APC rack with threaded holes instead of cage nut inserts
Just picked up an APC 48u rack. The listing had no shots of it, and I didn’t notice till after I got it home and set up, the rack rails do not have square cage nut holes, but what appear to be threaded holes. I can not find a bolt or screw with the right size and thread pitch. It looks like it’s an M5 fine thread, but wanted to see if anyone had any info on this. Am I just supposed to get self tapping machine screws, like the previous owner did? Or is there some APC proprietary bolt that I’m working with here?
The only thing that fits is an m5-0.8, but it will only go half way then bind, making me think it’s the wrong thread pitch? Or the messed up every single hole…
Unfortunately threaded racks can be lots of different sizes - the most common in my experience are 10-32, 12-24 or M6x1. I just label racks with their screw size in a visible area to avoid confusion.
Someone at my current job ruined every single thread in one of the server rooms, so that's definitely a possibility as well. I will say it is obvious when someone has done that once you take a close look, though.
Best bet is to just buy one of each screw size at a local hardware store and try them out. Maybe also see if there is a model number on the rack, but don't hold your breath.