Open Sesame Garages · Oklahoma City
Should both garage door springs be replaced if only one broke?
Yes. On a two-spring door, replace both. The springs were installed on the same day and have absorbed the same number of cycles, so the surviving one is typically weeks or months from failing too. Replacing the pair in one visit costs less than paying a second service call, and it keeps the door properly balanced.
Why replacing just one is a false saving
- Equal wear: both springs have the same cycle count. One reaching its limit means the other is close behind.
- Two service calls: the labor is the expensive part, and you pay it twice instead of once.
- Unbalanced door: a new spring and an old, stretched spring do not pull with the same force, which throws off balance and puts uneven strain on the opener, cables, and drums.
- Mismatched life: your door is only as reliable as its oldest spring, so the new one buys you nothing until the old one is replaced anyway.
When one spring is the right answer
If your door has a single-spring system, there is nothing to pair — one spring is the whole system, and it gets replaced on its own.
If one spring is genuinely new (replaced within the last year or two) and the other is original, replacing just the old one is reasonable. Say so when you book, and we will match the new spring to the existing one.
Beyond those cases, a shop that quotes one spring on a two-spring door is quoting you a return visit.
What else gets checked at the same time
Since the door is already apart, the parts most likely to be worn get inspected while the technician is up there: center and end bearings, cable drums, lift cables, and the rollers.
A worn bearing replaced during the spring job costs almost nothing. The same bearing replaced later is a whole separate service call, which is the same arithmetic that makes replacing both springs the cheaper choice.
Related questions
How much more does replacing both springs cost?
In the Oklahoma City metro, spring replacement runs $150 to $350 per spring depending on door weight and spring type. The second spring adds parts cost but very little labor, since the technician is already on site with the door disassembled.
How do I know if my door has one spring or two?
Stand inside with the door closed and look at the steel shaft above the opening. One coiled spring means a single-spring system; two means a matched pair, usually with one on each side of a center bracket.
Does the same rule apply to extension springs?
Yes. Extension springs work as a pair — one on each side — and the same equal-wear logic applies. Replacing only one leaves the two sides pulling with different force, which is exactly the imbalance that makes an older door shake on the way up.
Need this fixed, not just explained?
Open Sesame Garages serves Oklahoma City and the surrounding metro with same-day estimates and 24/7 emergency repair.