Back legs attach-point weakening


 
M

Marc Massaro

TVWBB Fan
Hi everyone, i have a 26.75 kettle that is coming up on 2 years old. I am noticing the rear if the grilll is a good inch to two inches lower than the front. When i assembled it new, it was level. The rond tube where the rear legs fit in are pushing in the botom of the kettle causing the real to lower. I am not aware of the grill being damaged or tossed over, and only have rolled it around a few times. I will be taking it down to inspect and if it looks strong enpugh down there i would tap the depressions out fom the inside. Anyone else experience this?
 
If I were you I would take some pictures and send them to Weber before I went to tapping anything out. Might be a QC problem that I am sure they would like to be made aware of. Plus, I have a feeling you might end up with a new bottom bowl out of the deal. Just my thoughts.
 
Do you read any of the threads?


I have complained about this time and time again.


NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.


NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.

NEVER NEVER NEVER roll your 26.75 around on the wheels, or you will bend the leg flanges.
 
You can tap tap tap, but you will weaken whatever you bend back in place, and eventually you will wear out what you bend.


I did this and eventually the leg flange fell off.

Weber replaced the bottom half of my 26.75.

Eventually now, the replacement bottom is as bad as the first one, but I am afraid to tap tap tap that one back into alignment.


I think you are better off cutting the front leg tube to size. Right now, if I want to use that grill, I prop up the back wheels with boards to level it out.
 
Many photos I see of the 26.75 has a noticeable tilt to them.......even some new ones right out of the box.
Obviously they didn't take into account the extra weight of the kettle. Poorly designed, I'd say...
 
Good advise not to move but, I would say on average everyone has the need to move their grill at one time .. that's why they're manufactured with wheels no?
Soon we'll see build threads for performer and kettle rolling platforms like members are building for their smokers. After my performer table cracked moving mine it definitely crossed by mind..
 
Soon we'll see build threads for performer and kettle rolling platforms like members are building for their smokers. After my performer table cracked moving mine it definitely crossed by mind..[/QUOT

I have posted on mods for the 26 which includes a new rolling platform designed after the OTP
http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?38610-Webber-26-75-OTG-Mods
Almost all of the complaints about the 26 centre around the support legs as well as lifting the lid.

IMG_0006_zps31108136.jpg
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i know this is a stupid question but were the tubes/legs all the way in in the first place ? or is the bowl area deforming into the bowl ?
don't forget that we all bothered weber to make the 26 for us so be nice. but if that is the case then do not do anything but take pics and call weber.
 
George Curtis said:
i know this is a stupid question but were the tubes/legs all the way in in the first place ? or is the bowl area deforming into the bowl ?
don't forget that we all bothered weber to make the 26 for us so be nice. but if that is the case then do not do anything but take pics and call weber.
Click to expand...

The weak link is the flange. Each of the 3 flanges has an open ended round cylinder that accepts the leg. Each flange also has three tabs that spread out in three directions that are welded to the bowl. Those three tabs on each of the three legs (so 9 in total) are not capable of holding the weight of the kettle if there is any lateral movement of the kettle.

So if you ever pull the kettle by the handle, your rear kettle legs will get dragged backwards, resulting in an R2D2-like stance of you kettle.
 
If I'm reading the OP right, the legs are causing a depression at the point where they meet the lower bowl. If the flanges are skewed out, he didn't mention that.
Makes me wonder if Weber Cris-crossed some milder grade steel. Our Nephew has one about the same year as the OP, and he has zero problems.
He wheels it back and forth grilling with his neighbors, and has brought it to our family picnics.

Tim
 
The flanges on my 26.75" are starting to go too. Luckily I mainly use my kettle on my slanted driveway so the grill grate ends up being level. Definitely poorly designed.
 
Miguel M said:
The flanges on my 26.75" are starting to go too. Luckily I mainly use my kettle on my slanted driveway so the grill grate ends up being level. Definitely poorly designed.
Click to expand...
One of these days I'm going to fix that grill for you. You supply the beer. :)
 
Darrel Williams said:
What is your suggestion for fixing it?
Click to expand...
Well, I actually need to have the grill in front of me to see exactly where I can effectively add truss plates or rods. I would imagine working on the lower leg portions can significantly firm things up without having to to do anything to the upper flanges themselves.
 
George L said:
Well, I actually need to have the grill in front of me to see exactly where I can effectively add truss plates or rods. I would imagine working on the lower leg portions can significantly firm things up without having to to do anything to the upper flanges themselves.
Click to expand...
The leg supports are just spot welded to the bowl. Leverage is working against the design. The leg supports flex and over time...and the metal they are welded to begins to stretch, flex, fail whatever you choose to call it. The legs themselves are so thin they would bend under a minimal amount of stress. All you have to do is look at the reviews and see what people are saying. Mount the kettle in another fashion and Weber would have an awesome cooking machine!
 
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I'm still guessing that Weber is using a milder thinner gauge steel on some of the new ones. I've seen pics of some old 26" 's around and they just show normal signs of age.
They first came out in 62 according to this, and the design is still the basic three point stance.
1962webercatalog.jpg


Tim
 
I think you're right Tim. It's not the design as much as the guage of metal. I altered my post.
 
One option is to use the ash pan ring as a support to spread the weight equally around the lower circumference of the charcoal bowl. I did that on my OTG by pushing it tight against the bowl and adding 3 self tapping screws.
Then reinforce the wire triangle axle assembly, that hook in the front leg doesn't offer much support for the back legs when tilting it up and moving. I used wood but some small angle iron and maybe a pc of Diamond Plate would look cool and add strength.
I also added a third wheel, just so I didn't have to lift it by moving it directly on the back legs.
Some pics here. http://s273.photobucket.com/user/tstork50/library/OTG%20Mod?sort=3&page=1

Tim
 
Gary S said:
The leg supports are just spot welded to the bowl. Leverage is working against the design. The leg supports flex and over time...and the metal they are welded to begins to stretch, flex, fail whatever you choose to call it. The legs themselves are so thin they would bend under a minimal amount of stress. All you have to do is look at the reviews and see what people are saying. Mount the kettle in another fashion and Weber would have an awesome cooking machine!
Click to expand...

The legs themselves, while thin, are not the problem. They are straight.

The bowl itself is not the problem. I don't think the bowl itself has deformed much.

The problem is/are the "tabs" on the leg flanges that are spot welded to the bowl. These bend. When mine bet, I pounded them back straight with a rubber mallet. That worked about twice. On the third time, the spot welds failed and the whole flange delaminated from the bowl.


I would love to mount the kettle in another fashion. I just can't figure out a way that seems right to me. I don't weld. I love the guy who welded his own 26.75" OTP frame, but I cannot do that. I don't want to drill into the bowl.
 
Darrel Williams said:
The legs themselves, while thin, are not the problem. They are straight.

The bowl itself is not the problem. I don't think the bowl itself has deformed much.

The problem is/are the "tabs" on the leg flanges that are spot welded to the bowl. These bend.
Click to expand...

But I believe once you strengthen the flanges the thin tubular legs will eventually fail. The flanges fail because that's the weakest point. But when you strengthen the the flanges by whatever means the legs now become your weakest point, and they may start bending or collapsing at the flanges.
 
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