If you have a torsion garage-door opener, then before you get down to adjusting or replacing the garage door opener, you must understand the basic workings of the unit. The torsion springs are placed on a fixed metal shaft which is situated just above the top of the frame for the garage door. The springs extend along the length of the shaft and they twist as the garage door shuts or opens through a means of cables which are attached to either side of the lowest garage door panel. The tension produced in the cables helps to lift the door form the closed position.

If you haven't bought a garage door opener and you are deliberating on buying one, then you can get yourself one which comes with a special adapter and an electric drill. These are much easier to adjust than the traditional models. However, what we will discuss here is, the typical manually adjusted torsion springs.

Let us first be clear that adjusting a torsion spring manually can be dangerous as you will have to do this with the door shut and the spring under tension. So before you start make sure that all the tools you require are with you before you start work. This is especially true for those who do not have an alternate door for entry and exit to and from the garage.

The first thing you need to do is to secure the door by putting a C-clamp on the track of the garage door under the roller that is at the very bottom. Since you have to adjust the spring tighter, there is always the possibility to overtighten it which can be disastrous as the door may rise.

The end of the spring that moves is to be attached to the adjustment collar. You would need to purchase a steel rod from your hardware store to use it as an adjustment rod. The adjustment collar comes with a series of holes and you need to insert the rod through one of these holes.

When the adjusting rod has fitted in tightly to the hole then the set screw is relaxed and the rod is used to turn the collar so that the tension in the spring is either increased or decreased as per your needs.