Spirit E-315 Fixing Terrible Wheels

[Dean Smiley]

I bought a new E-315 at Home Depot this year and all 4 wheels are any direction wheels. The problem is that it wants to roll in any direction except where I want it to go. I know this sounds like a first world problem but I'm not going to fight this grill every time I use it for the next 10 years. So before I get inventive I thought I would check to see if anyone else had this problem and maybe how they fixed it. I think the problem is the result of the spindle being so far off to one side of the wheel as apposed to being over the wheel's center. So does anyone have a solution? Thanks.

 

[JSaus]

In order for casters to work, the spindle has to be off center. If you replace with a fixed wheel loke the classic grills, you have one direction moving. You could try replacing with casters with larger wheels but that will only make it roll easier. A smooth surface is your best friend for that type of wheel.

 

[Dean Smiley]

I've got a smooth surface to roll on. I think I'll try lubing the spindle and see if that helps. This grill replaced one of the earlier Spirit e-310s which didn't have this problem. They are basically the same grill but they must have changed the wheel design. These castors are held on with 4 machine screws. If lubing doesn't help I'll look for 3rd party replacements.

 

[Dean Smiley]

I little oil did the trick. The spindle cavity seemed to be close-ended so the oil should stay in there for a while. I think half my problem was that dirt or something was binding up one wheel but I was able to free it up so it worked like the rest. I did notice that the wheel spindle was a very loose fit in its cavity, maybe over 1/16” clearance fit (unable to measure). You can see the looseness in this video –

https://www.deansmiley.com/Files/wheel.MOV

Oiling up my grill reminded me of the last time I oiled grill wheels.

I had just rehabbed my Genesis Silver B with all new guts and it didn’t roll very well so I oiled her up. We were in the process of replacing our deck and the floor was finished but the railings weren’t. Two hours after I oiled it a microburst came through and that grill flew off the deck. As you can see, it didn’t survive the 8’ drop.

 

[JSaus]

I had just rehabbed my Genesis Silver B with all new guts and it didn’t roll very well so I oiled her up. We were in the process of replacing our deck and the floor was finished but the railings weren’t. Two hours after I oiled it a microburst came through and that grill flew off the deck. As you can see, it didn’t survive the 8’ drop.

A little Flex Tape and it is good to go.

 

[Dean Smiley]

Actually, part of it is still working. I repurposed the frame for my salmon/mussel smoker. And there was some duct tape involved.

 

[Tony Coloma]

Problem I see with these wheels (e-310 here) is hard to roll. Stymied by any bump, including shadows, goes everywhere except where you pull and push. But,

Stays where you put it.

So would 5 or 6 inch or bigger wheels work?
Would the stress be too much for the frame? Will I get so frustrated that I glue it to the top of a ....

 

[Dean Smiley]

Problem I see with these wheels (e-310 here) is hard to roll. Stymied by any bump, including shadows, goes everywhere except where you pull and push. But,

Stays where you put it.

So would 5 or 6 inch or bigger wheels work?
Would the stress be too much for the frame? Will I get so frustrated that I glue it to the top of a ....

It's a matter of economics. My many years old MAK 1-star #184 has 3" hard rubber wheels that roll around like a dream and it might weigh twice as much as the Weber E-315. But they are quality wheels that cost considerably more then the 25 cent Webers.

 

[Tony Coloma]

I am willing to pay and donthe work. But will it cause a dangerous instability. Will it overstress the frame/structure. Will it make weber look bad for putting ...