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Installing Safety Cables On
Your Garage Door Springs
What are safety cables and why do I need them?
Safety cables are easy to install (less than an hour for a pair) and come in a kit form with all necessary fasteners. To be sure, look at your garage door track setup before you shop, you can make a list of what parts you may need... eyebolts, s-hooks, etc. Then, see what the kit offers, and buy separately what the kit doesn't have. As with most kits, the manufacturer can't take every possible circumstance into account... that's your job!!
Use online sources to get the widest selection of safety clothing and industrial safety items not available in your local hardware or home store!
Why do you need safety cables?
Do you have any idea how much is costs to replace an auto windshield... $400 dollars and up! If a garage door spring breaks (and they do... Murphy's Law again), it can fly across the garage with such force that it can penetrate a double layer of 5/8" wallboard! Or put a serious hurt on you if you're unlucky enough to be nearby!
About the only difficult thing about this installation, next to being steady on a ladder, is lacing them through the garage door spring. Be sure to check the free movement of all door parts and proper function on one side before installing the second side. And don't pull the cable too tight... that in and of itself may cause problems... just slightly slack is fine.
Installation as simple as 1 - 2 - 3...
1) Thread the open end of the cable through a hole in the horizontal metal garage door frame near where the cable from the moveable pulley's cable attaches. If possible, choose a hole closer to the garage door opening... it will minimize the chance of binding.
2) Thread the cable up through the center of the spring.
3) Thread the cable through a hole in the upper vertical metal spring support, near the place where the spring is attached (graphic right). Loop it back and secure it to itself with a cable clamp.
Test movement of the door...
Slowly at first... to be sure the safety cable doesn't bind and impede the operation of the door!
Done, amigo!!