Rack Repair Kit — Stein Service & Supply

Rack Repair Kit Services

Repair kits are the most common fix for a damaged upright, and we install them as part of our rack repair work. A repair kit is a new bottom section for the upright. We cut away the damaged steel and bolt the kit in its place, and the rest of the frame stays in position.

Our primary service area is North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. In 2025 we also completed projects in 24 other states.

On-site inspection of the damage and the beam levels
Repair or replacement assessment for each damaged upright
Kit selection matched to the rack and to the damage
Front post, front post and bracing, and full-bottom kits
Installation, usually with the bay still loaded
Re-anchoring to the floor and removal of scrap

What a Repair Kit Replaces

Most forklift impacts damage the front post of an upright, low on the column, and the rest of the frame remains sound. How much of the upright the kit replaces depends on how far the damage extends.

Front Post

The most common repair. We remove only the damaged length of the front post, and the tubular post of the kit replaces it.

Front Post and Bracing

When the impact also bent the lower braces between the front and back posts, the kit includes new bracing.

Entire Bottom

We remove the entire bottom of the frame, and the kit replaces all of it.

Orange repair kit with new front post and lower bracing bolted onto a gray pallet rack upright

Three repair kit styles on rack uprights: a short front post, a tall front post sleeve, and a front post with bracing

Kit Installation

A kit goes in while the rest of the frame stays in the row. Lighter product that is properly secured can stay on the rack during the work, but heavy or overhanging loads must be removed from the bay before we lift the upright.

Lift and Cut

1–2in

Approximate lift of the upright off the floor

We remove the floor anchors and attach a jack through the side holes or the teardrop-shaped holes on the front of the upright, depending on the rack. With the upright off the floor, we cut away the damaged section.

Seat and Bolt

Shelf

Carries the weight of the upright from the moment it is lowered

Every kit has a shelf, and the upright must rest on it from the start. The bolts hold the upright in position. The shelf carries the weight. If the upright is set above the shelf, its weight hangs on the bolts, and a bolt can shear and drop the upright. Once the upright is seated and bolted, we anchor the kit to the floor and remove the scrap.

Straight-Leg and Sloped-Leg Kits

Kits are available in two leg styles. When several uprights have the same damage at the same height, one kit specification applies to all of them.

Straight-Leg

A new tubular front post replaces the damaged length of the original post. It is the simpler repair when the damage is at the base of the column.

Sloped-Leg

The new leg slopes inward toward the floor, which gives forklifts more clearance at the face of the rack during loading and unloading.

Column Protectors for a Repaired Upright

A repaired upright stays in the same aisle where the damage occurred, and a protector at the base absorbs the next impact before it reaches the post.

Protector	Properties
Bolted to the column	A low-cost protector that attaches directly to the upright.
Bolted to the floor	The highest installation cost, and better protection than a protector bolted to the column. It is not attached to the upright, so a hard impact is less likely to damage the column behind it.
Plastic, air-filled	Attaches to the column and absorbs the impact. It is the easiest and least expensive type to install.

Rated Capacity and Permits

A repaired upright must carry its original rated load. Every kit is engineered for the rack and matched to the damage, and when the kit restores the rated capacity of the upright, the repair usually does not require a permit. Permits and the fire code for rack repairs

Before we specify a kit, we inspect the following conditions on site.

The height of the damage on the front post, and any damage to the braces or the back post
The beam levels on the damaged frame
The number of uprights with the same damage at the same height
The product stored in the bay, and whether the bay can stay loaded
The cost of a new upright, which is often lower for short, standard uprights

Repair Kit Questions

Which uprights are suited to a repair kit?

A kit suits tall or custom uprights, which are expensive to purchase new and to ship. A kit also suits an upright in the middle of a loaded row, where replacement of the frame would require unloading the entire row.

When is a new upright better than a kit?

A new upright is better when the front and back posts are both heavily damaged, or when the damage is at so many heights that one kit cannot cover it. A repair is not cost-effective for rack that will be removed in an upcoming move. Rack damage assessment

How is damage to an upright identified?

Inspect the lower front post for dents, bends, and scraped paint, and inspect the upright behind any bent column protector. A small dent at the base can reduce the capacity of the upright, so every impact should be inspected. Damage checklist

All Warehouse Services

Warehouse Design Warehouse Installation Warehouse Relocation Permitting Forklift Training Boom & Scissor Lift Training Pallet Rack Repair Warehouse Safety

Contact

Discuss a Rack Repair Kit Project

Contact us with the location of the damage on each upright and the number of damaged uprights.

Request Consultation