Aluminum Cab Protection With Distinctive Style
Add rear-window protection without giving up the look of your truck. Highway Products Headache Racks combine welded aluminum construction, adjustable center grilles, truck-specific fitment, available integrated lighting, and three unmistakable styles.
Why Buy a Highway Products Headache Rack?
A headache rack should help protect the rear window, fit the truck correctly, preserve visibility, and complement the rest of the build. Highway Products gives you meaningful choices in structure, grille coverage, finish, and lighting instead of treating every truck like the same application.
Rear-Window Protection
A protective structure between the cargo area and the cab helps reduce the risk of costly rear-glass damage when properly secured cargo shifts.
Adjustable Center Grille
Position the center grille to better follow the cab profile and third brake light location. Honeycomb and Guardian use a five-piece design, while Savage uses a three-piece design.
Choose Your Coverage
Select a more open configuration for visibility or a fuller grille for increased rear-window coverage. Available choices vary by Headache Rack family.
Available Integrated Lighting
Guardian and Savage HD configurations are available with two 1,900-lumen LED load lights mounted flush in the center grille for useful bed and jobsite illumination.
Easy Install
Slotted feet and an adjustable center insert help position the rack for the truck and cab height. Standard installation uses common hand tools and a 1/4-inch drill bit. Pair it with an HPI toolbox and the supplied slots and C-clamps secure both products without drilling.
Unique Looks
Choose the classic Honeycomb, the aggressive Guardian, or the bold Savage. Honeycomb also offers polished aluminum, smooth black, and HPI Leopard finish choices.
Nobody Finishes an Aluminum Weld Like HPI
Choose the classic Honeycomb, aggressive Guardian, or bold Savage. Each family combines its own unmistakable style with welded aluminum strength, adjustable protection, and the clean HPI workmanship that makes the rack look finished from every angle.
Compare What You Actually Get.
Several strong Headache Rack brands serve different priorities. Compare material, grille design, adjustability, finish, lighting, fitment, and warranty before choosing.
The Original Rack is a low-profile, 12-gauge steel frame designed for broad rear-window protection.
HPI replaces the fixed steel frame with welded aluminum that avoids red-rust concerns and unnecessary weight, then adds an adjustable center grille for cab and brake-light alignment.
Magnum Low Pro models use a welded aluminum frame with integrated brake, tail, turn, and backup lighting.
Guardian and Savage offer optional flush-mounted dual 1,900-lumen load lights aimed into the bed, while every HPI family offers three center-grille coverage choices.
ProTech’s aluminum pickup cab rack fits flush with the truck box, uses proprietary heptagonal extruded tubing, and can be ordered configured or custom.
HPI organizes the choice into 21 visible combinations across three named designs, including adjustable grilles, three Honeycomb finishes, and optional Guardian or Savage load lights.
Weather Guard offers four aluminum styles with adjustable universal-fit brackets and an accessory channel for lights, cargo stops, and other add-ons.
HPI combines truck-specific fitment with adjustable grille placement, tuning the rack around the cab profile and third-brake-light area instead of only adjusting the mounting width.
Westin’s HD steel louvered rack uses a 2-inch round upper tube and four welded tabs for bolt-on light mounting.
HPI’s welded aluminum avoids steel’s red-rust risk and excess weight. Guardian and Savage can place load lights flush inside the grille instead of on exposed tabs.
Ranch Hand uses high-density 11-gauge steel and a fully louvered rear-window barrier. Select versions add integrated LED lighting.
HPI welded aluminum keeps weight and red-rust concerns down, then lets the buyer choose Open Post, Open Mesh or Wave, or Full Mesh or Wave coverage.
Spyder emphasizes hand-crafted, jig-welded American steel plus semi-custom options such as logos, lumber stops, grab handles, lights, and rear hoops.
HPI answers with clean aluminum welds, three complete design identities, and model-specific adjustable grilles. Aluminum avoids red rust and unnecessary steel weight.
Dee Zee’s 2.75-inch hexagonal aluminum rack uses an integrated slide channel for bolt-on lights, tie-down anchors, and other accessories.
HPI makes the rear-window barrier itself configurable, with open or full protective grilles, adjustable positioning, and optional LEDs integrated into Guardian and Savage.
Choose the Style That Fits Your Truck
Start with the structure and look you want, then choose the center grille, finish, and lighting options available for that family. Confirm fitment and accessory compatibility before ordering.
Honeycomb
The most versatile HPI Headache Rack pairs welded 1/8-inch aluminum construction and a five-piece adjustable design with Open Post, Open Wave, or Full Wave coverage. Choose polished aluminum, smooth black, or HPI Leopard finish.
Guardian
The original aggressive HPI design uses welded 3/16-inch aluminum and a five-piece adjustable structure. Choose Open Post, Open Mesh, or Full Mesh coverage, with or without integrated LED load lights.
Savage
Savage brings a distinctive chase-rack profile with substantial side gussets, welded 3/16-inch aluminum construction, and a three-piece adjustable design. Choose Open Post, Open Mesh, or Full Mesh coverage, with or without integrated LED load lights.
Published fitment varies by truck year, make, model, and bed configuration. Third brake lights, cameras, tonneau covers, cross-bed toolboxes, bed rails, and other accessories can affect compatibility. Confirm the complete installation with a Highway Products dealer before ordering.
Headache Rack Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Headache Rack do?
A Headache Rack installs behind the cab to create a protective structure between the truck bed and rear window. It can help reduce damage from shifting cargo, provide mounting opportunities, and add a finished look to the truck. Cargo must still be properly secured.
What is the difference between Honeycomb, Guardian, and Savage?
Honeycomb uses a classic five-piece design made from 1/8-inch aluminum and offers the broadest finish selection. Guardian uses 3/16-inch aluminum, a five-piece aggressive design, mesh or post grille choices, and available integrated lighting. Savage uses 3/16-inch aluminum, a bold three-piece chase-rack profile, multiple grille choices, and available integrated lighting.
What are Highway Products Headache Racks made from?
The Honeycomb Headache Rack uses welded 1/8-inch aluminum construction. Guardian and Savage use welded 3/16-inch aluminum construction. HPI’s clean, consistent welds remain a visible part of the finished rack. Available finishes depend on the selected family and configuration.
Which center grille configurations are available?
Honeycomb offers Open Post, Open Wave, and Full Wave configurations. Guardian and Savage offer Open Post, Open Mesh, and Full Mesh configurations. Availability can vary by fitment and selected option package.
Will the Headache Rack block my third brake light or camera?
The adjustable center grille is designed to help align the rack with the cab profile and third brake light. Open configurations are intended to preserve more visibility around brake-light camera locations. Camera placement differs by truck, so fitment should be confirmed before ordering.
Can I get integrated LED load lights?
Guardian and Savage HD configurations are available with a pair of 1,900-lumen LED load lights mounted flush in the center grille. Confirm the current lighting package, wiring requirements, and truck compatibility with your dealer.
Can I mount a light bar on top?
Published Honeycomb, Guardian, and Savage information describes a flat top bar with internal access or channel space for routing wiring. Use properly rated mounting hardware and confirm the light-bar size, weight, clearance, and wiring plan before installation.
Will a Headache Rack work with my tonneau cover?
Some tonneau-cover rails or clamps can interfere with a Headache Rack and may require modification. Compatibility depends on the truck, rack feet, cover rails, and mounting hardware. Have Highway Products or an authorized dealer review the combination first.
Will it work with a cross-bed toolbox?
Honeycomb and Guardian are commonly paired with compatible Highway Products toolboxes. The Savage’s large side gussets can interfere with many crossover boxes, although some lower or custom box configurations may work. Confirm dimensions before ordering either product.
Are Highway Products Headache Racks available for midsize trucks?
The published standard lineup is focused on full-size pickups. Fitment changes over time, and custom solutions may be possible. Contact Highway Products with the exact year, make, model, bed, and cab configuration.
Can I combine the rack with HPI Bed Rails or a toolbox?
Yes, many HPI Headache Racks are designed to coordinate with compatible Highway Products Bed Rails and truck toolboxes. The correct combination depends on the rack family, truck fitment, toolbox dimensions, and other installed accessories.
How do I confirm the correct fitment?
Provide the truck year, make, model, cab, bed configuration, and details about cameras, bed covers, toolboxes, and bed rails. A Highway Products dealer or specialist can identify the correct part number and review possible interference before ordering.
What does the Highway Products lifetime warranty cover?
Warranty coverage is subject to the published Highway Products warranty terms, including purchaser, vehicle, installation, maintenance, finish, normal wear, misuse, modification, and damage exclusions. Review the current written warranty before purchase.
Does a Headache Rack prevent every type of cab damage?
No truck accessory can prevent every accident or every type of damage. A Headache Rack adds a protective structure behind the cab, but all cargo must still be secured correctly and the vehicle must be loaded and operated within manufacturer limits.
The Welded Aluminum Headache Rack That Fits Your Truck
Tell us what you drive, which accessories are already installed, and how you use the truck. A Highway Products specialist will help you choose the right rack, grille, finish, lighting, and fitment from 21 available style combinations.
