How to Install Headliners With the Glue Method

Headliner materials such as cloth, leather, vinyl and plastic are glued to a piece of pre-cut headliner board to create the headliner. Most of the time, the headliner boards are made out of cardboard or fiberglass. The headliner board is attached to the bottom of the vehicle's roof. Over time, the headliner material that is glued to the headliner board -- typically, foam-backed cloth -- will separate, whether simply from age or direct damage. The older the headliner material, the weaker the glue adhesive will get, resulting in the material sagging from the headliner board.

Instructions

1

Remove the lighting fixtures from the inside roof of the vehicle with a screwdriver or a ratchet and a Torx bit, as appropriate for your vehicle. Screw a wire connector onto any exposed wires and tape the connectors with electrical tape.

2

Remove all of the connectors from the headliner trim that holds the headliner in place with a screwdriver or a ratchet and a Torx bit.

3

Remove all of the seat belt hanger covers from the headliner board with a screwdriver or the ratchet and Torx bit. Use a utility knife if necessary to cut back the headliner material away from each hanger. Slide the seat belts through the pre-cut areas on the headliner board.

4

Pull the headliner board down from the inside of the roof and pull the entire headliner out through one of the doors. Place the headliner board across two saw horses with the glued-on headliner cloth facing up.

5

Pull the headliner cloth off the board with your hands. Use the utility knife as needed to cut the material as it is being pulled. Ensure that all of the headliner cloth has been removed from the top and bottom of the board. The headliner cloth will overlap across the bottom side of the board, so the board may need to be flipped to remove the overlapped material.

6

Scrape away all of the excess adhesive glue from the surface of the headliner board. Use fine-grit sandpaper to sand away any glued on material areas that are hard to remove. Also use the fine-grit sandpaper to sand down the entire surface of the board to ensure that the surface is smooth enough for the adhesive glue to stick properly.

7

Lay the new headliner material across the board. Position it on top of the board until it is an exact fit. Ensure that the material on the underside of the headliner board overlaps the board by at least 1 1/2 inches. Cut away any excess material with the utility knife. Mark the areas for the overhead lights and the seat belt hangers with a marker.

8

Cut away the headliner cloth from the overhead light area and the seat belt hanger areas. Beginning at one end of the headliner material, pull back about a 12-inch section of the material and apply a light coat of the headliner adhesive glue to a 12-inch area of the exposed headliner board. Press the headliner cloth down across the sprayed area. Use the plastic scraper to flatten the material to the board and to remove any wrinkles.

9

Pull the next 12 inches of headliner cloth up and apply another thin coat of the adhesive glue to a 12-inch section of the headliner board. Press the cloth down across the sprayed area of the board. Use the plastic scraper to flatten out the material against the board and to remove any wrinkles.

10

Continue the process of gluing the headliner cloth to the headliner board in 12-inch sections. Also continue using the plastic scraper to flatten the cloth to the board and to remove the wrinkles from the material. Spray glue the 1 1/2-inch overlapped areas of headliner cloth to the underside of the board and press the material flat. Once the headliner cloth is completely glued to the top and bottom of the board and it is wrinkle free, carefully slide the headliner board back into the vehicle.

11

Position the headliner board back up to the underside of the roof. Match up the overhead light areas along with the seat belt hanger areas. Reconnect the headliner trim around the edges of the headliner board to secure it to the inside of the roof.

12

Reinstall the overhead lights and the seat belt hangers. Inspect the headliner to ensure that everything has been reinstalled correctly. Cut away any excess headliner cloth that might be showing with the utility knife.