Lock the hinge with the disengagement kit

Lock the spring before the bands come off

The hinge and the bands are under high spring tension. The manual: never loosen the bands or take the hinge apart without the hinge disengagement kit fitted, because the hinge cannot be removed safely without it. Any change of dome, base or bands needs two people, gloves and safety glasses (the Classic II's 2025 manual; the Big Joe's dome is heavier still). Refit the base band first, front pin first, with a helper holding the hinge (Kamado Joe Europe).

1. Find the kit from the box: a steel tube spacer, a washer and a hex nut (spare: 9004190209, the same kit as the Classic II's).
2. Get a helper, and put on gloves and safety glasses.
3. Fit them on the spring retainer screw at the bottom of the hinge: spacer first, then washer, then nut.
4. Tighten the nut until the spring's tension is off (Kamado Joe Europe).
5. When the job is done, take all three off again before you use the grill.