18.5" WSM Grill Strap Problem


 
M

Mark Wilkerson

New member
I received a new WSM 18.5 last week. I put it together & the top cooking grate isn't supported on all four sides of the grill straps.When I push it forward it falls down onto the second grate. I contacted Weber regarding this & they are sending new grill straps. The problem was either the grate was too small it was 17.5" which was correct or the grill straps did not extend out far enough. Weber was stingy with dimensional data. The straps haven't arrived yet - but I was wondering if anyone could provide a measurement for the flange portion of their straps that the top grate rests on so I can compare it to mine. Mine are 7/16" out from the side of the mid-section. They appear correct to me.
 
Mark when I first got mine, I went out and purchased some stainless washers to I could fit one washer between the wall and strap when I screwed them in place. It just seemed to snug things up a bit. Good Luck!
 
Rolf Jacobsen said:
Mark when I first got mine, I went out and purchased some stainless washers to I could fit one washer between the wall and strap when I screwed them in place. It just seemed to snug things up a bit. Good Luck!
Click to expand...

I even did that on my 22.5 version. I put 2 stainless washers on the top bolt and one on the bottom in-between the strap and the smoker wall. All the grates and water pan fit snug now. Some people use three washers on the top but washers are cheap and you can add more or less as needed. It pushes all 4 straps in the same closing the circumference in some and keeping the grate from falling.
You can kind of see the washers in my one pic here...The washers are 1/4" stainless...
100_1847-1.jpg
 
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I have new, uninstalled straps which makes it easy to measure them. Checked with calipers they all measure about .480".

Dean
 
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