Cage Nut

A cage nut is a nut held in a spring steel cage. It clips into a square hole and stays in place for blind assembly.

A cage nut clips into a square hole in a panel and stays in place for assembly. It takes a machine screw of the same thread.

Hot dip galvanising gives a thick zinc coating for outdoor or damp areas. Plain finish has no added coating and suits dry indoor use. PTFE coating reduces friction and helps with repeated tightening.

This kind of nut is often made in steel, stainless steel 304, stainless steel 316 or brass. Stainless steel 316 gives better corrosion resistance than 304. Brass suits electrical and marine work.

This is a general guide to checking this kind of part. It says nothing about any supplier's parts.

Ask for a certificate of conformance with the material and finish. On receipt, check the cage spring tension and that the nut turns freely. Check the square hole size matches the cage.