Spring measure kit
Rigid ruler and visual guide.
I Can HandymanNEW PROJECTGarage-door project check
Step 1
Start with the situation.
Create a local project record. No account is required for the free beta.
Project details
Tell us who is using the tool and what the door is doing.
Stop and keep clear: Do not operate or force a door with a broken spring, loose cable, off-track roller, hanging section, or unstable movement. Springs, cables, drums, cones, and bottom brackets can release stored energy.
Step 2
Show the whole setup.
Stay on the floor when possible, use camera zoom, and keep hands and tools out of the spring/cable area.
Required identification photos
The frame turns green when resolution and lighting are usable. It does not approve the repair.
Start with the full header photo. The app will not assume a standard torsion setup from a close-up.
Retailer is a routing clue only. Confirm the manufacturer and model from the door label before matching parts.
Step 3
Measure. Then cross-check.
A direct ruler reading is the primary measurement. A known-size object is only a secondary photo reference because perspective can distort scale.
How do you want to check the spring?
Pick the closest route. You can switch without losing the saved project.
Use a rigid ruler or tape measure. A U.S. dollar bill may be included in the photo as a rough scale reference only; final matching still requires a direct measurement.
20-coil wire-size check
Measure the length of 20 consecutive coils. Do not enter the danger zone or move, unwind, loosen, or remove hardware to obtain a reading.
Wire-size candidateWaiting for measurement
NOT READY10,000-cycle baselineAt four full cycles per day, that is about 6.8 years of theoretical cycle use. Actual life varies with system design, installation, environment, balance, and maintenance.
The result remains a candidate until the photos, inside diameter, length, wind, door weight/configuration, drums, track, and cycle target are reviewed.
Measure the broken spring, verify the complete door. When two springs are installed, record both sides separately from a safe position. Do not assume the remaining spring matches, that an existing mismatch was correct, or that two common-brand systems are interchangeable. A qualified supplier or technician must match the complete door weight/configuration, drums, track, wind, torque, balance, and selected cycle-life target as one engineered system.
Spring size not confirmedComplete the selected route and review the result before building the final list.
Step 4
Parts and tool readiness.
The public beta builds a candidate list. It does not authorize high-tension work or take payment.
Safe inspection tools
Confirm what you have before collecting identification evidence.
Qualified installer tool check
Professional-only readiness record. A checked box does not verify training or unlock high-tension instructions.
Professional only: Do not pound, loosen, wind, or remove loaded spring hardware. Penetrant is not permission to force seized parts.
Candidate catalog
Exact spring and professional tool availability will connect to your supplier/Stripe catalog later.
Exact-match spring
Dimensions and configuration attached to the request.
Matched winding bars
Bar diameter must match approved winding hardware.
Locking pliers
Professional workflow tool; not permission to perform spring work.
High-cycle conversion review
Compare a matched 25k, 50k, or higher-cycle package. Never selected from length alone.
Nylon roller set
Stem, diameter, count, track, and hinge photos required.
Bottom seal match
Retainer profile and door width required. Bottom-fixture work stays pro-only.
Safety sensor pair
Opener brand, model, connector, and current sensor photos required.
Long shaft / specialty part
ZIP-based pickup or partner delivery for items impractical to parcel-ship.
Project parts list
- No items yet.
Not ready to continueConfirm spring data and qualified-installer readiness first.
Step 5
Situation help library.
Free beta guidance is available now. Private walkthrough video playback will use expiring Access IDs after Cloudflare Stream and payments are connected.
Have an Access ID?
Beta access validation is not active yet. Production IDs will start their 48-hour or seven-day clock when first opened.
System-specific guide
Standard center-mounted torsion spring
Maintenance alertStay out of the path of torsion springs when inspecting or repairing garage doors.
Assume loaded hardware can slip or fail: keep your head, hands, clothing, and body out of the path of the winding cone and spring. Do not touch or approach a loaded cone.
