How to Install the Top Rack of a GE Dishwasher

Remove End Caps

• Plastic tub dishwasher models use two types of end caps. The first type requires that you slide a quarter in the middle of these end caps, which are also plastic, to unlock the mechanism and pull the cap off the track. The second type requires a screwdriver to disengage the plastic locking mechanism. Stainless steel tubs have end caps with the unlocking mechanism built in without the need for extra tools. Pull out the top rack and store the end caps in a safe place. Be careful not to break the delicate plastic.

Insert Top Rack

• Reinstalling the top rack after removing the end caps should be much simpler. However, consider that the top rack spans almost the entire width of GE's 18-inch to 24-inch dishwashers -- but it's only supported by four tiny rollers or wheels. That means you have to make sure that each roller is properly slid into place. Inattention to this step could warp the track, or your fragile dishes might fall and break onto lower racks due to inadequate support. Carefully guide the two front wheels onto the track followed by the back wheels until it is completely inside the dishwasher. Kneel down to look under the top rack and make sure all four wheels are on track.

Replace End Caps

• If you correctly put all four rollers on track, the top rack is securely in place from a vertical perspective. However, you still need to replace the end caps to make sure the top rack does not roll off the track when you load and unload dishes for cleaning -- horizontally. Depending on the type of end cap in your GE dishwasher, you will have to pinch, squeeze and/or maneuver the cap back into place. Consult the owner's manual specific to your appliance's model number for more instructions.

Rack Binding Issues

• As a best practice for ensuring that the top rack can effortlessly slide in and out of the dishwasher, you should pull and push the rack from the center. If you tug or jam the rack from one side only, then it can suffer what GE terms "upper rack binding." The tracks on either side are like a slide-within-a-slide and these mechanisms can bind or stick if both do not move in unison.