Home > How to Measure a Garage Door Torsion Spring

How to select the right spring

First of all it is very important to have the right spring for your door. If the spring is not matched correctly to the door, it will not work properly and can be dangerous or damage your operator. Make sure that you measure the spring correctly and if you have questions, feel free to email us.

Step 1: Measure the wire diameter

Measure 10 coils and then double check by measuring 20 coils. Below is a chart to help you get the wire size.

Spring Wire Diameter Chart

10 Coil Measurement
20 Coil Measurement
Wire Diameter
1 3/4”
3 1/2”
.177
1 7/8”
3 3/4”
.187
1 15/16”
3 7/8”
.192
2 1/16”
4 1/8”
.207
2 3/16”
4 3/8”
.218
2 1/4”
4 1/2”
.225
2 5/16”
4 5/8”
.234
2 7/16”
4 7/8”
.243
2 1/2”
5”
.250
2 5/8”
5 1/4”
.262
2 3/4”
5 1/2”
.273
2 13/16”
5 5/8”
.283
2 7/8”
5 3/4”
.289
2 15/16”
5 7/8”
.295
3 1/16”
6 1/8”
.306

Step 2: Measure the spring inside diameter.
If the spring is broken you can simply use a ruler to measure the inside of the broken end. If the spring is still in one piece you can measure the outside and deduct the wire size times 2. The most common sizes in residential springs are 1 3/4" and 2".
Step 3: Measure the length of the spring (spring only, not including the winding cone and stationary cone). If the spring is broken, measure each piece and add the measurements together to get the length. If it is still in one piece, it will need to be unwound and be completely relaxed to get the proper measurment.
Step 4: Determine the wind of the spring (right wind or left wind).
Below is an example of the different spring winds. This is probably the most confusing part of the spring ordering prossess, as the RW (Red Cone) spring is typically on the left side of the door and the LW (Black Cone) is on the right side. Be sure to check the winds and not make asumptions.
Left wind torsion springs have the wire ending on the left when viewed from the end of the spring.
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