Garage door torsion springs are the mechanisms responsible for lifting your garage door when you click the button to open your door. These springs store and release energy and hold the garage doors in place. They are also used in clothespins and clipboards. There are a few different types of garage door torsion springs.
Standard torsion spring
These are found most commonly on residential garage doors and are mounted above the opening of the garage door. A shaft that runs through the middle of the springs supports the spring. Generally garage doors use one spring for lighter doors and two for heavier ones.
Early set torsion spring
These springs are fairly similar to the standard types, but they are mounted in the center of the torsion shaft. The hardware used to install these springs is also different, and the springs are mounted on each end of the torsion shaft next to the cable drums.
Extension spring
Extension springs are fairly common and are installed parallel to the garage door tracks on either side. These springs wrap around the pulleys and attach to an eyebolt (a type of screw) that is mounted on the track.
Steel rolling door torsion spring
These springs are more commonly used in commercial buildings and are the ones that have the torsion spring located within the torsion barrel to support the rolling door.
One-piece curtain door spring
These springs are commonly found used on storage units. The curtain door springs are attached to either side of the torsion rod to hold the weight of the door, meaning there are two springs.
Torque master torsion spring
This is the safest of garage door torsion springs. These springs enclose on the inside of the torsion shaft and are held in place using a winding cone that is at each end of the torsion rod. However, these springs only wind by use of a power drill rather than the traditional winding bar.
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