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How to tough to replace headliner in Ranger?

My '92 Ranger once had a leak and mold grew in the headliner, it needs replacing. I see kits on JC Whitney that vary in price from $40-150. I don't want to spend much on the old truck, are the cheap kits easy enough for a novice?

Reply to
Mac Cool
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On Fri, 22 Dec 2006 07:46:40 +0000, Mac Cool rearranged some electrons to form:

  1. Pull the old headliner down.

  1. Rip the fabric off the backing form.

  2. Using a wire brush, get *all* of the old foam & glue off, and clean the backing completely.

  1. Go to a fabric store and pick up enough material to recover the backer. Should not cost more than -. In my area, Hancock Fabrics carries foam-backed automotive headliner material. You might have to go to an auto upholstery/trim shop.

  2. Pick up a can of 3M spray-on headliner adhesive. Make sure you get the variety shown as being used for headliners... it's a lot more expensive than the regular spray adhesive. Don't get the cheap stuff, it won't hold.

  1. Apply the adhesive to the material and the backer. Stick in place, trim to fit.

Done!

Reply to
David M

The problem here is the mildew, and its close buddy mold. The backing is a very porous material very similar to the stuff they make fiberglass heating ducts out of for houses. I think I would hunt the junk yards for something and hope to find one that hasn't been wet.

Whitelightning

Reply to
Whitelightning

Haven't pulled one out, still in good shape, but have always hated cloth headliners. Something to potentially stink before a bubble forms in them and then starts to sag and grow. High humidity here, too. If there's a hard shell between the foam and roof panel up there, I'd want to clean out all any fiberglass foam-like crap and replace the lining with vinyl. If the shell is foam/glass, then roll it out with a hardner to bolster it up. Something more permanent than 3M, I'd look it over for use with construction grade adhesives, epoxy or even straight marine fiberglass resin. Last cloth that fell down on me was easy - ripped it out and spray-painted the back liner the same color as the interior.

Reply to
Flasherly

David M:

Outstanding. Thanks for the info.

Reply to
Mac Cool

Flasherly:

Good call, I like it.

Reply to
Mac Cool

Whitelightning:

Good advice, I'll check the backer when I pull it.

Reply to
Mac Cool

On Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:55:17 -0800, Flasherly rearranged some electrons to form:

More permanent than 3M Headliner Adhesive? Obviously you haven't worked with that stuff before.

Construction adhesive? Epoxy? Those won't bond well to fabric. Sounds like someone that would spray-paint the backer and think it was a cloth headliner. Oh, yeah, you did that.

Reply to
David M

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