headliner fabric sag fix

[92xjsp]

The fabric on my headliner is sagging in spots, so here's what I'm planning to do to fix it. Any suggestions or warnings?

I'm not overly concerned with looks, but I'd rather it look better than not. I think my method is going to look kind of bad if you look close, but hopefully won't be too noticeable if you're not specifically looking for it. And that's acceptable for me.

It's sagging in 4-5 places, ranging from about 10 square inches to one spot that's about 8 inches by 16 inches. I got a spray can of 3M General Trim Adhesive, and for each spot I figure I'll cut down the center of the sagged fabric, spray the adhesive all over the inside, wait 3 minutes and then press it up for a few seconds with cardboard pieces. And done.

Is there a better way to do it, without too much trouble?

 

[nickPRO]

i tried doing that the same way you did. (adhesive spray etc) It seemed to work just fine , but the other day it sagged again. The headliner fabric loses its foam making it thinner , so its better to replace it. but it might work for you because it only sagged in spots , on mine the only thing keeping it up is the light and speakers!! Its worth a try though. Tip : dont spray too much or it will come on the other side like mine did!!
good luck

 

[Lowrange2]

Yeah mines up there with straight pins every 6 inchs or so just to keep it out of my face... I got a parts jeep with a good headliner in it on the way tomorrow... No you can't have it!

 

[anotherjeff]

this site has step by step instructions. they even have a headliner kit that starts at $40.


http://www.wlsheadliners.com/tutorials/cherokee/

 

[Lowrange2]

I missed where i could purchase a kit...

 

[87baseomatic]

Headliners are a piece of cake to do. Just time consuming. I recovered mine in my 87 as well as many old vw's. Just need headliner fabric and a good headliner adhesive.

 

[90Blue_XJ]

I got mine up with 1/4" dowels from Home Depot. May not be beautiful but I can now see out of my rear hatch window without the flapping distraction that the headliner was before the dowels.

 

[Lowrange2]

What is the factory interior color called? The tan color... I'm wondering what color to tell the guys at wlsheadliner.com

 

[JeepinMass]

i've done a few custom interiors and I always get my fabric at www.yourautotrim.com awesome guys! I just picked up some doeskin for 30bucks. 3yds of it so I can make new visors.

 

[magimerlin]

You can go to any fabric store, even Walmart and get some apolstery(sp) tacks. They have a screw type push in kinda like a pigs tail. They have worked great in the past for me. They twist in so it will twist into the cardboard headliner backing. Hope that helps

 

[Gray XJ]

Mine is sagging real bad as well, I ordered a headliner off Ebay for 40 bucks and got a couple of cans of the 3M spray to put it up with.I have been told it will take about 4 hours to do the whole job from taking out all the plastic trim ,dropping the headliner and peeling and scraping off all the old stuff( Take your time hear get it all off) and then putting it back in.Good luck.

 

[jeepnuts311]

mine was sagging all the way off the roof. I took it out completely, and nobody ever noticed until i pointed it out. underneath, the sheetmetal roof is pretty much body colored from overspray.

not exactly what you were lookin for, but it was easy and heres a pic.
you can actually see the cloth on the visors hanging down as well.

-Tim

 

[scca28]

I have been told it will take about 4 hours to do the whole job from taking out all the plastic trim ,dropping the headliner and peeling and scraping off all the old stuff( Take your time hear get it all off) and then putting it back in.Good luck.

Yeh, you want to get all the old foam off the headliner shell. I used an stiff brush to loosen most of it, then ran a shop vac over it to get it off the board. Just try not to be too rough with it, some of the layers of the shell may seperate.
Also, don't forget, the sides and rear edges are covered by trim when installed, but the front has no trim so you have to leave enough overhang material there to tuck it up over the front edge of the shell.
One more tip, when I did mine I wore rubber gloves. It was easier to smooth the material into the adhesive with gloves than without. See what you think.
After I was finished, I left it on the floor for a couple of days to make sure it set up, and man, talk about a niosy ride with no headliner in there!...

 

[OverlandZJ]

We have a JoAnn's Fabrics here where i'v bought the material for a few headliners. Usually about $25.

AutoZone has Permatex brand headliner adhesive... this is the good 3M product relabeled. It even shares the same part#.

 

[Bronco]

I'm sure it easy to fix but mine was sagging for a few years and i wasn't fixin it so i just pulled all the fabric off one day and it's been fine ever since. I'm no worse off if i ever do want to recover it and its better than puttin pins in it or whatever.

 

[Matthew Currie]

If appearance really isn't much of a concern, an alternative is to take a bunch of those little clips that hold papers together (the ones with a head like a tack, and two legs that bend apart), punch holes through the cardboard shell, and press them in. The legs spread when they hit the roof, and the liner is now held up by a bunch of brass buttons. My son did this on my ex's 88 when he was using it extensively, and it was not very elegant, but it worked, and it's not too bad if you take time to make the rows straight.