M5 Rack Screws and M5 Cage Nuts - 20 Pack

This video is about cage nuts and describes how to install and remove them, and how to identify if your product includes cage nuts.

You may have heard of cage nuts and wondered what they are and how they are used.  Today we are going to discuss cage nuts and show you some of their advantages and uses.

Cage nuts are used to mount IT equipment in server racks, such as the StarTech.com 4POSTRACK25U.  Server racks compatible with cage nuts can be easily identified by the square holes the cage nuts use. Cage nuts are great for protecting your equipment from stripped threads and allow for convenient mounting of your server rack equipment.

A cage nut houses a standard nut in a cage with a spring.  The cage has two wings that can be pinched together to allow the cage nut to be inserted into a square hole.  The wings are then released to hold the cage nut in place.  Cage nuts come in many sizes but M5 and M6 cage nuts are mainly used in IT environments.  M6 is a heavier, more robust cage nut that M5.

Let’s take a look at mounting a Cage Nut on a rail in the StarTech.com 4POSTRACK25U.

In some situations, you may be advised to use a slot screwdriver to help install cage nuts.  However, you will find it much easier to use a cage nut mounting tool.

To install a cage nut, use your tool to attach one of the wings from the cage nut.  Keep the pressure on the cage nut with your finger and then attach the other wing.  The cage nut is now ready for the mounting screw.

To uninstall a cage nut, use your tool to release the cage nut wing on one side and then the other side.

You can check to see if your StarTech.com product includes cage nuts by navigating to the StarTech.com website, searching for the product, and checking the Technical Specifications tab under the heading What’s in the Box.

StarTech.com also sells cage nuts and screws in both M5 and M6 sizes which can be seen by navigating to Server Rack Accessories and the section Mounting Screws and Cage Nuts.

When you install your rack equipment, it’s important to put the heaviest equipment on the bottom of the rack, first.  This provides a strong base and is especially important if you are installing a lot of equipment on a tall rack.  This also prevents the server rack from becoming top heavy and falling over.

If your equipment is long, heavy, unbalanced or otherwise difficult to handle, ask someone to help you install the equipment so you don’t injure yourself or damage the equipment.

Finally, when you tighten down your screws make sure you don’t strip or damage the screws.  This is especially important to be aware of when using electric tools which can generate more torque.

The patch panel will be mounted using cage nuts, so the first step is to install them. 

Once installed, the cage nuts can be used to mount our patch panel. 

To install your server rack equipment, fasten the mounting screws into the cage nuts. After you tighten your screws, check to make sure your rack equipment is securely installed.

If you have questions about installing equipment into a server rack, contact our technical support team for further assistance.