Springs · 4 min read
Should You Replace Both Garage Door Springs?
Published
If your door has two torsion springs and one just failed, you'll be asked whether to replace one or both. It's a fair question with a real answer, and it isn't automatically "both."
Why the second spring is usually near the end too
On a two-spring system, both springs were installed at the same time, sized as a matched pair, and have carried the same door through the same number of cycles. If the first one reached the end of its cycle life, the second one is very close behind.
Replacing only the broken spring frequently means a second service call — another trip fee, another day with the door out of service — within a year.
When replacing one is reasonable
If the springs were replaced separately in the past and the surviving spring is genuinely newer, or the break was caused by damage rather than cycle wear, replacing the single spring can make sense. The remaining spring should be inspected for rust, coil spacing and cone condition before that call is made.
Balance is the reason matched pairs matter
A door's counterbalance is a system. Mixing a new spring with a worn one means uneven tension, which shows up as a door that leads on one side, drags in the tracks and loads the opener unevenly. Matched springs are how the door stays square in the opening.
How we handle it
We show you both springs, tell you what we see, and quote both options. If the second spring genuinely has life left, we'll say so. If we'd replace both on our own home, we'll tell you that too — and the decision is still yours.