Rack hole spacing: pin diameter is a different measurement

Name the three measurements correctly

Upright size describes the outside dimensions of the steel tube. Hole diameter describes the opening that accepts an attachment pin. Hole spacing describes the center-to-center distance between openings. All three may appear as inch measurements in a listing, which makes it easy to confuse them. For used equipment, request a ruler photograph showing several consecutive hole centers and a separate view of the opening itself; one close-up rarely establishes both measurements accurately.

Write each in a separate column. A rack with one-inch holes does not necessarily provide one-inch height adjustments. A rack with three-inch uprights does not automatically accept every attachment built around a nominal three-inch tube. Comparing the fields separately prevents an incorrect assumption from spreading through the rest of the equipment plan.

Compare the actual vertical patterns

REP specifies five-eighths-inch pinholes on the PR-4000, with one-inch spacing in its bench zone and two-inch spacing elsewhere. REP specifies one-inch pinholes and two-inch spacing throughout on the PR-5000. This illustrates how larger attachment pins and closer height adjustments are independent choices.

Check where the close-spaced area begins and ends relative to your intended bench setup. Its usefulness depends on whether the J-cups and safeties need positions inside that area. The word Westside alone does not tell you that the close spacing extends over the full rack or through every attachment face.

Translate hole positions into support height

A J-cup’s bar cradle is offset from its mounting pin. Two compatible J-cup designs can therefore support the bar at different heights using the same rack hole. Safeties have their own offsets and dimensions. The hole chart is a starting point, not the final height at which the bar rests.

If fine positioning matters, compare the complete rack-and-J-cup combination using manufacturer drawings or a display setup. Some manufacturers offer supported offset or lowered cups to create additional positions. Confirm exactly what the accessory changes; do not assume it also changes the adjustment range of safety arms or other attachments.

Check both sides and all locking points

Some attachments use a main load pin plus a second retaining pin. Others wrap around two upright faces or span between uprights. Their fit can depend on front-to-side hole alignment as well as vertical spacing. Matching only the main pin diameter can leave the secondary lock unusable.

For spanning accessories, rack width or depth may also matter. A compatible family name is useful evidence when the manufacturer explicitly supports the combination, but photographs of a pin entering one hole are not enough. The attachment must seat fully and lock in the intended orientation.

Choose useful adjustment rather than the largest number

List the required working positions for your current bench and bar setup. Consider how often different users need changes and whether numbered holes make matching the two sides easier. A finer pattern is valuable when it helps reach those positions; it does not automatically make every other feature better.

For each intended lift, identify a supported J-cup position and a supported safety position, then check that both can be installed together with their retaining hardware engaged. Repeat that check for another user or bench if the room is shared. This tests the useful adjustment range of the complete setup, including component offsets.

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