Originally Posted by
seafood
. What worries me slightly is that fender stays naturally want to be on the inside (closer to chain stays), while the rack stays are stacked on the outside, closer to the bolt cap. .... but mechanically this isn't ideal.
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You're right -- this is less than ideal because the heavier leg is outside imposing a bending moment on the screw, rather than against the eyelet where it would be pure shear.
If there's any way you can reverse these, do so and you'll have a more secure arrangement. Otherwise use heat-treated chrome-moly cap screws, or at least quality stainless once, instead of the typical standard hardware. If you're planning a long tour carry spares.
One trick, if you cannot pass the fenders outside the rack, is to place the left leg of the rack inside the dropout, with the fender outside. If you do this pass the bolt from the inside outward with a nut to retain the fender stays. That way your rack won't fall down if the nut loosens and falls off.
The beauty of this is that at least one leg of the rack is better secured.