Anyone modify the top grate retaining tabs? Rib catastrophe


 

Erik Tracy

TVWBB Pro
Had the WSM fired up, coals on, TBS, up to temp, ready to put some St Louis Ribs on.

I was moving the ribs around to get to 'fit' when the top grate moved and it tilted, dropping 3 half racks into the bowl and the 4th half rack down into the coals!!!

F' me in the heart!!

I recovered the ribs, carefully put them back on the rack and got everything put back together.

But - TOP of my list is to modify the grate tabs so this NEVER happens again.

Ideas?
 
You could do what I did to the bottom tabs to keep my Brinkmann water pan from slipping off. I put a small sheet metal screw into the end of each tab, so that the head of each screw caught the rim of the pan and kept it from sliding off.
 
You could do what I did to the bottom tabs to keep my Brinkmann water pan from slipping off. I put a small sheet metal screw into the end of each tab, so that the head of each screw caught the rim of the pan and kept it from sliding off.

Nice idea, and not hard. Or drill a hole and use a long thread bolt from underneath and secured at the top with a nut & locking washer.
 
Either way you're creating a vertical "bump" that keeps the rack centered, but doesn't interfere with putting the rack on and off.
 
Wow, glad you had a save!
You're prolly out of round on your mid section. I can get pretty angry with mine and move it anywhere and it won't tip off.
Some use washers on the light or short side behind the brackets to get it close to a better fit.

Tim
 
Wow, glad you had a save!
You're prolly out of round on your mid section. I can get pretty angry with mine and move it anywhere and it won't tip off.
Some use washers on the light or short side behind the brackets to get it close to a better fit.

Tim

That might work as well, a stack of washers with a longer bolt.

Yeah, I was rushing back and forth to the house to get heat pads, a large fork cuz I couldn't get tongs at a steep enough angle thru the open do to grasp the half rack at the bottom.

The neighbors were probably stuffing cotton into their ears at the black cloud of cursing I wove to rise up and darken the sunny morning sky.
 
Last edited:
Some use washers on the light or short side behind the brackets to get it close to a better fit.

Tim

I did that too, but I still lost a butt into the drink one time. I was a little too aggressive trying to pry the meat loose from the top grill (no 2nd grill installed at the time). Those were the days before purchasing arm-length gloves too. :eek:
 
I did that too, but I still lost a butt into the drink one time. I was a little too aggressive trying to pry the meat loose from the top grill (no 2nd grill installed at the time). Those were the days before purchasing arm-length gloves too. :eek:

That must have been a gut wrenching combo of shock, fear, and anger.

Hmmm...so may need to rethink my mod. Dropping meat into the abyss is not something I ever want to experience again.
 
But - TOP of my list is to modify the grate tabs so this NEVER happens again. Ideas?
Yikes!!! The only sure fire thing I could think of, is to drill a couple holes grate height and use stainless screws to make additional support of your grate. I've always left the bottom grate in, even if nothing is on it, just in case.
 
The barrel section is definitely out of round; the grate 'rows' don't line up from one side to the other directly across, so even if I put screws of some sort thru the support tabs, they won't line up to fit unless I compress the barrel section as I put the grate on.

If do it that way then the top grate will be on so tight than I won't be able to get it off if in the future I did want to use both grates for large cooks(preventing me for swapping meats from top to bottom grate).

I'm doing another cook today for tri-tip, so my temporary workaround for now is to replace the existing set of top bolts with longer ones as a 'failsafe': if the top grate does slip off the top tabs then at least the longer bolts will prevent the top grate from tilting into barrel section.
 
Maybe somewhat excessive, but you could petition Weber for another center section. I'd try the other suggestions first though.

My 14.5" WSM's center section looked fine, measurement-wise, but it had a tendency to rock on the bowl (bowl looked fine too) more than I liked. I thought a three-month seasoning period would fix things, but Weber decided to send me a replacement section after I contacted them for suggestions.
 
Well, I took one of the upper bolts and nuts with me to Home Depot.

I got a new set of 1/4" x20 x1" long pan head slot bolts and 1/4" nuts, along with 24 1/4" flat washers.

I created the stack of 6 washers per bolt between the barrel and the internal bracket (that spans the lower grate & bowl tabs and the upper grate tabs).

The end of each tab is now 6/8" in from the barrel edge and each bolt goes in 1" for extra measure.

I tried to get the top grate to tilt/tip into the center - can't.

So this *should* fix the problem....fingers crossed.

Total cost was $3.76 for the new bolts, nuts, and washers and about 10 minutes of 'labor' - oh and a cold beer.
 
Last edited:
IF Weber is watching this, then just make the darn upper tabs longer - esp if the barrel section is known to get 'out of round'.
 
IMO, they wouldn't have taken a bath in the water pan if you used the bottom grate...just an observation.

I assume you're talking to Eric, Bill, but speaking for myself, I left the lower grate out so I wouldn't have to clean it up. But what you say makes sense.
 
IF Weber is watching this, then just make the darn upper tabs longer - esp if the barrel section is known to get 'out of round'.

How's your modifications affecting the lower grate and the water pan?

Does it make it more difficult to remove said parts from the smoker?
 
How's your modifications affecting the lower grate and the water pan?

Does it make it more difficult to remove said parts from the smoker?

The water pan went in as usual - a straight drop in.

The lower grate had to be tilted a bit but dropped in easily once clear of upper bolts.

I didn't change the lower bolts, so they are still secured to the side in their original position.

The straps no longer provide any 'bracing' to the barrel section since they are angled inward from bottom grate to top grate - but since my barrel section was out of round anyway, meh, who cares?

I think I'm gonna go with this and log more time, but last nights cook went well, and there is no way for the grate to scoot, move, or wobble to fall in now.

[edit]
Here are some shots of the mod:
WSM-Tab-Mod-1.jpg

WSM-Tab-Mod-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
IMO, they wouldn't have taken a bath in the water pan if you used the bottom grate...just an observation.

There was no water in the pan for my rib catastrophe, so all they got was a little sizzle on the aluminum wrap.

And yes, the bottom grate would have prevented the other rib from going into the abyss, but I took it out as it was one less thing to clean from the drippings.

IMO, I shouldn't have to worry about the top grate tilting in, and I've made sure of that now on my own.
 
Thanks for posting this. Mine is the same as yours Erik. I've had the top grate slip off the tabs, luckily nothing was on them. I'll be headed to get some bolts and washers that way I never have a catastrophe.
 

 

Back
Top