Older or mismatched winding cones: stop. Crawford, McKee, proprietary, damaged, modified, or unknown cones require a qualified garage-door professional. Never use an undersized, ground-down, modified, or improvised winding bar.
Homeowners: legacy Crawford and McKee systems. Do not remove, install, repair, adjust, unwind, or wind the torsion assembly. Keep clear, photograph the identification marks from a safe position, and call a trained door-system technician.
Technicians: legacy Overhead Door, BarCol, and Raynor systems. Brand name alone does not identify compatible cones, bars, spring engineering, or procedures. Verify the exact model and manufacturer instructions; stop if any component, tooling, or procedure is unknown or mismatched.
Inconsistent cone holes or excessive bar movement: stop. Homeowners must not insert a bar to test cone play. A qualified technician who discovers inconsistent fit, looseness, or unexpected movement must keep clear, unload only under the exact manufacturer procedure, and route incompatible legacy hardware for professional correction.
No universal replacement sequence: this public guide does not tell a homeowner to unwind, wind, loosen, strike, or remove loaded spring hardware.
Match this system first
- Exposed spring or pair above the door
- Stationary cones at the center anchor bracket
- Cable drums near the end bearing plates
- Cables route toward the bottom fixtures
Route to a different guide
- Low-headroom or outside-lift drums
- EZ-Set winding hardware
- Covered TorqueMaster tube
- Crawford, modified, or unknown hardware
- Stop operationDo not run a door with a broken spring, loose cable, off-track roller, hanging section, or unstable movement.
- Capture identityPhotograph the full header, both ends, markings, drums, cable path, track profile, and door label.
- Measure and cross-checkRecord safe-position dimensions; never assume the old springs were correct.
- Route the jobUse the exact system guide or send the packet to a qualified garage-door professional.
Use current local quotes; do not present an old national average as a live price.
PHOTO 1Standard center assembly
PHOTO 2Drum, bearing plate, cable path
PHOTO 3Low-headroom / outside lift
PHOTO 4EZ-Set hardware
PHOTO 5Crawford / unknown hardware
PHOTO 6Markings and safe ruler view
Available and planned situations
Video titles can be visible publicly; the actual video and detailed gated workflow remain private.
Photo-eye sensor check
Free checklist • alignment evidence • final obstruction/reversal test
Remote programming
Model identification • manufacturer path • completion proof
External receiver setup
Compatibility • power boundary • programming and final test
Opener gear and sprocket
Verified lane • model-specific manual • electrical isolation evidence
Panel identification and swap
Door identity • exact section match • structural and tension boundaries
Spring system identification
Free measurements and parts request; high-tension procedure is verified-pro only
Open identification guideFull door installation
Future verified lane • opening/site survey • manufacturer installation plan
Step 6
Finish with evidence.
The project stays open until all relevant checks are captured. Never stand or place an object under a moving door for a test.
Garage-door opener power step
Use this after the mechanical work and visual checks are complete—not while identifying or working around loaded hardware.
1Close the door and disconnect all opener powerUnplug the opener. If it has battery backup, follow its manual to disconnect that power too. For a hardwired opener, switch off the correctly identified breaker only if you can do so safely; otherwise stop and call a qualified technician or electrician.
2Disengage the opener only with the door fully closed and stableClear everyone and everything from the opening. Use the model's emergency-release instructions; never release an open, falling, visibly damaged, or unstable door. If the door cannot be safely closed, stop and call a trained door-system technician.
3Clear and visually confirm the doorStop for loose cables, unstable sections, binding, or anything outside the manufacturer procedure.
4Plug in the garage-door openerUse its grounded receptacle only when the door is stable and a qualified check permits powered operation.
5Photograph the power stateShow the opener plug and receptacle clearly, or show that it remains unplugged because the job was stopped.
Final evidence
Only perform tests permitted by the manufacturer and within your qualifications. Stop if movement is uneven, noisy, jerky, unstable, or cables appear loose.
Project still openComplete the required evidence before closing.