If your garage door feels heavy, slams shut, or refuses to stay halfway open, the springs are probably out of balance. Many homeowners in League City, Texas search for how to tighten garage door springs hoping for a simple fix.

You absolutely can learn what is going on and handle some basic checks yourself. But you also need to understand one important fact:

Garage door springs are under high tension. If you get this wrong, you can be seriously hurt.

This diy guide will walk you through:

• How your garage door spring system works
• How to tell if you should adjust the spring or call a pro
• The safest way to test and make minor adjustments
• When to stop and bring in an expert who specializes in garage door repair

Throughout this guide, we will keep it simple, clear, and focused on safety so you can make smart decisions about your own door.

How a Garage Door Spring System Actually Works

Before talking about how to tighten or loosen anything, you need to know what you are dealing with.

The basics of a garage door spring

Your garage door is heavy. The weight of the door is carried by a spring (device) that stores energy so the door can lift smoothly.

Most modern homes use one of two setups:

Garage door torsion springs

A torsion spring or standard torsion springs sit on a torsion bar above the top of the door, mounted to the wall.

• As the door closes, the springs are wound and springs store energy using torsion (mechanics) 
• instead of stretching.
• When the door opens, that stored energy helps lift the door.

Extension springs

These are mounted along the sides of the door and stretch out as the door closes. They are usually paired with a safety cable that runs through the spring to prevent it from flying if it breaks.

If you have a double-spring garage door with two springs on the torsion bar, each side shares the door weight. A single spring system only has one torsion spring.

Why spring tension matters

Each torsion spring is sized for the size and door weight of your particular door. The right spring stores the correct amount of energy.

• Too little spring tension: the door feels heavy, the opener struggles, and the door won’t stay open partway.
• Too much tension: the door may fly open too fast, or the door closes too hard against the floor.

When spring tension needs adjustment, you have to increase or decrease tension evenly so the door stays smooth and balanced.

Common Signs Your Garage Door Springs Need Attention

Before you try to adjust garage door springs, look for these warning signs that the springs need help or replacement.

How the door feels and moves

You can learn a lot just by how the door feels and sounds:

• The door feels heavy or the door is too heavy to lift by hand.
• The door opens, but only with a lot of effort from the opener.
• The door closes too quickly or hits the floor hard.
• The door feels jerky or lopsided when you raise the door.
• The door won’t stay halfway open when you test the door manually.

These symptoms often mean spring tension needs to be adjusted or that you have broken springs that need replacement springs installed.

Simple test to check the door’s balance

1. Unplug the opener so it cannot move unexpectedly.
2. Pull the emergency release to leave the opener disconnected.
3. Lift the door to about 3 to 4 feet (about a foot of door height below halfway).
4. Gently let go and test the door.
   

What to watch for:

• If the door holds its position, spring tension is close to correct.
• If the door drops and feels heavy, the springs need more tension.
• If it rises on its own, you need to decrease tension.

This is how you check the door’s basic balance before you make adjustments.

Safety First: Why Garage Door Springs Are Under High Tension

There is no way to sugarcoat it: door springs are under high tension and springs are under high tension for a reason. They are carrying most of the weight of the door using stored energy and force.

That means:

• The wrong move can cause springs to unwind suddenly.
• A slipping tool can make a torsion spring snap around the torsion tube to the right or left.
• Set screws or a winding cone can catch skin or pull a tool out of your hand.

If you are not confident, do not adjust the spring on your own. It is safer and often cheaper in the long run to call home repair pros or a local garage door company with the correct tools.

At Level Up Garage Door, we strongly recommend that any homeowner who is unsure, uncomfortable with ladders, or missing proper tools call for professional garage door repair services instead of trying spring work alone.

Tools You Need Before Adjusting Garage Door Torsion Springs

If you are still considering a do-it-yourself approach, you must gather the right tools and follow safety rules.

Correct tools for the job

For torsion spring adjustments, you will need:

• Two solid winding bar tools made of steel or rebar that fit snugly into the winding cone holes
• A sturdy ladder placed to the side of the spring, not directly under it
• A high quality plier or pliers to help hold parts in place
• A fixed Screwdriver only for covers or brackets – never use screwdrivers as winding tools
• A suitable wrench to loosen the set screws on the winding cone
• Safety glasses and gloves

You must follow safety at every step:

• Stand to the side of the spring, not in line with it.
• Make sure the ladder is stable against the wall or floor.
• Always keep one winding bar fully seated in the winding cone before moving the other.

