Im really not wanting to spend a bunch of money to buy a headache rack and i have plenty of scrap metal lying around the back of the shop. Does anyone have any good homeade headache rack designs/ measurements lying around to help me towards building mine? any help is appreciated

 

Here's a pic of my Headache Rack that i built a couple years ago. It's made from 1 1/4" square tubing, 3/4 angle iron, it was originally designed for my dads 3/4 ton chevy, so i had to rebuild it a little for my truck, and the only thing i would change is the mounting brackets that i designed, they don't hold it a stiff and steady so it wiggles when hitting bumps. Maybe either put a gusset in each corner, or a set angled downtubes like a bolt in light/rollbar, that and maybe a little bit larger tubing like 1 3/4-2" Other then that, it works great and has saved my back window a time or two already and i just put it in this past April.

By the way, this was taken before i re-welded the mounting points in the bed now each side has a 20" long piece of 1 1/4" angle iron that sits on each bed rail and is my mounting points for the headache rack and also my diamond plate toolbox that i now have also.

 

I also have made my own headache rack. Here is a pic.

There is a bar going between the two top pieces but it is thin so I could still use my third brake light.

 

I believe the angle I used was 19 degrees, this is the angle on the sides. I used 2" sqaure tube for the legs, real thick wall, maybe 1/8" or better. The top tube was a piece of 2" x 5" tube(I believe??). The inner pieces were 1" square tube and there is a lower portion you can't see behind the box that is also 1" that runs the whole lower length. The small sections on either side are 1/2 or 3/4" round tube, all custom cut/fit and welded in place to make it how it is.

I took vacation that week and spent at least 8 hours a day in the shop making this. I know I have at least 50 hours in this with wiring, wiring to the truck and so on. I use a trailer connector(4 way) at the base of the rack so if I had to remove it I could just unplug it. I also made a harness to go to the rear trailer connector where the lights for the rack get there power.

If you need some pics I have more or measurements message me your email and I'll get into more detail.

Shawn

 

Here is mine. The angle iron runs the full length of the bed for protection.

 

The rails that runs the length are 2x3x.25 and across the back is 2x2 x.25 the pipe is 2.0 round with end caps and a couple of 90s. The rails that run the length do a good job of protecting the bed with a gooseneck trailer. The rack is also good protection for the cab and for hauling long lengths of material. I think if you click on the pictures it will enlarge them. Hope this helps.

 

Here is a design I have been making up and changing as I re-think some things and measure it out. I will soon be getting the metal and beginning welding it up at work....

 

I have some pics of mine in my gallery.