I have a narrow doorway in a load-bearing wall which for a variety of reasons cannot be re-framed. But if I could make it even a couple of inches wider it would help. The header is supported by a double 2×4 and what looks like a 1/2 inch spacer: 3 1/2 inches total. Can this be replaced by a steel post that might be, say 1 1/2 or 2 inches thick? What should I be looking for and where?
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It is unlikely that a narrow header needs to be supported by more than a single 2x4 under each end. It depends on the load above. If it's worth money to you or your client, you could certainly get a rectangular steel tube that would exceed the strength of wood of the same size. Probably best to get an engineer to spec it.
Simpsons has a piece of hardware made to replace a jack stud in a situation like this if the loads from above are not extreme
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You may be able to remove the 1 1/2" jacks and replace them with 1" stock on a small door. If there is a 1/2" spacer between the jacks and studs, this could go too. There's your two inches.
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Pifin referred to this. The HH4 is for 2x4 framing.
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would you really count on this metal bracket to replace jack studs entirely?
Depending on the structural situation, yes.
It is rated for more or less 1000 pounds vertical load. Let's say a rafter bears directly above the center of this 3-foot header, and the rafter is 15 feet long in plan view, with its next rafter two feet away. The worst case scenario is that the roof load atop the entire rafter is coming down at its end, above the header. Your load is 2x15, or 30 times whatever your roof design snow load and dead load is.
If we have a 20 pound per square foot snow load, and another 10 pounds dead load, we take the result, 30, and multiply by the 30 square feet of tributary area the rafter is picking up, and get 900 pounds of reaction.
That makes using the Simpson HH4 OK.
But your mileage may vary. Have an engineer advise you, that can clearly see what you have going on.