Headache racks, also referred to as truck cab racks, are attached to the overheard rack on your pickup truck to protect the rear cab window. Headache racks are generally constructed of either steel or aluminum and cover the entire rear cab window of your pickup to prevent large debris from damaging your window. Instead of paying a professional to equip your pickup with a headache rack, install it yourself.
Mount the load bar to your pickup bed following the manufacturer's instructions. Each overhead rack is different, but they are all mounted to your pickup by inserting a bolt into the provided holes and tightening nuts onto the bolts with an adjustable wrench to secure the load bar in place. The load bar bears the weight of the overhead rack and, once installed, the headache rack as well.
Mount the left upright support to the load bar by following the manufacturer's instructions. Insert the necessary bolts into the provided holes and secure the upright support to the load bar by tightening a nut onto the bolt.
Mount the right upright support to the load bar.
Attach all necessary clamps provided by the manufacturer to secure the load bar and upright supports to the bed of your pickup in the proper locations. Consult your installation manual for proper placement.
Mount the overhead bar by following the manufacturer's instructions. Insert the bolts into the provided holes, make sure all connections are tight and secure the overhead bar by tightening nuts onto the bolts with an adjustable wrench.
Install any rubber stripping or other protective measures provided with your overhead rack by following the manufacturer's instructions.
Center the headache rack in the middle of the overhead rack.
Mount the headache rack to the overheard rack using the provided clips or clamps. Attach the clips or clamps to the positions required by the rack's manufacturer. Consult the installation manual for proper clip and clamp placement.
Secure the headache rack to the overheard rack by inserting the provided bolts into the proper holes and tightening nuts onto the bolt with an adjustable wrench. Consult the installation manual for proper placement of bolts.
