I would like to get my headliner re-upholstered, and I was wondering what kind of job is it to remove it? Is it only held on by surrounding plastic interior trim or is it glued to the roof somehow? Is it just a piece of formed cardboard covered in upholstery?

 

You are correct in stating that the headliner is a piece of cardboard with an upholstery cover. I repaired mine in about an hour. Very easy and an awesome improvement! I even think the truck smells better in the cab!

Removal is straight forward. I started by removing the screwed on trim pieces above the doors first, the trim above the windshield and rear window is metal and has clips that hold the trim in receiving pockets on the roof. Removal was easiest by using a putty knife and my fingers to pry out the clips. I think I also loosened the pillar trim pieces but did not have to remove them. The visors came off with the screws removed. The headliner just falls down and removal is easy, but you should be careful not to crack or break the board!

Remove the old headliner by tearing off the fabric, the old foam needs to be scraped off. Take your time and experiment using different tools to scrap off the old foam. I think I may have even used some sand paper to clean off the old foam and glue. It must be pretty clean for the new stuff to stick!

Cut your new material a bit bigger than the size of your board and use spray on adhesive according to the directions on the can. Some types of spray adhesive recommend spraying both sides of the material while others need to spray only side. That is what I used because I was afraid the glue would soak through. I sprayed the board and then I positioned the new fabric on the board and used my wife's pastry rolling pin to press out any air bubbles. (No, I did'nt tell her!)

After the new material dries you can trim it to the edge of the board because it is covered by the trim. Reinstall in your truck and enjoy the new look!

Good Luck!
HARFEND

 

Yup. I've seen several done the same way with felt purchased at JoAnne Fabrics. I don't have a headliner in the truck, but when I do the car, this is how I'll do it. 3M Super 77 adhesive is the one I've seen used.

 

Nice write up and description of the process Harfend. You have inspired me to try it on
my truck. Thanks for the information.

 

Has anyone found rust in their roof once the liner was out?

 

I did the one in my 86 3 weekends ago and Harfend is on the money. I removed the front, rear, and side trims by pulling on them and they will pop out. I did remove the A pillar covers and the B pillar covers as well just to paint everything before I put them back so they looked nice and new.

I used a small wire brush to remove the old padding and glue and just didn't press too hard so as not to dent or tear the cardboard. I purchased the spray adhesive from Autozone and the material from Walmart. Looks pretty good!

 

Harfend... your my hero, using your girl's rolling pin!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!

 

Yup, that's me to! Great write-up!

I'll need to remove my headliner also in order to pop out a small dent in the roof. Might as well redo the headliner while I'm at it.

 

Is your truck a single cab or extended cab? Because if its an extended cab the only way you will get it out of your truck is if you remove either the windshield or the back window.

 

I might as well do a beer window install while Im at it then right.

 

I was able to remove and install mine without pulling any windows, and mines a crew cab. Not saying it was easy, but it was possible.

 

The roof is double-walled, I'll suggest getting one of those suction cup
dent pullers.

 

Thanks for the tips everyone. Just pulled out my sagging headliner. Thought the dome light is very interesting how two of the mounting screws complete the circuit