Metalmiller Headache Racks

I've been toying with designs for a headache rack for Tacomas that can mount using the stock bedrails and is sturdy enough to take quite a beating. Here are some pics of the unpainted rack itself and will be uploading some pictures explaining the mounting system very soon.

I'd love to hear any feedback, suggestions, or requests. I have included some holes at the top of the rack for tie downs and since it the sides are plasma cut, I can do all kinds of custom options.







Some pics of the mounts: These are made to be about the length of a toolbox. It is not pushed all the way forward because we were pressed for time and my friend had the ammo can mod on. The mounts can also be changed up for taste and individual style. I am working on a shorter one for those that dont have toolboxes. More detailed pics and mounted rack pics coming soon!

The round holes are for bolts that attach to backing plates that slide into the bed rail and the long slots are for J-hooks for tool box mounting, this has been tested on my buddies taco.








More pics, I decided to tweak the design a little bit and will be making the parts next week. I am going to be making the rack little tighter, you can see how the mounts work in these pics though. I can throw some holes in the side of the rack if you guys can think of something that is practical or just looks cool.. anywho here are some more pics.
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Looks sweet...subbed for pics on the truck.

Any idea on pricing?

 

How does it attach to the truck, not seeing it. If it uses the side rails, how far off the front of the bed does the headache rack sit? Seems very strong built! Will you be looking into adding mesh between the heavy steel to stop things from hitting the glass?

 

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Looks good . Any idea of an unfinished price? Plus how are you planning this to be mounted? I'd prefer straight to the truck, not the bed rail system. Thanks for posting!

 

....subscibed

 

Loving your sig pic. haha

 

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sub'd as well, I'd like to see some plates for lights on the top crossmember as well...

 

I'm not sure about a price yet, but I'm lookin to be pretty competitive.

I can pretty much add anything metal to these things, So I can look into light mounts as well as some kind of mesh or expanded metal to protect from smaller pieces. I'll try to add some pics tonight showing the mounting system.

And for those of you who would rather mount straight to the bed, I will add some bolt holes to the mounts to make both options available with the same hardware.

Keep the feedback coming!

 

I envy your fabrication skills. I have none so I bought one recently made by "Rack-it". I guess your intended use will dictate the design, but tight mesh was a necessity for me since I probably throw a couple thousand pieces of cordwood into it every year. I was concerned about visibility through the mesh but it turned out not to effect visibility significantly. My rack is incorporated into bed rails which I needed anyway. one nice feature is a moveable crossbar on the bed rails. If I'm carrying something large and bulky I can sandwich it between the headache rack and the crossbar. If I move the bar all the way back long items can span the headache rack and crossbar and extend over the tailgate.

 

why is it called a headache rack? lol

 

Keeps cargo from smashing the window and..... your head.

 

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very interested

 

I like the sliding crossbar, that's a pretty cool idea... I do have a question for you guys though, my biggest concern is shipping costs for these things. Any recommendations for inexpensive/reliable shipping? I'm guessing these things will weigh about 30 to 40 lbs... just a ball park. I know I can make them affordable, I'm just worried about shipping costs.

 

30-40 lbs... you can still send them ground depending on the overall measurements...

 

Lets see some more pics!

 

Posted some new pics in post # 1

 

Badass!