Garage door torsion spring hardware includes spring anchor brackets, winding and stationary cones, cable assemblies, and spring blocking. Cables, spring anchor brackets, and cones are integral components of garage doors, whereas spring blocking is typically used in commercial and industrial environments.
Spring Anchor Brackets
Spring anchor brackets connect the stationary cone of the torsion spring to the garage door header. The bracket must be securely fastened to the header so the spring tension does not spin the bracket loose.
The size of a spring anchor bracket is determined by measuring the distance from the garage header to the center of the shaft, or to the center line (CL). Larger cable drums require larger end bearing plates. As a result, they need to be used with larger spring anchor brackets.
Some spring anchor brackets are slotted, as pictured above on the right (SAB-450). This makes replacing bearings much easier. The spring anchor brackets that are not slotted, pictured above on the left (SAB-438), can be used as idler brackets as well as spring anchor brackets. Idler brackets help support the shaft when there is significant extra weight on a wider garage door.
Torsion Spring Cones
Every torsion spring uses a stationary cone to prevent that end from moving. The other end of the torsion spring uses a winding cone (pictured above), which secures the spring to the shaft. This cone applies tension to the shaft, thereby providing the lift for the garage door.
Torsion spring cones are primarily based on the inside diameter (ID) of the spring. A 2" set of torsion spring cones, for example, cannot be used with 1-3/4" or 2-1/4" ID springs. Another important characteristic of torsion spring cones is the wind. Left-wind cones, like the 6" winding cone pictured above left, must be used on left-wind springs. Likewise, right-wind cones, like the 3-1/2" winding cone pictured above right, must be used on right-wind springs. Some cones, like the 3-3/4" winding cone pictured above center, are considered to be dual wind - this means that they can be used with either left- or right-wind torsion springs of the corresponding inside diameter.
Cable Assemblies
We offer pre-assembled cables for both 7' and 8' high torsion spring garage doors. The cables allow the tension on the shaft to lift the garage door.
For more door heights and cable options, including assemblies for Raynor garage doors, see the cable and fittings page.
Spring Blocking
Torsion springs used in industrial and heavier commercial applications often have larger inside diameters. In order to keep the spring from sagging and resting on the shaft, the springs often have spring blocking inside. The blocking slides over the shaft and fits inside the spring between the winding and stationary cones. PVC spring blocking, shown above, is used with springs with 5-1/4" to 6" ID.