the same strength.
If, after taking all these measurements, there is no exact match, it is most likely that the spring you are looking for is obsolete, and no longer made. If there is a spring will similar measurements, you could try it on the door and see if it works, or you could replace the internal mechanism with a new door gear. Whichever you choose, we recommend you contact us so we can advise on the best choice.