# Forum Home Renovation The Garden Shed  Roller door tension

## rev

Can someone please describe how to adjust the tension on a manually operated roller door. My garage roller door has lost some spring tension over the years and I'm unsure of how to make the adjustment. I have heard stories of springs "letting go" when this has been attempted leaving the door in the down position unable to be rolled up. :confused: 
Cheers

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## Dan

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ead.php?t=5264

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## Barry_White

Having spent several years installing and repairing roller doors this is the procedure to retension them. 
  It is best attempted with two people if you have not done it before. 
  Have a ladder or something to stand on at each end of the door.  *Make sure the door is rolled up* 
  You need a good pair of Stillsons with sharp teeth at least 18" long. 
  Start at one end and ensure the axle clamp bolts are tight. 
 Go to the other end and loosen the axle clamp bolts and grip the axle with the stillson with the handle pointing up at about 45 degrees and make sure the stillsons has gripped the axle. 
  Next get your offsider to loosen the axle clamp bolts on the other end. 
  Then turn the axle about a 1/4 to 1/2 a turn and then get your offsider to tighten the axle clamp bolts. 
  Then tighten the axle clamp bolts on the other end. 
 This should be enough to give the door adequate tension. If not just repeat the procedure but don't over tension because when you put the door down it will want to spring up again.

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## rev

Thanks Bazza and Dan. I'll have a go as soon as I can get swmbo organised to help at one end!

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## Pulpo

I'm certainly no expert in this field. 
I agree with what Barry has advised however. 
I recently installed a large 2nd hand roller door and found if I drilled a small hole in the axle and placed a screw driver or the like through the hole it was much easier to hold and place tension on the axle, also one person could do the job. 
Because I was tensioning the roller door from scratch I would have needed a  couple of rotations of the axle requiring two people and two stillsons if doing it the normal method. 
You may find that a hole is present in the axle already. 
Trial and error will get the right tension, too much the door lifts, not enough the door is hard to lift. 
Regards 
Pulpo

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## rev

Great tip Puplo! Greenie for you my friend! 
I didn't have stilsons but a hole through the axle did the trick perfectly. I'm surprised what a difference only a quarter turn made to improve the door tension. Cheers

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## Barry_White

> Because I was tensioning the roller door from scratch I would have needed a couple of rotations of the axle requiring two people and two stillsons if doing it the normal method. 
> Pulpo

   Just as a point if you are installing a second hand door from scratch you actually roll the door up tight and tie it with a rope in the centre. You then place the door on the brackets sitting in the saddles, place the axle clamps on and tighten them up and let the door hang where it wants to, that is usually with the bottom rail hanging at the bottom of the roll. 
 You then give the door basically two turns and holding the door handle with one hand and untie the rope with the other hand and pull the curtain about half way down the opening and it should stay there. You then just install the guides and the door should have the right tension on it..

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## Billspin

I am interested in fitting a secondhand sectional panel garage door, I think it has 4 panels and is made by B & D. does anyone have a procedure for this?

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## Barry_White

> I am interested in fitting a secondhand sectional panel garage door, I think it has 4 panels and is made by B & D. does anyone have a procedure for this?

    Bill 
  Is the door completly disassembled. It would be better if it is. 
 Another point is there other access to the garage because once you start you can't get out of the garage until the the door is completly installed and operational. 
 Also what are you fitting it to. Brick, Timber or Steel. 
 I can set out how to do this but need to know those few things. I also spent several years installing these.

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## TassieKiwi

Proceed with caution, and you will need a hand.  I did this by myself, on a big 5x2.7 job.  Had a cunning method involving a bar, pipe and sockets.  Did a beautiful job too.  I was just finishing the tightening of the second clamp when WHAM!  The axle let go, the pipe whizzed round millimetres in front of my face like an F-16 with afterburners on, and shot up into the roof, almost piercing the colourbond, ricochet'd around the shed a bit, and fell to the floor.  I was on the ladder, like this.... .  I still don't know what happened - I think that the twisting had raised a burr on the axle, and it was sitting on this as I tightened the clamp.  Dunno.  It would have been bloody funny to watch (I'm smiling now)  but I cringe to think what might have been....

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## Billspin

I have had my computer down for a week, so have been unable to thank Bazza for his offer of help in fitting a panel lift garage door.Thanks Bazza, I have decided to fit a roller shutter door as the garage is a lot wider than the door opening so the rails would have to be supported from the roof. The roof is a simple sloping structure just rafters and battens and nthing horizontal.I have no doubt yr advice on roller shutter doors will be of great help.-------Billspin

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## soundman

Bazza, why don't you give us the procedure anyway. You never know when you will need this sort of information.
cheers

