Source
r/HomeImprovement•
itty53

Garage Door Extension Spring Replacement?

I've got an older garage door, extension spring style, E900 hardware. 2 springs on either side, 4 in total. Each was marked with a Holmes label, SL728. They are lock-ends. These are them.These are them.

They're no longer made. Now Holmes makes the plug-end model, P728. From what I can gather from Google, they connect to the same E900 door hardware, just requiring an additional part to connect both springs to the hardware.

So my question is this: Am I going to need to replace all 4 springs with the new plug-end model, or can I just replace the two on the one side with the broken spring?

Thanks for the help all.

Update: it worked. One side replaced, other still using the old springs. As expected the new hardware was pretty much exactly the same size as the old.

Posted Aug 2, 2022, 7:14 PM UTC · edited

011
gearh•

Replace only what is broken.

3
neonturbo•

On the other hand, I would think that if one broke, the others can't be far behind, and you might get an imbalance side to side from the new to old springs. Ideally replace them all while you are messing around with this so you don't have to go back and do it all later.

Now what would I really do, probably put in the one spring and pray that the others are fine. Maybe I would order one spare spring just in case!

3
itty53OP•

Thing is you have to replace both springs on the one side in order to use the new attachment. So there's no "order a spare", its 2 springs or 4 springs and I'm trying to only buy the two. If I bought the 4 "just in case" I'd just replace all 4. It's a difference of 120 bucks.

1
screaminporch•

Should be fine with just replacing the one side, but while you are at it why not replace all and not have another failure looming?

3
itty53OP•

Thanks. Mostly because I'm recently out of work and would prefer saving 120 bucks.

I'm thinking that if the spring is the same length and weight, and the c hook hardware is designed to replace the slide lock, then they ought to work fine on just the one side. That's what I'm doing, and if things don't work out I'll just have to buy the other set of springs.

Thanks.

1
TraditionalRoutine80•

You might get by a short time with one side. Who knows when the others will snap. Hope no one is in there when it does.

I was always told to replace them in pairs/sets.

2
DifferenceMore5431•

I would replace all 4, the door won't open/close smoothly if the 2 sides are pulling with different amounts.

3
shanihb•

Extension springs can kill if they snap. Whatever you do make sure there’s a safety cable through the middle.

2
shanihb•

From the photos, it looks like you may be able to use a standard extension spring and just transfer the old lock-ends to the new spring.

1
bemytrueself•

If you don't know what you're doing, don't fuck with garage door springs. They will ruin your day.

-1
itty53OP•

If this were a torsion spring you'd be right. This is just an extension spring.

1