Leveling pallet racking

[Horses Ghost]

I just put up some 30" wide pallet racking and I need to raise one side about 5/8". I was wondering the best way to level it. Should I use some rubber belting that won't slip, or would steel plates under the legs be a better choice. It will only be used for storage tubs and boxes for now, but you never know what will be put on there in the future. Thanks....Mark

 

[mhm993]

Carpentry is your friend. Wood shims.
My 2cents.

 

[OccupantRJ]

A piece of plywood should work, no? Steel on steel slips around easier than steel on wood, unless you tack weld the steel shim in place. If you're not loading it with heavy pallets, it should be fine.

 

[mooman]

We sell & install steel pallet racking for a living. How tall is the rack you installed?
Were you planning on anchoring it?

 

[USMCBay]

If you have a welding machine or access to one you could weld on a 5/8" nut (a good weld~!) and put a bolt in and then it would be adjustable from the bolt head which would be on the floor...

Or just build it up with duct tape~!!!!

 

[rsanter]

depends on how much weight you plan to put on it
tons, use steel
not as much, I used plywood

bob

 

[burger]

i have 1/8" steel plate under my pallet racking on one side.

 

[Horses Ghost]

Thanks for the replys, it is only 8' tall and won't have alot of weight on it. I think I will just put plywood under it and change it out if I end up putting more weight on it. Thanks for the help, people on here are the best......Mark

 

[rsanter]

tip
paint the plywood before putting it under
that way if you ever wet or wash out the garage floor
the wood wont get all funky

bob

 

[pgreen]

For those that are saying "if it isn't too much weight, use wood", what do you think large coils of steel are sitting on on the truck? Usually 4x4 blocks of wood to allow for fork lift access under. Wood will hold tons of weight in compression, easily.

However, I agree, if it is going to get wet much, I'd at least paint it...

 

[trailwart]

surprised no one suggesting to cut all the other legs shorter?

 

[pgreen]

surprised no one suggesting to cut all the other legs shorter?

No, you better bust up all the concrete, and build a new building on new "super level" concrete... that way you don't have to shim your pallet racks

 

[TheGrooveking]

For those that are saying "if it isn't too much weight, use wood", what do you think large coils of steel are sitting on on the truck? Usually 4x4 blocks of wood to allow for fork lift access under. Wood will hold tons of weight in compression, easily.

However, I agree, if it is going to get wet much, I'd at least paint it...

First off those are hard wood, not plywood or a softer species. Make sure your shim covers full bottom of your upright leg and anchor the uprights to the floor, which by doing that will clamp the shim underneath it. If you think rust may become and issue paint the shim prior to installation.

TheGrooveking

 

[akdiesel]

Great suggestions, but lets look at why you need to level the shelving unit 5/8 of an inch. Is you garage / shop that unlevel? Have you had some major settlement through out the years. or is this a new pour?
You might want to look into this before you start to load items onto the shelving and have it fall over with more settling.
Just a suggestion.

 

[Horses Ghost]

The pallet racking is next to a stall where the floor is sloped to the drain, that is the need for the shim. Thanks for the replys......Mark

 

[ThreeBay]

If you really want to do it right the pallet rack mfg. make shim plates that are actually footplates. They are dimpled at the bolt holes to stay in place while you are installing them. You can permantely hold them in place with anchor bolts or tack weld them to each other and the base plate.