Wobbly legs


 

Tim O

TVWBB Fan
Picked up a 22’ kettle on Craigslist. Legs very wobbly, one fell out when lifted. I’ve read a bunch of fixes but was wondering if anyone did anything that worked? Thanks
 
The one that most did was drill a hole in the leg socket and leg and use a screw to hold them in. If mine get bad i just take the leg out and expand the end a touch. But basically, they are always wobbly.
 
Yeah, they don’t fit super snug, I like the flaring of the end a bit that George suggests, but it won’t be super solid, but, more so than falling out.
 
The easiest fix that is commonly used is to take HVAC tape, wrap the end of the leg with it a bit, and then push it back in snuggly. Unfortunately some are more wobbly and loose than others. If it isn't anything special it could be a candidate for a midget mod or fire pit conversion. Shorter legs = less wobble.
 
The front leg of mine looks like it was welded in three places and the front weld has been broken for years, but it's holding up. It's a little wobbly.
 
The easiest fix that is commonly used is to take HVAC tape, wrap the end of the leg with it a bit, and then push it back in snuggly. Unfortunately some are more wobbly and loose than others. If it isn't anything special it could be a candidate for a midget mod or fire pit conversion. Shorter legs = less wobble.

This is the easiest fix. wrap in a layer of tape....if it's still loose, put another layer on and try...keep doing until snug.

You can also try taking the old leg to Lowes, Home Depot, Hardware store and getting some copper pipe or other piping the same diameter and do that....it'll just be tricky getting the axle/wheels on the new piping.
 
This is the easiest fix. wrap in a layer of tape....if it's still loose, put another layer on and try...keep doing until snug.

You can also try taking the old leg to Lowes, Home Depot, Hardware store and getting some copper pipe or other piping the same diameter and do that....it'll just be tricky getting the axle/wheels on the new piping.

People have done the leg mod and a "how to" can be found on youtube. I believe it might be 3/4 electrical conduit, but make sure you double check before you start cutting. It is most commonly done with the giants (tall grillers) among us. They will cut the legs quite a bit longer so they don't have to hunch over the grill so much. If a hydraulic press is available it is easy to flatten the conduit on the ends for the wheels just like regular Weber legs. The downside to this is that the conduit doesn't look near as nice as the aluminum legs your kettle comes with and the taller you go the more wobbly it might be. I have a premium kettle that I attached some MT legs to and it is more wobbly than it was before.
 
If your kettle leg is loose and falls out but the socket is still tight, you can use HVAC or other metal tape that can handle heat as suggested above, or you can cut a little shim from an aluminum can or similar and wedge it in while reinstalling the leg.

If your socket is loose, your grill is on the way out. Still, I have heard of the trick of using nuts and bolts to re-attach the socket but also using those very large washers (forget name) to spread the binding area out past where you have rust (that made the socket loose in the first place).
 
Jon, around here they are called fender washers. I have them on the leg bolts of my three Smokey Joes to keep the porcelain from cracking like it is prone to doing.
 
Legs on my Weber 22” Master-Touch got wobbly after being professionally moved. Tried the tinfoil trick. Didn’t work for me. My solution was a play on the toothpicks, one 3/4” x18 wire brad carefully driven between the socket and each leg. Started each brad with a pair of needle nose pliers to keep it stable and then finished with a nail set. Solid as a rock.
 

 

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