Garage Door Spring Size Chart and How to Measure

To order the right torsion spring, you need four numbers: wire size, inside diameter, length, and which way it's wound. You can get all four from the broken spring with a tape measure. If your door has a second spring, that one is still wound tight, so keep your hands off it.

The four numbers

1. Wire size is the thickness of the steel, written in thousandths of an inch, like .225 or .250.
2. Inside diameter is the width of the hole down the middle. Most homes use 1-3/4 inch or 2 inch.
3. Length is the coiled part only, not the cones on the ends.
4. Wind is left or right, and it tells you which side of the center bracket the spring goes on.

A two-spring door uses one of each wind, and the pair should be replaced together. If you're not sure whether you have torsion or extension springs, this comparison shows the difference.

Wire size: measure ten coils

The coils on a torsion spring sit tight against each other, so ten coils measure about ten times the wire thickness. Measure ten with a tape and find the closest row below.

Wire comes in more sizes than these. If you land between two rows, pick the nearer one.

Measuring without getting hurt

You'll need a ladder to reach the spring above the door. Measure only the broken one.

1. Close the door and unplug the opener.
2. If your door has two springs, the other one is still wound. Keep your hands and the tape away from it.
3. Don't touch the winding cones or set screws on either spring.
4. Measure ten coils for the wire size, and lay a ruler across the broken end for the inside diameter.
5. Measure both broken pieces and add the two lengths together.
6. Look at which way the coils lean, and note which side of the center bracket the spring was on.

Take a photo of each end, and of any label on the door, and send those with your measurements.

Why the door's weight matters

The spring balances the door so the opener, or your arm, only has to lift a few pounds. A spring that's too weak leaves the door heavy and wears out the opener. One that's too strong makes the door want to fly up, which is hard on the cables.

Insulated steel doors weigh more than single-layer ones, and windows add more, so two doors of the same size can need different springs. The chart tells you the size of the spring that was there. A tech checks that against what your door actually weighs, which is covered in how spring replacement works.

Before you order online

A wrong spring still fits on the shaft and still winds up. You won't know it's wrong until the door drifts or a cable frays. And if your spring broke after many years, the other one has the same wear and probably won't last much longer. How long springs last in Wisconsin has more on that.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• How Garage Door Spring Replacement Works, Step by Step
• Torsion vs Extension Springs: Which Does Your Door Have?
• Garage Door Spring Repair Cost in Lake Country, WI
• How Long Do Garage Door Springs Last in Wisconsin?
• Broken Garage Door Spring? What to Do (and What Not to Do)

Last updated: September 21, 2026.