Step by step MALMchest of 3 drawers
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Screw the cam bolts into the topstep 15 of 36 · manual page 17

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Step 15 of 36 · IKEA manual page 17

MALM chest of 3 drawers step 15 of 36: Screw the cam bolts into the top

Lay the top upside down and screw 4 cam bolts (118331) into the holes near its ends.

Tools: Cross-head screwdriver

All 36 steps

  1. 1Screw the cam bolts into the sides
  2. 2Press the glides into the sides
  3. 3Screw the corner brackets to the plinth
  4. 4Press the glides into the plinth
  5. 5Fix the plinth to the side
  6. 6Stand the front rails on the side
  7. 7Lock the front rails
  8. 8Stand the support rail on the side common mistake
  9. 9Lock the support rail
  10. 10Stand the bottom on the side
  11. 11Lock the bottom
  12. 12Lay the left side on top
  13. 13Screw the plinth to the left side
  14. 14Lock the boards to the left side
  15. 15Screw the cam bolts into the top
  16. 16Screw the wall brackets under the top
  17. 17Stand it up and lay on the top common mistake
  18. 18Lock the top
  19. 19Lay it down and put on the back panel
  20. 20Nail the top right corner
  21. 21Nail the bottom left corner
  22. 22Nail on the back panel
  23. 23Stand it against the wall and mark the wall
  24. 24Move it away from the wall
  25. 25Drill the holes
  26. 26Put in the wall plugs
  27. 27Screw it to the wall
  28. 28Drawers: screw the cam bolts into the fronts
  29. 29Drawers: stand the sides on the fronts
  30. 30Drawers: lock the sides
  31. 31Drawers: slide in the bottoms
  32. 32Drawers: slide on the backs
  33. 33Drawers: fasten the backs, fit the bumpers
  34. 34Drawers: screw on the runners
  35. 35Drawers: fit the supports
  36. 36Put the drawers in common mistake

Parts and hardware checklist

2×Sideabout 75.5×45.2×1.6 cm
1×Plinthabout 80×6.3×1.6 cm
1×Front railabout 76.8×3.4×1.6 cm
2×Front railabout 76.8×3.6×1.6 cm
1×Support railabout 76.8×40×1.6 cm
1×Bottomabout 76.8×41.4×1.6 cm
1×Topabout 80.3×47.7×2 cm
1×Back panelabout 79.4×77×0.3 cm
3×Drawer frontabout 79.6×20.4×1.8 cm
6×Drawer sideabout 44.2×16×1.4 cm
3×Drawer bottomabout 72.8×44×0.3 cm
3×Drawer backabout 72×14.6×1.2 cm
26×Cam bolt#118331 · 41 mm long
30×Dowel#101345 · 30 mm long
26×Cam lock#117434 it may be 117434, 119030 or 120076
6×Screw#155669 the bag holds 8: two are spare
2×Corner bracket#10038685
6×Glide#153548 it may be 153548 or 158568
30×Nail#101221
2×Wall bracket#106989
2×Screw#109049
4×Washer#100823
2×Wall plug#121714
2×Wall screw#109048 · 60 mm long
12×Plastic fastener#110519
6×Bumper#115339
6×Drawer runner#118790 118790 on one side, 148601 on the other
18×Screw#100365
3×Drawer support#123833 · 440 mm long
6×Screw#105344

Tools you need

Questions

Do I have to fix MALM to the wall?

Yes. IKEA puts a wall fixing kit in the box and says the chest must be fixed to the wall: a chest of drawers that is not can tip over onto a child. The plugs and screws suit most solid and hollow walls; in solid wood, use the screws without the plugs.

How many cam locks does the MALM chest of 3 drawers use?

Twenty-six cam locks and twenty-six cam bolts (118331): 14 of each for the frame and 4 for each of the three drawers.

Why is the back panel folded?

It comes folded in two so it fits in the box. Unfold it, lay it on the back, push it into the top left corner and nail that corner first: the first three nails square the chest, so its drawers run straight.

What tools do I need?

A cross-head screwdriver, a flat screwdriver, a hammer, a pencil and a drill with an 8 mm bit for the wall, as the manual shows.

Which way round does the top go?

With its wall brackets at the back. Its cam bolts and dowels fit either way, so check before you lock it.

Safety

Furniture that tips over can cause serious or fatal crushing injuries. IKEA says this chest of drawers must be fixed to the wall with the fixing in the box. Use plugs and screws that suit your wall, and ask a professional if you are not sure. Never let children climb on the drawers.

About this guide

The steps, the part numbers, the counts and the order come from IKEA's assembly manuals AA-2022888-8 (2025-12-10) and, for the drawers, AA-1971377-2 (2017-08-16). The outer size, 80 × 48 × 78 cm, is IKEA's published size. Board thicknesses, the drawers’ boxes, the rails, the runners and the hole positions are read off IKEA’s dimension drawing and the manual’s drawings, so they are close, not measured. The 3D runs faster than real hands do.

IKEA gives the drawers as 72 × 43 cm inside, pulling out 27 cm, 148 litres in all.

The manufacturer's instructions are on IKEA's product page (PDF, drawers PDF). If something here differs from the manual in your box, follow the manual.

The 3D models, drawings and text are our own. IKEA and MALM are named only to say which product this guide is for.