Springs, Cables & Hardware · Tuscaloosa, AL
Converting extension springs to torsion springs in Tuscaloosa
Door lifts crooked on side springs, or the last one broke? A torsion conversion moves the lifting force to a shaft above the door. We check headroom first, size the springs to the door, and remove the old extension hardware completely.
- Answered 24/7
- Tuscaloosa, Northport and West Alabama
- Needs headroom above the door
Updated October 2026
An extension to torsion conversion in Tuscaloosa needs about a foot of clear headroom above the door opening for the shaft, drums and springs. The side springs, pulleys and cables come off, and a torsion shaft with center bearing, end bearings, cable drums and new cables goes on. The door then lifts from one shaft, evenly on both sides.
Spring conversion
Why owners switch from side springs to a torsion shaft
Extension springs pull from each side independently, so as they age the door can rise crooked, and their pulleys and cables add wear points. A torsion system winds springs on a shaft above the door and turns two cable drums together, so both sides lift as one, and a broken spring stays on the shaft instead of flying loose.
The catch is space. The torsion assembly mounts on the header wall above the door, so a low ceiling or a beam just above the opening can rule it out. We measure before quoting. If the room is not there, a new pair of extension springs with safety cables is the right fix instead.
Side by side
Extension springs versus a torsion system
| Extension springs | Torsion system | |
|---|---|---|
| Where they sit | Along each horizontal track | On a shaft above the door |
| How the door lifts | Each side pulled on its own | Both sides turned together by one shaft |
| When a spring breaks | Can whip loose without a safety cable | Stays on the shaft |
| Space needed | Works with little headroom | Needs room above the opening |
| Typical cost | $120 to $200 for a pair (HomeGuide) | $400 to $800 to convert (HomeAdvisor) |
Ranges from HomeGuide and HomeAdvisor cost guides, not our quotes.
Cost
What a torsion conversion costs compared with new springs
Published ranges for the conversion and for the two spring jobs it is weighed against.
| Job | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Extension to torsion conversion | $400 to $800 | HomeAdvisor |
| Both torsion springs, installed | $150 to $350 | HomeGuide |
| Both extension springs, installed | $120 to $200 | HomeGuide |
Planning ranges from the publishers listed, not our quotes. We price after measuring headroom and weighing the door.
What moves the price
- Door width. A double door needs a longer shaft and usually two springs.
- Door weight. Heavier doors need thicker wire springs.
- Header wall. A soft or thin header may need a backing board before the bearing plates mount.
- Track condition. Worn rollers or a bent track are best fixed while the door is apart.
- Opener. An opener tuned to the old springs needs its force and limits reset.
The kit
What goes in during a conversion
- Torsion shaft cut to the door width
- Center bearing plate and two end bearing plates
- Torsion springs sized to the door's weight and height
- Two cable drums and a new pair of lift cables
- Removal of the old extension springs, pulleys and cables
- Winding to the correct turns and a balance check
- Opener force, limits and auto-reverse reset
Single and double doors
Single-Car Door Conversion
Most single doors convert with one torsion spring on a shaft spanning the opening, a center bearing plate on the header and an end bearing plate on each side. A lighter single door, especially one without insulation, may run well on one spring. A heavier insulated or wood single door can need two springs to keep the wire size sensible. We weigh the door with the side springs disconnected, then size the spring to that weight.
Double-Car Door Conversion
A double door is heavier and wider, so the shaft is longer and the system almost always uses two springs, one each side of the center bearing. Two springs spread the load, and if one breaks the other still carries part of the door, so it does not slam. A double door also loads the header more, so we check that the wall above the opening can hold the center bearing plate before work starts.
Conversion day
How the conversion is carried out
Measure headroom
We measure from the top of the opening to the ceiling and check the header wall can take the bearing plates.
Strip the old system
With the door clamped, the extension springs, pulleys and cables are removed.
Mount the shaft
Bearing plates, shaft, drums and new cables are installed, and the springs wound to the correct turns.
Balance and reset
The door is balanced to hold halfway, then the opener is reset to the new feel of the door.
Northport homes
Northport's mix of older and newer garages
Northport grew 33.4 percent between 2010 and 2020, from 23,330 to 31,125 residents, and 70.2 percent of its 13,085 housing units are single-family detached. That mix matters for conversions. Many of the 33.1 percent of homes built before 1980 still have doors on side springs, and the original garages often have room above the opening for a shaft. Newer subdivisions mostly shipped with torsion systems already, so the conversion question usually comes from the older streets.
Time on site
How long the conversion takes
A conversion is completed at a single visit, with the door working when we leave. It takes longer than a spring swap because the old hardware is removed, the shaft and plates mounted, and the door balanced from scratch.
A header wall that needs a backing board, or rollers and track that need attention while the door is apart, add time to the visit but rarely a second trip.
Common questions
Conversion questions
Roughly a foot above the top of the opening for standard drums. Low-headroom hardware needs less, and we measure before quoting.
A broken torsion spring stays on its shaft, while an extension spring can whip loose without a safety cable. Both need correct installation.
Often, because the pulleys are gone and the door lifts evenly. Worn rollers still make noise and are best replaced at the same time.
Yes, if there is headroom. Heavy doors often run better on torsion springs, sized to the actual weight.
Not usually. The opener's force and limits are reset to the balanced door. A failing opener is a separate decision.
We remove the extension springs, pulleys, cables and clips completely, so nothing is left hanging from the track hangers.
If the sections are sound, often yes. If the door is near the end of its life, our garage door replacement page explains that option.
Yes, but on a two-spring system we recommend replacing both, since they have run the same cycles. See our garage door spring replacement in Tuscaloosa page.
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