Rails - inside or ouside support beam?

Do you mount your rails ouside or inside the beam?

  • B - inside

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    5
  • Poll closed .
Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.

Rand__

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2014
6,626
1,767
113
Hi,

recently got a pair of rails for a chieftec box and mounted them my usual way - which is brackets outside of the beam (pic A)

pic A:
20180625_202819 (Medium).jpg


Unfortunately the box didn't want to fit those rails (a couple of millimeters to wide).
So I contacted support and they sent me their way of mounting the rails - see pic B.

pic B
20180626_100639 (Medium).jpg


To me my way seems safer but maybe I am mistaken and it does not matter at all.

So I was just wondering how you folks mount your rails ?
 

Blinky 42

Active Member
Aug 6, 2015
615
232
43
48
PA, USA
If that is what they expect everyone to do that is pretty half-assed ;) How exactly is one supposed to screw into the cage nut from inside the rack when there is equipment above and below?
Typically the only time I see the flange mounted on the inside of the vertical rail is when it has pre-tapped threads for screws in it so you can use a flat-head screw + a tapered washer to set nearly flush with the front of the rail and the washer centers it in the square hole.

There are a lot of the quick/rapid rails that are designed to click in from the inside directly as well but they don't require cage nuts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tha_14 and cactus

nthu9280

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2016
1,628
498
83
San Antonio, TX
I Agree. If you have to mount that kind of rail from inside, I'd feel more safer by putting the clip nuts from outside and screw from inside. Right now if understand your this mounting correctly from your pic, you have the clip nut, rail flange, screw all inside in that order. I'd feel safer if the cage nut from outside the post, rail lip from inside and screw. Right now, I feel like only the clip is securing the weight and when you tighten the screw you are actually pulling away from the rack post.

Like @Blinky 42 said this is asinine design on their part.
 
Last edited:

Patrick

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 21, 2010
12,511
5,792
113
What am I looking at in B? Is that from inside the rack looking out or outside the rack looking in? I am confused.
 

Aestr

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2014
967
386
63
Seattle
What am I looking at in B? Is that from inside the rack looking out or outside the rack looking in? I am confused.
It’s the outside looking in.

@Rand__ this isn’t uncommon with the rails from some of these generic rackmount chassis companies, but as mentioned above it’s terrible. Basically they couldn’t be bothered to make a decent rail. With the rail bolting in on the same side as the cage nut it’s putting all the pressure on the tab of the nut. This may work out okay in the long run, but the leverage is on the wrong side of the nut and nothing else is securing like when you bolt through the rack rails or the rapid rail style where they have hooks that rest securely on the rack rails.
 

Blinky 42

Active Member
Aug 6, 2015
615
232
43
48
PA, USA
If you had to install them inside, I would at least put the nut on the outside of the vertical so that the screw goes through the rack and doen't just hang on the tabs of the cage nut.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rain

Rand__

Well-Known Member
Mar 6, 2014
6,626
1,767
113
I see we are all concurring on this, thanks a lot;)

@Blinky 42 & @nthu9280 - Thats what I did, just reverse mounted the rails, felt better.

@MiniKnight - Its a 3 HE case, got it in an auction for 35 bucks, w/ minor damage, 40 bucks for a 4 drive hot swap cage on top. Its not a bad case, regular ATX PSU (in a weird location), but plenty of space. You know, chassis tend to be way more expensive in EU so it looked like a good deal:)

Rails are the most expensive part of the chassis with €55, thats why it was vexing not to be able to use them.
 

5mall5nail5

Active Member
Nov 16, 2015
107
32
28
39
Just flip the cage nuts over and although "funky" there's nothing really unsafe about it.