My firebox door hinge gave out right before a big cook

I was doing a test burn on my offset smoker last Friday, getting ready for a 15 pound brisket. The firebox door just fell off, hinge pins sheared clean through. Had to rig it with some heavy duty fence wire and a pair of vice grips to hold it shut for the whole 18 hour cook. The whole time I was worried the wire would snap and I'd lose my fire. Brisket turned out fine, but I spent more time watching that door than the meat temp. Anyone have a good fix for a broken hinge that doesn't involve a full weld job?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylanbell2mo ago

Did you see that trick using a couple of big bolts as new hinge pins? I read about it on a forum where a guy drilled out the old hinge and just used grade 8 bolts with the heads cut off. It's a solid fix if you can borrow a drill.

lily891mo ago

That "solid fix if you can borrow a drill" line from @dylanbell is the whole story. It's like half of all DIY is just figuring out which friend has the one tool you need. I swear my neighbor only keeps me around for my socket set.

cameron3182mo ago

Check the hinge pins on the other doors before your next cook. The same thing often happens to the main chamber door when those little pins get worn down.