A torsion bar prevents the door from bending in half when in the open postion. It also helps to protect the door from the force of the door opener.
You are correct they are field installed, but this one was little different. I think the home owner installed it.
Why would a 2x4 not have broken it? I am weaker than a 2x4.
The first picture is the broken door. The second one is the proper installation of a door, with a torsion bar. Please note the the opener was attached directly to the thin metal door. How long would that have lasted before it broke?
Rick
Understand what you are saying now. I am just used to the panel section stiffners. You City boys are sooooooooooooooooo sofisticated in your term descriptions.
[quote=rmoewe]
I fished a tournament a few weeks ago with a guy that had been doing garage doors for 30 years. I asked him what he called it. He said a torsion bar.
Torsion-The act of twisting, or the state of being twisted./quote
Richard;
Back about Forty years ago they use to call it twisted to, but it was related to the Twist by Chubby Checker. ha. ha. Maybe we should have called it the Hip Torsion.
