Headliner Material

What is the best approach to recovering a headliner? Does anyone know where I can get some of that material that has foam in it? I thought I remember a website for a company that sells it put I can't seem to find it. I appreciate it guys.

Buy local,easier and you get a good look at your color. I have in the past called local auto upholstery shops for material. I will say that some wont sell material without installing it themselves, I dont neccessarily knock them for that though. The shop that sells over the counter had atleast 40 different colors to choose from, and gave me advice on gluing which I didnt understand fully the first time.I made a second trip for a new piece, dont use too much glue !! oh and dont press down too hard with hand or fingers unless you like hand prints indented permanently.

This is the place that I used. About $45 including adhesive. They even have some directions on how to replace the headliner. My only advice would be to use two people.

http://www.wlsheadliners.com/index.php?main_page=index

Cheapest approach is just going to the local store and getting 2 1/2 yards of some material you like and 2 cans of 3M 77. Pull the old liner off the backer, and then get all of the old foam and glue off the backer. This can be a hassle. The backer is made up of multiple layers of paper and fiberglass formed under pressure. I ended up peeling one layer off like an onion skin and it worked ok. I'd also iron out the wrinkles before installing and roll the fabric up on a piece of pipe to store it until you put it on. I used a piece of white denim and it came out fine. Putting foam backed fabric back up is just asking for the same thing to happen later on. The foam is what breaks down and allows the fabric to droop, not the glue. Since my daughter likes to read while we travel, I went to the yard and got another dome light with the reading lights built in and the wire harness for it. There's a rib with holes already drilled for the screws over the back seat. Just joined like colored wires together and cut a hole in the liner for it. Gives a lot of light in the interior when you're trying to find stuff in the back to set up camp at night. Last thing, there's two large pieces of industrial strength velcro that hold the front of the liner up. Careful removing the liner or you'll rip them off and have to reglue them.

Thanks for the help guys. Unfortunately there aren't too many stores around Starkville, MS that I know of that would have the material.

Since you don't have someone local you may want to contact the following west coast distributor:

Lindsey & Hall, Inc.
Distributors & Wholesalers of Auto & Commercial Fabrics.

940 North Durfee Avenue
South El Monte, CA 91733
(800) 444-HALL

They have OEM codes and swatch books for Chrysler and have an extensive inventory ... they supply trim shops all over socal. They actually had the *original* headliner material for my 91 XJ.... and also found the original colors and materials for my Laredo seats.

Logistics is a problem when trying to find what you need... I went to 4-5 local trim shops before I was finally directed to L&H.

I can't speak for them, but they may send you samples through the mail....

Pep Boys sells headliner kits. Their headliner fabric is not as heavy as that sold in the JoAnn Fabrics chain of sewing stores.

On my last XJ I went down to wallyworld and picked up a nice felt print of license plates saying such things as 2cool, no55, and stuff. Made the inside bigger, but was dizzy to look at.

Pretty much any felt material would work.

My sister who helped me do it wouldn't let me pick out the sequined disco ball looking material.

I'm getting ready to do my 90 XJ. Drop a line when you get to doing yours and let me know how it goes. I'm debating mounting my CB radio and Ham radio antenna mounts in the roof at the same time.

lots of fabric stores sell the stuff. Thats where I get mine!

On my FSJ Grand Wagoneer, with a much larger headliner, I took the headliner out and pulled off the old material myself. Most of it was hanging down anyway where the foam had deteriorated.

I then took the headliner board down to a local upholstery shop where they stripped the remaining old foam and re-covered it in the factory-type material. They also re-covered the overhead console. They even gave me enough matching material and a can of the 3M adhesive for me to re-cover the sun visors, which I did myself. Professional results for $70 total.

Sometimes doing everything yourself doesn't save that much money, especially if you mess up. Plus I didn't have to spend several hours trying to scrape foam, trim material, iron out wrinkles, etc. The sun visors with the mirror doors and lights were a little tricky, but easy once I figured the first one out.

DannyXJ said:

Thanks for the help guys. Unfortunately there aren't too many stores around Starkville, MS that I know of that would have the material.

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Check for a JoAnn fabric store. They have head liner material in several different colors. The texture of what we got for the son's 89 was a nylon type feeling as opposed to a fuzzy like felt texture. Looks real nice. It took less then one can of 3M 77 spray contact cement. They were having a big sale on fabric so it cost about $23 and I had the 3M-77. If the first person dosen't know or says no then ask another, they have it!

JoBo

Cheapest way to go is your local fabric stores.
There have been several posts on here bout this..besides being cheaper(at fabric stores)you have more choices:
Pooh Bear :laugh3:

Strawberry Shortcake :laugh3:

Barbie :laugh3:


Barney :laugh3:

I went by a local Flexsteel outlet here in town and found some material to use. The material is very similiar to what the spare tire cover is made out of. I found some gray that matches pretty good, and I am very pleased with how it came out. It seems like it will be a lot more durable than the regular foam-backed material. I got the material and the fabric for $30.
I wanted to recover the visors too, but it looks like it might be pretty tough. What is the best way to go about recovering those visors?

Any one know where I could get the foam board(hard part) of the headliner for a MJ. I took mine out and trashed it before I even thought about it. Now when I shut the doors its really loud. Also condensation drips down on me on the colder days.

DannyXJ said:

I wanted to recover the visors too, but it looks like it might be pretty tough. What is the best way to go about recovering those visors?

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You'll have to use a thinner material or the visor clamshell will not snap shut. The standard headliner fabric works well.

1. I used a flat screwdriver and a pocket knife to gently pry where you see the fabric tucked in around the edge of the visor. It popped open. Then popped out the mirror assembly, careful not to press on the mirror glass. It may be easier if you rip off the old material before trying to open the visor. That way you can get to all of the snaps to release them with a screwdriver. Less chance to break them.

2. Peel off the old material, clean off the foam.

3. Cut a new piece of material that will wrap around the outer surface of the visor with about an inch of overhang in all direction.

4. Spray the 3M on the open clamshell and lay it on the material. Press the material smoothly onto the shell. Leave a little slack in the material at the hinge area, so it doesn't stretch to tight when closed.

5. Cut out the mirror hole leaving about 1/8" overhang and reinstall the mirror assembly.

6. Wrap the overhanging material around the edges of the clamshell and close the clamshell. Make sure everything is tucked in before snapping it closed. You may have to trim the material away from the snap sections so they can lock.

I had never done this before and it took me about 2 hrs to do both. And I had to re-cover the mirror doors too since they were fabric covered (Grand Wagoneer, but same type of visor). Newer XJs should be easier since they have plastic mirror doors.

My wife picked up the material I used at Wal Mart. I used a spray adhesive that I bought at an auto upholstery supply store. 3M 77 adhesive doesn't hold up to high temps well (gets warm here in So Cal) and I had 3M glue fail on another headliner I did. The glue I used is neoprene based and made for headliners, about $6 a can (use lots!). I took the visors to an upholstery shop and the charged $35 to do both. It was worth it, really finished it off nice. I also installed brighter interior lights from and RV supply store. It looks like this:

Not sure where I saw it,but some where I saw a foil backed liner.The foil reflects heat and the liner deadens sound....
If I find it I'll put it on here.......................

Where do you get the foam and other hard parts other than the fabric itself. I got an XJ with no headliner at all and the roof flexes at speed and when you slam the door. Are there foam pieces etc that support the roof so it doesn't flex everywhere. You can flex the metal very easily as it is not very stiff. Every pick n pull yard I've been to doesn't have good headliners. They get thrashed very easily.

Troy

Actually I prefer this material when it is time to replace my headliner:


:viking: