Homemade no-drill back rack using bed rail system.

[uh50]

what is a “headache rack” used for?

Headache racks have multiple uses but safety is certainly one of them. Back in the day we had an old '50s—1 ton flatbed truck with a couple of Gin Poles on the back with a wire cable winch.

One day in the late '70s, I was lifting a large reel of electrical power cable to put on the back of another truck. It was heavy because it was 1000 lf. of 500 MCM THHN/THWN electrical power cable so it weighed approximately 1700 lbs. plus the weight of the wooden reel. The wire cable on the winch was probably 25 years old and needed replacing and you guessed it, when I got the reel up enough to get it on the truck, the winch cable broke. When the weight dropped the release of all that energy caused the Gin Poles to bounce against their stops. Well, that energy needed someplace to go, so when it bounced the pent up energy caused the Gin Pole to swivel up and forward. They came crashing down on the headache rack. The whole truck shook and vibrated along with the ground around it a few feet. The guy in the tractor trailer said he felt it in his cab. I saw it coming and was in the floorboard before I realized it. It took 30 minutes for the ringing in my ears to stop. People don't probably realize how much energy is stored in a live load of 1700 + lbs?

Nary a dent in the old headache rack. I'm convinced that if the rack wasn't there, I wouldn't be here today.

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[Keikio999]

Headache racks have multiple uses but safety is certainly one of them. Back in the day we had an old '50s—1 ton flatbed truck with a couple of Gin Poles on the back with a wire cable winch.

One day in the late '70s, I was lifting a large reel of electrical power cable to put on the back of another truck. It was heavy because it was 1000 lf. of 500 MCM THHN/THWN electrical power cable so it weighed approximately 1700 lbs. plus the weight of the wooden reel. The wire cable on the winch was probably 25 years old and needed replacing and you guessed it, when I got the reel up enough to get it on the truck, the winch cable broke. When the weight dropped the release of all that energy caused the Gin Poles to bounce against their stops. Well, that energy needed someplace to go, so when it bounced the pent up energy caused the Gin Pole to swivel up and forward. They came crashing down on the headache rack. The whole truck shook and vibrated along with the ground around it a few feet. The guy in the tractor trailer said he felt it in his cab. I saw it coming and was in the floorboard before I realized it. It took 30 minutes for the ringing in my ears to stop. People don't probably realize how much energy is stored in a live load of 1700 + lbs?

Nary a dent in the old headache rack. I'm convinced that if the rack wasn't there, I wouldn't be here today.

Wow crazy story. Yes, safety, utility, then looks. Thanks for the perspective.

 

[Nw_adventure]

Nice work- I am liking this option- Hopefully available in the US soon-

 

[Nw_adventure]

Headache racks have multiple uses but safety is certainly one of them. Back in the day we had an old '50s—1 ton flatbed truck with a couple of Gin Poles on the back with a wire cable winch.

One day in the late '70s, I was lifting a large reel of electrical power cable to put on the back of another truck. It was heavy because it was 1000 lf. of 500 MCM THHN/THWN electrical power cable so it weighed approximately 1700 lbs. plus the weight of the wooden reel. The wire cable on the winch was probably 25 years old and needed replacing and you guessed it, when I got the reel up enough to get it on the truck, the winch cable broke. When the weight dropped the release of all that energy caused the Gin Poles to bounce against their stops. Well, that energy needed someplace to go, so when it bounced the pent up energy caused the Gin Pole to swivel up and forward. They came crashing down on the headache rack. The whole truck shook and vibrated along with the ground around it a few feet. The guy in the tractor trailer said he felt it in his cab. I saw it coming and was in the floorboard before I realized it. It took 30 minutes for the ringing in my ears to stop. People don't probably realize how much energy is stored in a live load of 1700 + lbs?

Nary a dent in the old headache rack. I'm convinced that if the rack wasn't there, I wouldn't be here today.

Yeah coiled energy is no joke- Many have died or lost/limbs/fingers- Thanks for sharing-

 

[Keikio999]

Nice work- I am liking this option- Hopefully available in the US soon-

Whoa sick!!

 

[Decayed]

I like the concept of leveraging the cleat/rail system as an attachment point. So many possibilities there.

Yeah it's genius. Adding those rails will be the first thing I do.

 

[Stitchy]

Man it's looks great, but a side question I gotta ask.... what tires do you have on there? The truck looks beefy

 

[Keikio999]

Man it's looks great, but a side question I gotta ask.... what tires do you have on there? The truck looks beefy

Thanks man. Running 255/75R17 BFG KO2s after the FordRangerLifts.com 2" level lift.

 

[Stitchy]

Looks great, I only did 1" level. Just looking for the right tires now. Thanks for sharing

 

[Matt1487]

Thanks man. Running 255/75R17 BFG KO2s after the FordRangerLifts.com 2" level lift.

Any rubbing? Looking at putting on a 2.5in lift and trying to find the right tires.

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