Remember: never use screwdrivers or use screwdrivers as a replacement for real winding bars. They can slip out of the cone and cause serious injury.

Step-by-Step: How to Inspect and Prepare Your Garage Door

Before you add or release spring tension, you need to inspect the whole spring system and hardware.

1. Disconnect power and opener

• Unplug the opener from the outlet.
• Pull the red release cord so the opener disconnected will not move the door.
• Make sure the door is fully closed.

This prevents the overhead garage door from activating while you work.

2. Inspect your torsion spring system

Climb the ladder carefully and look over the whole spring garage setup:

• Look along the torsion tube to the right and left to see the full spring system.
• Check each torsion spring for gaps, rust, or areas where the springs are wound unevenly.
• Look at the end of each spring near the winding cone and side of the spring for cracks or damage.
• Check each set screw that clamps the cone onto the torsion bar.
• Make sure each cable on the drum is in its groove and not frayed.
• Confirm that the safety cable is secure if you have extension springs.
• Check for wear on brackets, fasteners, and any loose screw or nut.

If you see a visible break, separation, or missing chunk in the spring, you are not tightening or loosening anything – you need replacement springs installed by a professional.

How to Adjust the Tension on Torsion Springs (Advanced DIY Only)

If your torsion spring system is intact and you are comfortable proceeding, here is a clear outline of how to adjust the tension. This section is for educational purposes and experienced DIYers only.

1. Secure the door and work area

• Make sure the door is fully down and touching the floor.
• Use C-clamps or locking pliers on the tracks just above the bottom rollers to hold the door.
• Double-check that no one will try to use the garage door while you work.

This step helps prevent the door from moving if something slips.

2. Position the winding bars safely

On the end of the spring, find the winding cone with holes for the winding bars.
Insert the first winding bar fully into a hole in the cone.

• Make sure the bar is seated all the way, not halfway.
• Use your body weight to hold the bar firmly so it cannot twist away suddenly.

The rebar or steel bars act as levers to turn the spring in a controlled way.

3. Loosen the set screws carefully

With one winding bar in place:

• Slowly loosen the set screws in the cone using your wrench.
• Keep firm control of the winding bar as the spring may push back a little.

Never loosen both set screws with no bar in the cone. The springs safely hold a lot of energy and can spin out of control without warning.

4. Determine direction: adding tension vs release spring tension

To make adjustments:

• To increase or decrease tension, you will either be adding tension (making the spring tighter) or letting tension out.
• For most standard torsion springs mounted above the top of the door:

• To spring tighter and increase tension, you typically turn the spring up, lifting the winding bar toward the ceiling.
• To release spring tension and loosen, you rotate the bar downward.

The exact direction depends on which side of the door you are on and how the springs are wound. The mistake of turning the wrong way can cause spring breakage or imbalance, so move carefully and slowly.

5. Make tiny moves: one-quarter turn at a time

When you adjust the spring:

• Move the winding bar a quarter turn at a time.
• After each quarter turn on one spring, move to the second spring if you have a double spring system and repeat the same turn on each side.
• Do not crank big changes all at once.

Most of the time, one or two quarter turns on a double spring system is all that is needed to correct a small balance issue. Trying to fix everything at once can throw the entire system off.

How to Tighten or Loosen Springs on a Double-Spring Garage Door

A double-spring garage door is common on wider doors in League City, Texas. If you have two torsion springs on the bar:

• You must adjust both evenly so the door weight is shared correctly.
• After each adjustment, hold the door steady and test carefully.

Steps to balance a double spring system

1. With the door secured, adjust the first spring by one quarter turn.
2. Tighten the set screws on that spring lightly so the cone does not move.
3. Move to the second spring and adjust the spring the same amount and direction.
4. Retighten its set screws.
5. Remove clamps, then gently lift the door partway and test the door balance.

If the door feels better but still slightly off, repeat the process in very small increments. Always keep the two springs balanced to prevent the door from twisting and to prevent the door from binding on the tracks.

