Awning springs have power - I learned the hard way

Wanted to share this so maybe someone else doesn't get hurt.

The first time I changed an awning I read everything I could watched all the videos took my time and everything went fine.

SO of course next time i was a pro. This was part of swapping out from basement style arms to normal style arms to solve the door clearance problem. While I was working with a Dometic A&E power awning the spring issue is the same for manuals.

I moved the arms out and secured them with zip ties. Then I removed the bolt securing the left end. By this point I had already screwed up. The end wouldn't come out so I started tapping it out. Eventually it came out. And when it did it grabbed my shirt and started spinning.Pulled me in and cut my stomach in 4 places before my shirt binding up and stopping it.

That's when I realized I forgot to pin the end shaft.

I used vice grips to free myself and pin the spring. Had to completely unwind the spring and reset to the manufacturers setting.

Oh, I also ended up with a broken finger.

I still think an awning fabric change is very doable at home, but just understand how much energy is stored in the spring.