Track nuts question

This may be a stupid question, but for the 1/4-20 track nuts that stick out a bit passed the railing, how are y’all getting it to stay secured in the track? I’m currently wanting to use a 1/4-20 screw-in RAM ball, but when tightened down, the track nut just easily comes out the rail.

I’m not sure I’m following… But are you making sure the track nut is turning vertical?

You need a washer of some sort that has a larger inside diameter than the tnut.

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For the 1/4” track nuts you have a couple options. Just ensure you have enough thread engagement or you may need longer fasteners.

  • Drill out the back of the mounting holes oversize to allow the track nut to recess inside. This only works if the item is thick enough and your holes are not too close to an edge. I did this for some plastic grab handles and it worked great. I used a countersink bit.

  • Add a thick oversized washer behind the part you’re installing to accommodate the larger track nut. I had some leftover spacers for a MTB drivetrain that worked.

  • If you don’t need the capacity of the 1/4” size you can go down the smaller size as they are flush.

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I was thinking a washer would work, just wanted to get an idea of what people were doing before I make the trip to the hardware store. Thank y’all!

It’s vertical. But without anything putting pressure on the railing itself because of the track nut sticking out of the railing, I can’t get anything to stay up.

The 10-32 tnuts are flush with the track whereas the 1/4-20 protrude. Easiest thing to do would be to stack some washers with an inner diameter larger than the protruding portion of the Tnut. You will need enough washers so that they are taller than the tnut in order to properly clamp whatever you are affixing

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