Power rack wobbling : how to reduce it?

[JFByers]

My new power rack wobbles a little bit.
My floor (concrete) is covered with rubber mats (thickness=10millimeters, not soft)
Installing small plates of wood under base frame of power rack could reduce wobbling?

[Kodokan]

My new power rack wobbles a little bit.
My floor is carpeted with rubber mats (thickness=10millimeters, not soft)
Installing small plates of wood under base frame of power rack could reduce wobbling?

What kind of power rack is it? Some wobbling can be reduced by making sure you have everything lined up correctly before tightening down all the bolts.

Depending on what type of rack it is, you may be able to help get everything level by using wood shims you can pick up from lowes/home depot. Some wobbling could be due to an uneven floor...

Weighting the rack down somehow, and possibly bolting it to the floor are the other ways of adding stability. I'm not sure what to say about the carpet under the rack, though...that may provide a weird cushion effect but I bet others on here have had a similar setup and may comment.

[JFByers]

I do not have carpet under rubber mats.
My home gym is in the basement. The floor is concrete. There are some long cracks (rifts). On each side of the cracks, the angle value of the floor is not equal (very small difference). On this concrete floor, I installed rubber mats.

The another point is that this is a power rack with cable cross over attachment. I think the problem is coming from the unstability of the base frame of the cable crossover uprights. I think wood shims could be a solution.

[deadpool9]

I would definately vote for bolting it down if you do not plan on moving it anytime soon.

[tubtime]

I would definately vote for bolting it down if you do not plan on moving it anytime soon.

i would bolt and shim, but i would suggest the composite shims vs the ceder ones. the ceder will compress shortly due to weight the composite ones wont, and they are the same price.

[JFByers]

I will not bolt the power rack. I prefer not to damage the concrete floor. I have no idea how many centimeters the concrete floor is. You know, my house is old (built in 1960 I think). Nobody can tell what will happen if I start to drill the floor.

Composite shims seem to be the best solution and the easier to install. I will go to the local store to try to find this product.

Another important question, my bench wobbles a little bit also. Can I use this composite shims under one leg of my bench?

[rthawker]

Before you start shimming I would loosen all the bolts that you can then load up a bar on the rack with as much weight as possible. This will help it settle into place. With everything settled you can start tightening the bolts beginning with the bottom ones first and working your way up. Make sure to check your uprights for plumb as you go along. If it still wobbles after that then you can resort to shims.

[Maluket]

Before you start shimming I would loosen all the bolts that you can then load up a bar on the rack with as much weight as possible. This will help it settle into place. With everything settled you can start tightening the bolts beginning with the bottom ones first and working your way up. Make sure to check your uprights for plumb as you go along. If it still wobbles after that then you can resort to shims.

That's pretty much what I did. Worked like a charm.

[JFByers]

i would suggest the composite shims vs the ceder ones. the ceder will compress shortly due to weight the composite ones wont, and they are the same price.
I went to the local store and I bought several types of shims (wood, hard plastic, gum, thin, thick...).
What do you mean when you say ''composite''? Is it hard plastic or gum? Or anything else?

[cgc]

I went to the local store and I bought several types of shims (wood, hard plastic, gum, thin, thick...).
What do you mean when you say ''composite''? Is it hard plastic or gum? Or anything else?

Composite = plastic.

But before you shim this thing, like both Kodokan and rthawker suggested -
I would try squaring the rack up first by loosening the bolts up, helping it settle with some weight on it then tightening it backup.

If that doesn't work....then shim.

If that doesn't work bolt it down. I know you said you didn't want to bolt it down, and that's fine...this is just the progression I would follow if the wobbling is too much for your liking.

[extremez]

Before you start shimming I would loosen all the bolts that you can then load up a bar on the rack with as much weight as possible. This will help it settle into place. With everything settled you can start tightening the bolts beginning with the bottom ones first and working your way up. Make sure to check your uprights for plumb as you go along. If it still wobbles after that then you can resort to shims.

this^^^

When I first got my rack and put it together I tightened everything before I had the rack standing and it was uneven. Loosened them up and it basically fell evenly into place.

[remdra]

I have home made weight rack extension on it

when full of weight, It won't ever move!!!

note: the extension was done by the previous owner, and is made by a HEAVY DUTY steel gage.

1 rack weight more than my whole squat rack, imagine 2 and full of weight :p

[MotFBane]

I will not bolt the power rack. I prefer not to damage the concrete floor. I have no idea how many centimeters the concrete floor is. You know, my house is old (built in 1960 I think). Nobody can tell what will happen if I start to drill the floor.

Composite shims seem to be the best solution and the easier to install. I will go to the local store to try to find this product.

Another important question, my bench wobbles a little bit also. Can I use this composite shims under one leg of my bench?

1960s construction, the concrete was hand-leveled, so it's very jagged, correct? Try a self-leveling compound (SLC), if you can afford to lose approximately 1/2" of ceiling height. If you aren't familiar with it, it's basically a liquid concrete that you pour onto the floor, and it will more or less smooth itself out to form an even layer, then dries in place. You are right to not want to damage that floor, it's likely to be fairly thin, and through holes could pose a problem depending on your local water table.

[tubtime]

concrete thickness had no bearing as an anchor doesnt have to go through it to work. i would try however to loosen the bolts as said, then shim if that doesnt work.

[desslok]

I squared mine, made it better, but still wobbled. Using the pullup bar weighted was sketchy. Got band pegs and risers from http://www.bandpegs.com and the risers eliminated all wobble, and now I have band pegs as well, so double score.