Oops - Awning issue - #**!@@!

TucsonJim wrote:
Okay, so my awing fabric was beat to death, and I needed to replace it. So I ordered a new 16 foot replacement from CW and it arrived just fine. So I called my local CW and asked how much to have it installed. The answer was $111.00. So naturally, being the cheapskate I'm accused of being, I said "Oh how hard can it be"? I'll just do it myself.

So, I read all the fine tips here in the forum about how to change it, and watched a couple of videos on YouTube. "Piece of cake - Any nimrod can do this.

So, up the ladder I go, with the DW helping from the ground. I pulled out a couple of feet of material, removed the top frame screws and dropped the legs to the ground. Next we slid the awning off and put it on the ground. "This really is easy".

I'm a little foggy on what happened next, but all I can equate it to is wrestling a python in a hurricane while wearing a tutu. I'd put some pliers on the top of the bracket on the side with the release switch and had the DW remove the bolt. This was just what that guy did on the video. Somehow, my vice-grip pliers slipped off. Let me tell you, that when an awning spring decides to unwind, you can't stop it by grabbing it. My DW dropped the wrench and ran like an alligator was chasing her. I'm just glad somebody didn't video tape me because my string of newly created cuss words would have been made a rap singer blush.

When the world stopped spinning and the dust settled, the springs were sprung, and any thoughts of the me completing the job appear to be rapidly falling apart.

When I gathered my wits back, I was able to drill out the rivets on one end of the tube, remove the old fabric, and install the new fabric without any other "events". Now, I need to re-rivet the cap on the tube, but them I'm stuck. How on earth do I preload the springs before I reinstall the awing?

Any suggestions on how to proceed from here? Remember, I'm still a cheap skate, so paying somebody to take over is not an option. I'm on a quest!