End caps are used in gym equipment to blank off ends of steel tubing. This is not only done for aesthetics, it also reduces the internals of the tubing to exposure and therefore corrosion. If steel is painted it generally won’t rust – the paint protects it from the elements. As you can’t paint the inside of tubing, if it is exposed to humidity or moisture it will rust. Therefore it is a good idea to replace any missing end caps.
Any other important reason why gym owners need to replace end caps is for safety. The end caps also cover the steel edges. As the gym manufacturer is going to use these end caps to blank off ends, they won’t round off any sharp edges as the end cap will cover these.
End caps come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You choose which one will fit based on both the outside and internal diameter of the tube you are looking to plug.
Normally you will be able to base your decision off the outside diameter, as the internal diameter which will be determined by the steel thickness, won’t vary much between machines.
However if your tubing is either very thick or very thin, it is probably best to check. In these cases you can get the caps to fit. They might just be a bit tight or loose.
