I'm not exactly familiar with John Gray hardware _ however the flat base on your snare stand seems to be configured somewhat similar to vintage Slingerland flat based snare and cymbal stands.

Yours has an added component at the base that "keyed part" wherein the legs fit into the cut out slots.

What seems to be missing is a heavy duty WIDE washer that goes under the nut that will put tension on the stubs of the legs when engaged so they can't fall out of the slots.

Perhaps there was an accompanying washer that had raised nubs to push the legs all the way up into those slots _ but in lieu of finding that part _ I'd just try a Big Washer that fits around the post and is wide enough to put tension on the leg ends.

Your Hi-Hat stand looks to me as though the legs are simply not splayed out far enough _ but I can't really see how the top component of the leg set locks onto the central post of the stand _ is there a thumb screw at that hub?

Hope that might lend a clue for at least a temporary functional fix _ until someone chimes in that perhaps really knows those parts.

Ohm

Hey I just looked at that part again.

Does that keyed part spin up and down?

If so I now believe the slots are simply to bypass that hefty washer when setting it up and breaking it down _ and once the legs are all the way up _ you need to rotate that part until it locks the legs in place _ so you have the metal portions over the leg ends and then tighten the bottom nut.

If the central stud still sits lower with the legs all the way up inside the part _ you might need to find some hefty rubber feet to help raise it above the level of the threaded central rod.

Ohm

Many MIJ stands had rubber foot ends which raised the bar 1/2"above the floor.

Hey _ broadwayset,

I'm just curious did you find a solution yet?

Any of the suggestions work to help correct your stand problems?

Ohm

Yes, I did get it fixed. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

As it turns out, the disc is supposed to come off, then you lower the legs, then you reinsert disc and tighten the nut so the disc holds the legs in place.

Here are some pics of how it is supposed to be set up:

http://imgur.com/a/XLIKL

And now you can just turn the disc a bit till the slots line up with the legs and fold them up, man. Leave the disc where it is, no need to take it off and on now, right?

Yep, that's right. The disc doesn't need to come off. You just turn it so the legs line up with the slots in the disc and close them up.