When You Should Not Adjust Garage Door Springs Yourself

Some situations are not safe for DIY adjustments, even with the correct tools:

• You see obvious broken springs or missing coils.
• The spring system looks badly rusted or worn.
• The cables are frayed, loose, or off the drums.
• You are not fully sure which direction to turn the spring.
• The ladder feels unstable or you are uncomfortable at that height.

In these cases, the safest choice is to bring in an expert who specializes in garage door systems. Trying to save a little money by tightening old, cracked springs can lead to dangerous spring breakage.

If you feel stuck, you can also review other guides like how to adjust garage door springs online, but remember those are general guides and not tailored to the exact condition of your door.

Fine-Tuning: How to Check the Door Manually After Adjustments

Once you have adjusted the torsion spring system:

1. Make sure the set screws on each cone are firmly tightened against the torsion bar.
2. Remove any clamps or pliers from the tracks.
3. With the opener still unplugged, lift the door by hand and feel how it moves.

Notice how the door feels:

• If it stays about where you leave it at mid-height, you are close to correct.
• If the door feels heavy and drops, you may need a tiny increase in tension.
• If the door rises on its own, you may need to decrease tension slightly.

Your goal is to have the spring tension matched to the weight of the door so the door working smoothly is easy for both you and the opener.

When you are satisfied:

• Gently close the door.
• Reconnect the opener to the door.
• Plug the opener back in and reconnect the opener carriage.
• Run the door a few times with the garage door opener and watch closely as the door opens and the door closes.

If something looks or sounds wrong, disconnect power again and call for professional help before continuing garage door use.

Special Note on Extension Springs and Safety Cables

If your system uses extension springs along the sides:

• Always make sure a safety cable runs through the center of each spring and is anchored at both ends.
• Never remove the safety cable just to make it easier to adjust the spring.

These systems also use tension, but they behave differently than torsion springs and can whip around if a cable or hook fails.

Because of the extra moving parts and the risk of parts flying, many homeowners prefer to hire a pro to work on extension systems as well.

Why The Right Spring and Setup Matter for Long-Term Spring Life

Every spring is designed for a certain cycle life and specific door weight. Using the right spring:

• Extends spring life and reduces wear.
• Keeps the opener from straining on every cycle.
• Helps prevent early failures and costly damage.

If your springs were not sized properly, or if somebody installed the wrong parts in the past, you may find that no amount of adjustment will make the door behave correctly. In that case, replacement springs properly matched to size and door weight are the best fix.

This is another reason why having a trained technician from a local garage door team look at the system can save you money over a year from garage ownership rather than fighting the same problem again and again.

When To Call Level Up Garage Door For Professional Garage Door Repair

You do not have to do this alone. If you are in League City, Texas and any of the following are true, it is time to call in help:

• You do not have the correct tools, especially real winding bars.
• You are unsure how to safely adjust the spring or which direction to move it.
• Your cables look worn, frayed, or off their drums.
• You see obvious cracks, gaps, or broken coils.
• After a few careful adjustments, the garage door working is still not smooth.

Our team handles springs safely every day. We know how to diagnose the cause, whether the springs need adjustment, replacement, or if there is a deeper problem with the hardware, tracks, or garage door opener.

To learn more about what a pro visit looks like, you can read about our professional garage door repair services and how we troubleshoot springs, cables, openers, and more.

Final Thoughts: Know Your Limits, Protect Your Home

Learning how to tighten garage door springs and how to adjust the tension can help you:

• Understand what your overhead garage door is doing
• Talk clearly with technicians
• Decide when a diy adjustment is realistic and when it is not
  

Remember the key takeaways:

• Springs store powerful energy, so always respect that force.
• Only make very small changes, one quarter turn at a time, if you adjust the spring yourself.
• Never loosen the set screws without a winding bar fully seated in the cone.
• Never use screwdrivers as winding tools.
• If the door feels wrong or unsafe at any point, stop and call a professional.

If you want a safer, more reliable door without the risk and stress of DIY, reach out to a trusted local team in League City, Texas for help. A trained technician can diagnose the root cause, set the springs correctly, and make sure the entire system – from springs and cables to opener and tracks – is tuned to keep your home secure.

Use this guide to learn how to adjust garage systems more confidently, but do not hesitate to protect yourself and your family by bringing in an expert when springs need more than a minor tweak.