Thread: Any electric roller door fixers around

What you need to do is put the tension back on the spring. This is done by winding the axle back, that is rotating the top of the axle back in toward the shed. Depending on how much tension has been lost. It maybe as many as 4-5 turns. When no motor fitted, this can normally be done by putting a pipe wrench on either end and stealing a bit of a turn at a time. I cannot stress enough how much you need to make sure the pipe wrench has a good bite on one end before you go for another bite at the other end. As tension comes back on, the door will start to lift. The ideal is that the door sits by itself at about mid height.

Make sure the U-bolts are tight before you give it a test run. The manual release on the remote can be used to lock that end but it is probably safer to use 2 wrenches.

Be careful, when they let go in a hurry, they can take fingers.

Originally Posted by pop058

What you need to do is put the tension back on the spring. This is done by winding the axle back, that is rotating the top of the axle back in toward the shed. Depending on how much tension has been lost. It maybe as many as 4-5 turns. When no motor fitted, this can normally be done by putting a pipe wrench on either end and stealing a bit of a turn at a time. I cannot stress enough how much you need to make sure the pipe wrench has a good bite on one end before you go for another bite at the other end. As tension comes back on, the door will start to lift. The ideal is that the door sits by itself at about mid height.

Make sure the U-bolts are tight before you give it a test run. The manual release on the remote can be used to lock that end but it is probably safer to use 2 wrenches.

Be careful, when they let go in a hurry, they can take fingers.

So do you have to remove the motor from 1 end ? and then wind it manually from both ends ?

Cheers Ean

I've wound one up by drilling two 12mm holes at 90 degrees to each other at one end of the axle( the end with the best access) and and about 25mm apart. I used two pointed bars to turn the tube by passing the pointed bars from one hole to the next as the tube turned. It's a job and you must be sure not to let the bugger go or it'll throw the bar at you. Undo the U-bolts enough to allow the axle to turn easily, and make sure the electric hoist release is disconnected first. When you've got enough tension on it, you can chock the axle by letting one of the bars rest against the wall.
Don.

I would say that you have to release the motor. To tension my 'non-motor' door, I usually just loosen off the u-bolts enough that they still hold the axle in position....but not that they let it go free-wheelin, that I can turn it from one end with a pipe wrench. Then when I have the right tension I tighten up the u-bolts again.

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

So do you have to remove the motor from 1 end ? and then wind it manually from both ends ?

Cheers Ean

The axle on the motor may protrude through the unit so you can grab it or use the manual lock/release on the motor to hold the axle while you use the pipe wrench on the other end. Once again, make sure things are held before you move on. If you have another pair of hands then taking some weight off the door by lifting it will help.

Thanks all , we now are able to get the boss's car out the garage.

Could only turn 1 end with the pipe wrench , so had to use the motor to turn 1 side and the pipe wrench on the other - nice and slow and all seems to work .

Thanks again

Cheers Ean