Certified Spring Technicians — High-Cycle Springs in Stock
The Loud Bang You Heard at 6 AM Was Your Torsion Spring — Here’s What Happens Next
A broken garage door spring is one of the most common and most dangerous garage door failures in the GTA. The loud snap of a torsion spring — often heard from inside the house at any hour — leaves your door completely inoperable and unsafe to operate manually. SOS Garage Doors provides same-day spring repair across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville, and every city we serve — by certified technicians trained to handle high-tension spring systems safely.
Garage door springs carry nearly the full weight of your door every single time it moves — up to 150–400 lbs depending on door size and material. They are rated for a finite number of cycles, and Canada’s cold winters accelerate metal fatigue, making late fall and early spring the peak periods for failures across the GTA. Springs rarely fail in isolation — when a spring snaps under load, the sudden force transfer often damages the lift cables as well. If your cables look frayed or have slipped off the drum, visit our garage door cable repair page for details on how we address that safely in the same visit. In many cases where a spring fails suddenly, the opener motor may have also been strained from attempting to move a locked door — our garage door opener repair team can assess and repair any resulting opener damage at the same appointment.
Spring replacement is not a DIY job. Torsion springs are wound to extremely high tension and can release that energy violently if mishandled — we use calibrated winding bars and safety cables on every job. We select the correct spring specification for your door’s exact weight and height, not just the spring that physically fits. If your spring failure has also caused panel damage from the door dropping unevenly, our garage door panel replacement service can address that as part of the same call. For a full overview of everything we handle for residential doors, visit our residential garage door services page — or if your car is trapped and you need us there tonight, our emergency service team is available 24/7 across the GTA.
All Spring Types & Configurations Covered
Our Garage Door Spring Repair Services Include
From a standard single torsion spring on a residential door to commercial-grade double-spring systems, SOS Garage Doors handles every spring configuration across the GTA. Here is what our technicians handle on every spring call:
Broken Torsion Spring Replacement
Torsion springs mount above the door on a steel shaft and are the most common spring type in modern GTA homes. When one snaps — often with a loud bang — the door becomes inoperable immediately. We replace single and double torsion springs same-day, selecting the correct wire gauge, coil count, and inside diameter for your door’s exact weight.
Broken Extension Spring Replacement
Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks above the door and are common on older or lighter residential doors. They stretch and contract with every cycle and eventually fatigue and snap. We replace both extension springs simultaneously and install proper safety cables through each spring as a containment measure.
High-Cycle Spring Upgrade
Standard springs are rated for approximately 10,000 open/close cycles — roughly 7 years for a household using the door 4 times per day. High-cycle springs rated for 30,000 or 50,000 cycles cost modestly more but last 3–5 times longer. For busy households across Toronto and the GTA, this upgrade pays for itself quickly.
Double Torsion Spring Installation
Heavier doors — particularly double-car doors and commercial-grade residential doors — require two torsion springs for proper weight distribution and balance. We supply and install correctly matched dual-spring systems with precision torque calibration for smooth, safe operation.
Extension Spring to Torsion Spring Conversion
Upgrading from extension springs to a torsion spring system provides better balance, longer spring life, quieter operation, and improved safety. We handle the full conversion — removing old hardware, installing the torsion tube, selecting the correct spring spec, and calibrating everything to your door’s exact weight.
Spring Tension Adjustment & Balancing
If your door feels heavy when lifting manually, slams down fast, or the opener strains on opening, your spring tension is likely off. We recalibrate spring tension to bring your door into correct balance — reducing wear on your opener motor and making manual operation safe and smooth.
Cable Drum & Bearing Plate Inspection
Every spring replacement includes a detailed inspection of the cable drums, bearing plates, and center bearing. If drums show grooving from cable wear or bearing plates are worn, we replace them at the same time — preventing the need for a second call and keeping your spring system operating as designed.
Post-Replacement Safety Check & Opener Adjustment
After every spring replacement, we perform a full door balance test, adjust opener force and travel limits, lubricate all moving components, and test the auto-reverse safety feature. Your door should feel effortless to lift manually and stop cleanly at open and closed positions.
Emergency Spring Repair — 24/7 Available
A broken spring at midnight or on a holiday doesn’t have to wait until morning. If your garage is your primary entry point or your vehicle is trapped inside, our emergency garage door repair team is available around the clock across the GTA. Call us any time.
Common Questions, Direct Answers
Frequently Asked Questions About Garage Door Spring Repair
Spring repair is the call we receive most often across the GTA — especially in spring and fall when temperature swings stress metal components. Here are honest answers to the questions we hear most.
The most obvious sign is a loud bang — often described as sounding like a gunshot — followed by a door that won’t open or is extremely heavy to lift manually. You may also see a visible gap in the torsion spring coil above the door, or the door may hang crookedly if only one of two springs has broken.
You can use the emergency release cord to disengage the opener and try to lift manually, but with a broken spring the door may weigh 150–400 lbs depending on its size and material. We strongly advise against it unless your vehicle is absolutely needed. Do not operate the opener with a broken spring — it can strip the gears or burn out the motor in seconds.
Standard single or double torsion spring replacement typically takes 45–90 minutes. If we are upgrading to high-cycle springs, converting from extension to torsion, or replacing additional components found during the safety check, allow up to 2 hours for the full job.
Both springs are installed at the same time, experience the same load, and fatigue at the same rate. When one breaks, the other is statistically near the end of its service life. Replacing both in one visit costs less in combined labour than two separate calls and keeps your door properly balanced — an unbalanced door with one new spring and one old one puts excess stress on the opener.
Most GTA homes built after 2000 use torsion springs — mounted on a steel shaft directly above the door opening. Older homes and lighter single-car doors often use extension springs that run along the tracks. Our technician identifies the type and specifies the correct replacement on arrival.
For households using the garage door 4 or more times per day, high-cycle springs rated at 30,000–50,000 cycles are a clear investment. Standard springs at 10,000 cycles last roughly 7 years at that usage rate. High-cycle springs can last 20+ years. The upgrade typically adds $50–$120 to the job and pays for itself within 2–3 years.
We stock the most common torsion and extension spring sizes on every service vehicle. The vast majority of spring repairs across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, and the broader GTA are completed in a single same-day visit without special-order parts.
Yes. All labour on spring replacement carries our standard 90-day warranty. Spring parts carry the manufacturer’s warranty — ranging from 1 year on standard springs to lifetime on select premium high-cycle models. We provide written warranty documentation with every job.
