The Importance of a Headache Rack
Headache racks are vital pickup truck accessories, providing a crucial safety barrier for the rear window and cab occupants from shifting cargo. Unsecured loads, even small items, can become dangerous projectiles during sudden stops, shattering the rear window, causing costly repairs, and exposing occupants to flying debris. Without a headache rack, heavy cargo can also structurally damage the cab, causing costly repairs. Beyond property damage, these racks mitigate personal injury by preventing glass shards and larger items from penetrating the cab, offering essential protection. Essentially, headache racks make pickup trucks safer, reducing repair costs, extending vehicle lifespan, and most importantly, enhancing occupant safety.
We offer a number of headache racks for pickup trucks. It’s important to consider your needs and understand which model will work the best for you. There are a number of differences that headache racks can have such as material (aluminum vs steel), window coverage (none, partial, full), compatibility with tonneau covers and crossovers, and the ability to add accessories (lightbars, cargo stops, etc).
Material choice can be a major deciding factor for folks who live in areas where salted roads are present. Choosing an aluminum headache rack like one of these will ensure your rack resists corrosion and protects you for many years to come. However, if you don’t live in a heavy salt environment, you could opt for one of our steel headache rack options like these. Steel will definitely be the stronger of the two options, and they tend to have a lower price point than the aluminum models as well. Although, the price is typically driven by other factors like window coverage and accessory system capability too.
The window coverage can definitely vary from model to model on headache racks as some opt for maximum protection and coverage, while others go for the more open design maximizing visibility. The picture below has most of the common styles depicted. Most headache racks on the market will have some variations of these designs.
Another thing to consider when shopping for a headache rack is considering what else your truck bed will have in it from an accessory standpoint. Most of our customers opt to use a crossover toolbox in addition to a headache rack, and on 99% of setups this combination will be compatible. However, if you’re looking to run a tonneau cover in combination with a headache rack, you’ll have a smaller pool of racks to choose from. It’s highly recommended that you give our team a call in a situation like this so we can help you verify fitment on this combination.
Having the ability to add accessories to your headache rack can be an absolute game changer for your truck setup. We’re big fans of the Weatherguard Headache Rack line for this exact reason. Their racks have the ability to add accessories such as spot lights, marker lights, tie down points, and ladder/cargo stops. These features all add a ton of utility to an already great product. These racks are offered in a few different configurations, but the common point between them all is the aluminum construction, modular design, and excellent aesthetics. Additionally, these racks are offered with a limited lifetime warranty, showing that Weatherguard has your back for the long haul.
Wrapping things up, a headache rack is a must-have for any pickup truck owner regularly hauling taller cargo in the bed. It's important for keeping both your truck and everyone inside safe. When you're picking one out, think about the build material, how much of your rear window it covers, if it'll work with your other truck bed gear, and if it has any extra features that'll make your life easier. If you take the time to look these points, you'll end up with a headache rack that not only keeps you safe, but also makes your truck more useful, helps it last longer, and looks tough in the process