Cantilever Rack Components: Arms, Uprights, Bases and Brace Sets

Shop Cantilever Rack Parts by Category

Each card opens a shop category with every matching Vestil or Little Giant item and its current online price; the price shown is the lowest-priced in-stock item in that category. Vestil sells uprights and arms each, not in pairs, so order the exact count your layout needs. Freight is quoted by destination; some common sizes in stock at select manufacturers, subject to confirmation. For engineered structural yards, longer arms or a full layout, request a quote.

Cantilever UprightsSingle- and double-sided, 6 to 14 ftFrom $368.1389 items: single- and double-sided, standard, medium, heavy and structural
Pictured: Vestil Std Cantilever Dbl Upright 6Ft 18″Arm ($368.13)Shop Cantilever UprightsCompare upright sizes →

Cantilever ArmsStraight and incline, 12 to 48 inFrom $36.8846 items: straight, incline and lipped, sold each
Pictured: Vestil Standard Cant Racking Straight Arm 12 In ($36.88)Shop Cantilever ArmsArm capacity table →

Cantilever Brace SetsOne set ties each bay togetherFrom $98.9544 items for 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 ft uprights
Pictured: Vestil Standard Cantilever Brace Set 72 X 36 ($98.95)Shop Brace SetsHow to read brace sizes →

Cantilever Rack KitsUprights, arms and bracing in one orderFrom $894.8619 items: Vestil galvanized and painted sets, Little Giant welded racks
Pictured: Vestil Cantilever Galv 6 Ft Sgl Side 24″Arm Set ($1,067.97)Shop Cantilever Rack KitsStarter vs add-on bays →

Browse all 198 cantilever rack products →

Cantilever Uprights (Columns)

The column sets the height of the rack and how much the whole upright can carry. Single-sided uprights take arms on one face and usually run along a wall or fence. Double-sided uprights take arms on both faces and stand in the middle of the floor with an aisle on each side. A punched hole or slot pattern up the face lets you move arms to suit the load.

Upright capacity is published per upright, and it drops as the arm gets longer because a longer arm puts the load farther from the column. Vestil’s published ratings show the pattern clearly:

Source: Vestil catalog (manufacturer data, uniform loads). Confirm current ratings on the product page or your quote.

• Height: top arm should sit at a height your forklift or crew can load safely, with clearance to sprinklers and lights.
• Arm length ties to the upright: Vestil uprights are sold for a specific arm length (for example “8 ft, 24 in arm”) because the base length changes with it.
• Roll-formed vs structural: light and medium racks are often formed steel; heavy yards use structural I-beam columns that take more abuse. See the duty classes below.

Cantilever Arms: Straight, Incline, Length and Capacity

Arms are where the load actually sits. Straight arms are level and suit lumber, sheet goods, flat bar and boxed stock. Incline arms slope back toward the column (Vestil uses 10°) so pipe and round bar roll inward instead of off the tip. Arms attach with bolts, key locks or clamps depending on the system, and most have a lip or stop at the tip.

Arm capacity is published per arm for a load spread evenly along the arm. Longer arms of the same section carry less. Here is how that looks across Vestil’s duty classes:

Source: Vestil catalog pp. 377 to 379 (uniform load per arm). Our cantilever load capacity by arm length guide explains why capacity falls with length.

• Length: match the arm to the depth of the load. A load hanging past the tip is a falling-load risk; an arm far longer than the load wastes capacity and aisle.
• Count: each load should rest on at least two arms, and long or flexible stock needs more.
• Attachment: on Vestil’s medium line arms drop into slots spaced 3½ in apart and lock with a key; heavy and extra-heavy arms bolt on through holes on the same 3½ in spacing.
• Lips: Vestil lists a 2¾ in lip on medium arms, 3⅛ in on standard heavy-line arms and 3¼ in on heavy-duty and extra-heavy arms.

Cantilever Rack Accessories

Accessories adapt the four core parts to the load. Most are specific to one manufacturer’s arm and column profile, so they are quoted with the system rather than bought separately. Our online catalog currently lists uprights, arms, brace sets and complete kits; ask us for the accessories below.

End stops and pipe stops. A pin or plate at the arm tip keeps round stock from rolling off and gives straight arms a positive stop. Bolt-on stops let you add them only where you need them, for example on the pipe levels of a mixed row. See how a fence and pipe distributor used pipe stops on structural arms.

Decking. Wood, steel or wire decking laid across the arms turns a level into a continuous shelf for boxed goods, short pieces and thin sheets that would sag between arms. Decking adds weight and does not raise the arm rating, so count it as part of the load.

Arm stops and lips. Some systems use a removable pin stop instead of a fixed lip so you can slide sheet goods off the end. Others offer taller lips for stacked bundles. Ask which style the arm you are buying uses before you plan handling.

Why Cantilever Parts From Different Makers Rarely Mix

Arms, columns and braces look generic, but each manufacturer uses its own hole spacing, arm socket, lock or bolt pattern and brace connection. An arm that seems to fit another maker’s column may not seat fully, and its published rating no longer applies. Capacity labels are tied to tested combinations of that maker’s parts.

• Hole or slot pitch: Vestil’s medium and heavy lines use 3½ in spacing; other brands differ, so arms will not line up.
• Arm connection: key locks, bolt-on plates and clamp styles are not interchangeable.
• Brace connection: brace sets bolt to specific holes on the column; wrong spacing leaves the bay unbraced.
• Ratings: a mixed rack has no published capacity. Per ANSI MH16.3 and RMI cantilever best practices, capacity should come from the manufacturer or an engineer.
• Adding to an existing rack: send us the brand, column size, hole spacing, arm length and photos of the connection and any labels. We will match the original maker where possible.

The same fit-up problem is why used cantilever often costs more to install than expected. If you are weighing used parts, read our honest used vs new cantilever rack comparison first.

Starter Bays, Add-On Bays and Complete Kits

A starter bay is the first section: two uprights, one brace set and the arms for both columns. Each add-on bay shares the last column of the run, so it needs only one more upright, one more brace set and its arms. A four-upright row is one starter plus two add-ons.

Complete kits, such as the galvanized Vestil sets in our shop (from $1,067.97), bundle a starter bay in one SKU. They are the quickest way to buy one section. For a run of several bays, buying uprights, brace sets and arms individually usually fits the layout better. Keep every part in one product line from one manufacturer.

Cantilever Rack Components: FAQs