A broken garage door spring is one of the most common garage door failures in Los Angeles, and one of the most dangerous to handle yourself. The spring is what actually lifts the door. When it snaps, the full weight of the door, often well over a hundred pounds on a two-car door, is suddenly left hanging on the cables, the opener and whoever tries to lift it. This guide explains how to tell a spring has failed, what to do (and not do) in the first hour, and how Metro GDS fixes it. If you need help now, call (310) 299-0996. We answer 24/7.
How garage door springs work
Most homes in the San Fernando Valley and across LA County have one of two spring systems:
- Torsion springs sit on a steel shaft above the door opening. They wind up as the door closes and unwind to help lift it. Most newer sectional doors use one or two torsion springs.
- Side mount springs run along the horizontal tracks on each side and stretch as the door closes. They’re common on older homes and single-car doors, and they should always have a safety cable running through them.
Either way, the spring is balancing the door’s weight. The opener only guides the door; it isn’t built to lift a door with no spring help. That’s why a broken spring often looks like an opener problem at first.
Signs your garage door spring is broken
- A loud bang from the garage, like a firecracker or a dropped board, often when nobody was using the door.
- A visible gap in the torsion spring above the door, usually a couple of inches where the coil separated.
- The door lifts a few inches and stops, or the opener hums and the door doesn’t move.
- The door feels extremely heavy when you try it by hand, or it slams down instead of staying put halfway.
- The door rises crooked, or a cable is hanging loose on one side.
- A stretched-out side mount spring that no longer pulls tight when the door is open.
What to do right away
- Stop using the opener. Running it against a broken spring can strip the opener gear, bend the top panel, or pull the door off the track.
- Leave the door where it is if it’s closed. A closed door with a broken spring is the safest position.
- Keep people and pets clear of the door opening, especially kids.
- Don’t pull the red emergency release while the door is open. With no spring holding it, the door can drop fast. If you’re stuck with the door open, call us before you touch the release. Our manual release guide explains when it’s safe to use.
- Get your car out another way, or wait. If the car is trapped inside, a technician can usually free it as part of the repair visit.
- Call a licensed technician. Metro GDS is CSLB #1029826, licensed, bonded and insured.
Why spring repair isn’t a DIY job
Torsion springs store enough energy to break a wrist or worse when a winding bar slips. Side mount springs without safety cables can whip across the garage when they fail. Replacing a spring also means choosing the right wire size, length and inside diameter for your door’s weight and height. A spring that’s even slightly wrong makes the door drift, strains the opener, and wears out quickly. Online videos skip most of that. Our technicians carry the common sizes on the truck, weigh and balance the door, and set the spring tension correctly so the door stays put at any height.
What a Metro GDS spring repair includes
- Inspecting both springs, cables, drums, bearings and the center bracket
- Replacing the broken spring with a correctly sized one, and in most two-spring systems replacing both so they wear evenly
- Checking cables and drums for fraying or slipping, and replacing worn parts on the spot when needed
- Balancing the door and testing it by hand and with the opener
- Checking the opener’s force and travel settings and the safety sensors’ auto-reverse
- Lubricating rollers, hinges and the spring
For the full service details, see our garage door spring repair page. If a cable also snapped, our cable repair team handles both in the same visit.
Why springs break more often in Los Angeles
Springs are rated for a certain number of open-and-close cycles. A household that uses the garage as its front door can use those up in a few years. Valley heat, big temperature swings between afternoon and night, and coastal salt air on the Westside and South Bay all speed up rust and metal fatigue. Wide two-car doors and heavier insulated or wood doors put more load on each spring too. That’s why we often see springs fail at the end of summer, right when the heat has been working on them for months. More on that in our post on heat and wide doors in Woodland Hills.
How to make your next spring last longer
- Spray the spring coils with a garage-door lubricant two or three times a year. Avoid heavy grease.
- Once a month, disconnect the opener with the door closed and lift the door by hand to waist height. It should stay put. If it drifts up or down, the springs need adjusting.
- Ask about high-cycle springs if your family opens the garage many times a day.
- Book a yearly tune-up. Our spring safety article explains why correct sizing matters.
Spring repair across the Valley and LA County
We’re based in Woodland Hills and repair springs every day in Woodland Hills, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Northridge, Tarzana and across Los Angeles County. For any other garage door problem, start at our garage door repair page.
Broken spring FAQ
Can I open my garage door with a broken spring?
It’s not safe. The door is far heavier than it feels with working springs, and it can drop without warning. Leave it closed and call us.
Should I replace both springs if only one broke?
Usually yes. On a two-spring door, both springs have the same number of cycles, so the second one is often close to failing. Replacing both keeps the door balanced.
How fast can you come out?
We run same-day spring repair in most of the San Fernando Valley and LA County, and we answer the phone 24/7 for emergencies.
Will a broken spring damage my opener?
It can if you keep pressing the button. Stop using the opener until the spring is replaced, and we’ll test the opener as part of the repair.
How much does spring repair cost?
It depends on the spring type, the door’s size and weight, and whether cables or drums also need work. We give you a clear quote before any work starts. Call (310) 299-0996 or request service online.
Broken spring right now? Leave the door down and call Metro GDS at (310) 299-0996, or book online.