ᐅ KALLAX Crossbar Loose – What Should I Do?

Hello everyone,

I noticed that the cross brace—the horizontal support piece that stabilizes the KALLAX shelving unit between the vertical sides—is quite loose.

To be more specific: the cross brace wiggles a bit and seems to shift slightly under load. The shelf itself is fairly stable, but I’m concerned this could become a problem over time, especially if I want to store heavier items.

I wanted to ask how I can best secure the cross brace firmly again. Are there any special techniques, screws, or perhaps additional reinforcements recommended?

Also, could the movement or slight wobbling of the cross brace indicate incorrect assembly or insufficient screw tightness?

I’d appreciate any helpful advice on what to do in this situation without having to take the entire unit apart. Thanks in advance!

Hello Ivojan,

first of all, it’s good that you mentioned this, because a loose cross brace can really affect the stability of your KALLAX.

Basically, the cross brace in KALLAX is fastened using small screws or dowel joints, depending on the production year and version. If it feels loose, there could be several reasons: either the screws are not tightened enough, or the screw holes—especially in particleboard—have slightly widened, which causes play under load.

My tip: check the screws and tighten them as much as possible. If the screws still don’t hold well, you can fill the holes with wood glue and small wood pieces (like toothpicks or wood shavings), let it dry slightly, and then screw them back in.

This strengthens the hold without much effort. If that’s not enough, an additional corner bracket can help to stabilize the shelf sideways, but that would be an extra measure.

If you want, I can also provide you with detailed instructions for that. 🙂

For clarification and a structured approach:

1. First, systematically check the screws. Loosen them and retighten with the appropriate torque to avoid stripped threads.

2. If the thread in the wood is too large, you can fill the holes with wood glue and wooden dowels. After drying, screw in again.

3. For additional stability, metal connectors (angle brackets) can be installed. They improve lateral stiffness without major disassembly.

4. Also check that all parts fit correctly and nothing is warped. Uneven loading can cause screws to loosen.

These steps should reliably solve the problem.

Thanks in advance, angel and andre3!

I will definitely try filling the screw holes.

However, I wonder if there is an official replacement or reinforcement mechanism for the KALLAX? I checked the IKEA online store but only found the usual shelving parts, no special additional fittings.

From your experience, does it often happen that the cross connection eventually gives way? Or is this rather an exception where you should pay more attention to installation errors?

How long have you been using your KALLAX shelves without such problems?

Ivojan schrieb:
From your experience, does the cross brace often loosen over time? Or is that more of an exception?

Well, I have a KALLAX at home that has been quite stable for almost ten years now – of course, if it’s assembled properly at first, the furniture really holds up.

Sometimes screws loosen over time because you move or shake the shelf.

So, loosening of the cross brace can also be due to natural settling.

If you put a lot of weight on one shelf level, it really helps to tighten the screws again – and if you want to be extra careful, try small corner brackets that you can attach invisibly on the inside.

Otherwise: no need to panic 🙂

I fixed the loose cross-connection on my KALLAX by using longer screws.

You can find suitable replacement screws at the hardware store that reach deeper. This quickly restores stability without much effort.