Home/Headache Racks & Cab Protectors
Headache Racks & Cab Protectors
Headache racks and cab protectors — the frame that stands at the bulkhead and keeps a shifting load out of the rear window. Over 250 parts from Westcan and BackRack, in aluminum and steel, full-mesh and louvered, some built with integrated lights, plus the install kits, light mounts and brackets that go with them.
A headache rack is not a bed rack. It occupies only the front of the box, bolts or clamps to the bed rails or the stake pockets, and carries nothing over the bed itself. What it does is stop lumber, pipe or a load of gravel from arriving in the cab under braking, and it gives ladder racks and work lights something solid to mount to.
Mesh or louvered is the choice most people weigh. A full mesh panel blocks the most debris and the most rearward visibility; louvers let you see more of what is behind you and still break up what is thrown forward. Aluminum saves weight over steel and does not rust; steel takes more abuse. Several of the Westcan racks here ship with lights already fitted, which saves running a separate bracket and harness.
Deciding between this and a rack over the bed? Our guide to bed racks covers mounting, height and load rating for both, and bed racks and side rails are on their own page.
Common questions
What is a headache rack for?
It stands between the load and the back of the cab. Under hard braking a load in the box moves forward, and the rear window is the first thing it reaches. The rack takes that instead. Most also serve as a mounting point for work lights or a ladder rack.
Mesh or louvered headache rack?
Mesh blocks more and shows less; louvers keep more rearward visibility while still deflecting debris. If the truck reverses to a dock or a trailer all day, the visibility usually wins.
Do headache racks need drilling?
It depends on the rack and the truck. Some clamp to the bed rails, some use existing stake pockets, and some call for a hardware kit sold separately. The mounting method is described on each product, and several here are install kits rather than racks.
Can a headache rack be used with a tonneau cover?
Often, because the rack sits ahead of where most covers begin — but both want the front of the bed rail, so the pairing has to be chosen together rather than one after the other.