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## Barry_White

Here Goes. I will treat it as if it is a new door. 
 The first thing is to attach the wheel brackets and hinges to the panels. The bottom panel is the one with the rubber seal on on one side, this sits on the ground.  
  The bottom panel has wheels attached to both the top and the bottom of the panel. 
 The wheels on the bottom are just attached to a bracket. The wheels are attached to about a 100mm long pin and they just float in the bracket. The bracket for the wheels on the top of the panel is actually the hinge for the next panel which has holes in it to take the pin on the wheel. 
 The hinges for the middle of the door are just a flap hinge and the wider the door the more hinges there are across width of the door and are spaced about 1200mm apart. 
 The hinges for the ends of the panels are specific for each panel because the holes for the wheel pin are further away from the back of the door as they get higher up the door because the tracks for the wheels lean away from the wall where they are attached. This so as the door rises it moves away from the wall. 
  All the hinges from the second panel up are attached to the top of the door before starting installing the door. 
 Once all the hinges are attached you then attach the the wall brackets to the verticle tracks remembering the angle brackets point away from the door opening. The number of wall brackets is determined by the height of the door. This is easy to work out as the tracks are pre-punched with holes for the position of the brackets. The holes in the brackets are elongated to allow the track to lean back. 
  Attach the lock mechanism to the second panel, the position is indicated by some holes in the panel. 
  Once all the brackets and the lock are attached you can commence installing the door.  *At this point it is important to remember that if the garage does not have any other access you must make sure that you have all the tools and ladders you require inside the garage because once you start you cannot get out until the door is completely installed and operational other wise you will have to pull it apart again to get out.* 
  First of all attach the loop on the lifting cables to the special pins on the bottom of the bottom panel. 
 You then start by leaning the bottom panel against the bottom of the opening and then slide each verticle track over the top and bottom wheels on the panel and fix the tracks to the wall with dynabolts,Tec Screws or coach screws depending on the construction of the garage eg. brick, steel or timber. 
 Once the tracks are fixed vertically side ways you then start to install the other panels onto the tracks sliding the wheels down from the top of the tracks resting the panel on the one below and bolt up the hinges for the panels as you go. 
 Before you install the top panel you have to fit the 1/4 curved tracks to the top of the verticle tracks. These actually bolt onto the top wall bracket which is also attached to the top of the verticle tracks. Then slide the wheels of the top panel into the end of the 1/4 curved tracks and sit it on the second top panel and attach the hinges. The wheels on the top panel are fixed to an angle bracket that has a sliding adjustment on the wheel so as to be able to make the top panel verticle because the top wheels sit partly up the 1/4 curved tracks. 
 The horizontal tracks are then fitted to the other end of the 1/4 curved tracks. You will have to support the back end of the track on a ladder or by some rope from roof the joists.  
  You may have to install some noggins between the joists at the back end of the tracks to support them. 
 With a new door they usually have some perforated angle and strap to make up braced support for the end of the tracks to suspend them from the roof or ceiling. If not it can be made up from 1" x 1" angle. You have to ensure that the tracks are square to the door and parrallel to each other. 
 The next process is to assemble the lifting gear. You will have an axle pipe, three angle plates with ball races attached,two alloy cable wheels, 1 left 1 right,nuts bolts and washers and 1 to 4 coil springs depending on the size of the door. 
 These items are assembled loosely on the axle. One bearing bracket goes in the centre then depending on the number of the coil springs which are either left or right handed. If there is only one it will go on one side of the centre bracket and the side depends on whether it is a left or a right hand spring.  
 If there are two springs they go either side of the centre bracket and are bolted to the centre bracket. If there are more than two springs they go on
 the axle next facing the centre springs then the other two bearing brackets go on either end of the axle. Then the alloy cable wheels go on either ends of the axle after the angle brackets. 
 All this assembly is then lifted up rested on the top of the tracks up above the door. The centre bracket is first fixed to the wall above the door and then the two end brackets are fixed and positioned on the axle so that the will be clear of the alloy cable wheels and the inside edge of the cable wheel is in line with the edge of the door. Make sure that the axle is horizontal when fixing the end brackets. 
 The ends of the lifting cables are then pulled up the outside of the door wheels and bolted to the alloy cable wheels through the loops on the end of the lifting cables so that they wind on from the outside to the inside. The slack of the cables is wound onto the wheel so that the cable is tight and the set screws in the wheels are tightened onto the axle. 
  Attach the lock plates to the verticle tracks to ensure the door will be locked.  *Now comes the dangerous part. For this you will need two 1/2" dia steel rods about 15" long and a spanner to fit the set screws on the end of the springs. Ensuring you are on a good ladder insert one of the rods in a hole in the fitting on the end of the spring and push upwards about a 1/4 of a turn then insert the other rod in the next hole and push up another 1/4 of a turn and keep repeating this until you have done about eleven 1/4 turns and then lock off the set screw onto the axle. Repeat this for however many springs there are.* 
  Hopefully there should be enough tension to lift the door. If not you may have to put a couple of extra turns on the springs. 
  Make sure that the door is locked before tensioning the springs. 
  I hope all this doesn't sound like Chinglish.

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## soundman

perfectly cleer. I'm sure someone will find this info a life saver.
cheers

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