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Headliner alternatives.....

bcmaxx

bcmaxx

NAXJA Forum User
Location
The West Kootenays,B.C. Canada
Well I decided to pull my sagging,broken torn headliner out in pieces to repair separated roof ribs and replace my factory sunroof. I had no clue it was fiberglass and I'd be itching for two days. Anyways I'm going to dynamat it then not sure what to do. I'd be more inclined to leave it if that stuff didn't have logos all over it .but I may anyways. I have the old headliner to make a template of and maybe cut a new one out of some different material? Anyone try any other materials? :dunno:
 
I used vinyl but it was too heavy for the glue and separated within a week. You might be able to use a stronger adhesive if you are securing it to the dynamat instead of the fiberglass. Easy to clean, durable, ... just too heavy to glue to the fiberboard
 
I bought headliner material at Joann fabric and headliner adhesive at auto zone

Materials were about 60 bucks total, trim to fit the headliner board

I was intimidated by this job but it was pretty easy
 
bcmaxx said:
fiberglass and I'd be itching for two days. :dunno:
Click to expand...

Once the backing board (not dynamat) is covered with adhesive and fabric, the fiberglass is no longer friable and therefore not an irritant. Wear long sleeves and a mask if you are sensitive to it...just use a brush, not a wire wheel. when you are done, strip down and throw your clothes in the washer. >>>

MaxxXJ said:
Cold shower might help with the itching
Click to expand...

Correct, a very brief cold shower will remove 90% of the fiberglass from your skin. Lotsa soap. Finish off with regular shower. I used to build fiberglass boats...this worked well every time
 
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IslanderOffRoad said:
I bought headliner material at Joann fabric and headliner adhesive at auto zone

Materials were about 60 bucks total, trim to fit the headliner board

I was intimidated by this job but it was pretty easy
Click to expand...

Thats basically how I did mine.


rd350027.jpg
 
This is giving me the itch to want to redo my interior and get my girl involved, let her stitch up some stuff and ill stick it to my headliner
 
Has any one ever used bed liner on the fiberglass backing thinking of doing that to mine.
 
oefvet0910 said:
Has any one ever used bed liner on the fiberglass backing thinking of doing that to mine.
Click to expand...

Heat is the only downside I can think of to your plan.

I am thinking this summer I will pull my liner, lay it on the shop floor, and use a roller to seal the fiberglass--not sure what sealer yet--then scuff it up and glue indoor/outdoor carpet to it.
 
joe_peters said:
Heat is the only downside I can think of to your plan.

I am thinking this summer I will pull my liner, lay it on the shop floor, and use a roller to seal the fiberglass--not sure what sealer yet--then scuff it up and glue indoor/outdoor carpet to it.
Click to expand...

Joe...when would the interior ceiling of your Jeep see the outdoors :confused:

OP...when you say bedliner...do you mean a Herculiner type roll-on? Because a rattle can bedliner spray would NOT work. It'd look like a black fuzzy back board. The Herc material would not stick to the glass fabric for very long.
 
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ParadiseXJ said:
Joe...when would the interior ceiling of your Jeep see the outdoors :confused:
Click to expand...

Red Skelton hasn't had a gig in years, and we get free-lance comedians? :D
 
Was original question about material for replacing the headliner board or material for covering the board.

I used neoprene from the fabric store to match my wet okole seat covers. Looks pretty good but my board was in bad shape so I have some mild deformations telegraphing through. Plus the thicket material couldn't wrap the edge at the windshield, so I gotta figure out how to glue that edge down better.

If I had to do it again I would research a thick roll on adhesive to help smooth out the board. And detail out the front edge better. Or just use headliner cloth.

The spray adhesive is holding now over a year.
 
Did mine with a black microfiber feeling fabric i got at a fabric store that had a double stitch white fabric backing that i figured would help the glue not soak through.

I had a local boat and convertible top place wrap the visors for me , the guy said i made it alot harder by not having a stretchable fabric like the headliner fabric i origionally went to the fabic store for.

But i really really like the end result

My fiberglass was taken out in one peice and cleaned up nice with a wire brush so it was good still , i would maybe look in a junkyard or other part out jeep.

I saw somewhere someone used like wood paneling to recover the ceiling
 
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MaxxXJ said:
Cold shower might help with the itching
Click to expand...

For washing out fibreglas -
- If you picked it up on a cold day, take a cold shower (gets the stuff off of the surface.)

- If you picked it up on a hot day, take the hottest shower you can stand (opens your pores back up to release the stuff.)

I've done far too much home insulation work...
 
Thanks for the itching tips. that sucked. i was more looking for an alternative backboard. im going to dynamat the whole roof while i think about some other headliner backboard material. I got another headliner but the idiots bent it in half . just seems weak and i hate that fiberglass
 
bcmaxx said:
Thanks for the itching tips. that sucked. i was more looking for an alternative backboard. im going to dynamat the whole roof while i think about some other headliner backboard material. I got another headliner but the idiots bent it in half . just seems weak and i hate that fiberglass
Click to expand...

I'm kinda toying with the idea of getting a sheet of 1/4" MDF when I get my refit going, then using polyurethane resin (the stuff that gets used with fibreglas) to coat & reinforce it. May even lay fibreglas on one side.

Once I get the board to fit, I'll probably PALS everything behind the front seats and put Velcro on the front part. That would also give me a good, stable platform to make my "eyebrow rack" - I'd like to put some switches & gages there.
 
A coat of resin would probably be enough to stiffen it up. You want to get that roman-arch effect, so that its stiff enough for the load to go to the sides. Too little and it will be brittle, too much and it will buckle.
 
I used regular poly marine resin to repair the two bent/broken front corners on my MJ headliner. The headliner board sucked it up like crazy. I was really surprised how much I had to use just to get it wet. As far as saturating it, like I would with regular glass fabric I had to use a good 2 qts. just to do the corners.

Of course then the corners were hard as a rock and lost any flexibility at all. I opted for good ol' duct tape to repair the rear quarter. The passenger front corner is a bit deformed...but I think I'm the only one that can see it.
 
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