Headliner Installation

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Hardcase
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Headliner Installation

Post by Hardcase »

I installed a new headliner in my '61 shortbed utiline today and I thought that I'd share how I did it. There are probably other ways to accomplish this, but it worked for me and, most importantly, it was a one person job.

Materials:
Headliner fabric: Not OEM, not even close. I got some foam-backed black synthetic cloth with a very faintly visible pattern from Amazon.
Spray adhesive: 3M Hi-Strength 90. There are others that will work just as well, but this is what the hardware store had in stock. Make sure that what you get is safe for fabric.
Dynamat self-adhesive sound deadener: Optional; there are other brands that probably work just as well. You don't even need to use it if you don't want to.
Aluminum seam tape: If you use Dynamat or something similar, you'll want to get a roll.
Seam roller: For smoothing the Dynamat and the headliner after its glued in. Mine was made for wallpaper seams.
Plastic ice scraper: For removing the old glue and what-have-you from the carcass of the dead headliner.
Shop vac: Optional, but if you can get your hands on one, it will save you from a horrendous mess after you scrape the roof.
Sharp scissors: Don't run with them.
Dinner knife: For spudging (maybe not a real word) the excess headliner material into the gap between the roof and cab walls. If your wife says no, something flat with a round end.

I did this over the course of three days, but the total time involved was maybe three hours.

I don't have a picture of the old headliner - it gave up the ghost years ago. I think that it was made out of, possibly, baby farts - very fragile and tender, but liable to leap out and make your life miserable at the most inopportune time. Mine fell down on me while I was going about 60 on the highway, then disintegrated into about a gazillion (probably toxic) pieces and blew around the cab like debris from a tornado until I pulled over.

Anyway, this is what I was left with:

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This is a crinkly, dusty glue residue that's probably mixed with asbestos and cancer. Periodically some of it would pulverize and drift down and target my lungs. It's easy to remove - I used a plastic windshield scraper and a shop vac to get it off. Scrub hard because you don't want anything loose left on the roof. And hold the shop vac hose right next to where you're scraping. It'll suck up 99% of the dust.

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Here's what's left after about 20 minutes of energetic scraping. This stuff isn't coming off without getting after it with sandpaper. It's on there for good. The little silver ring in the center of the roof is a plug that's filling in the hole left from when the Idaho Fish and Game owned the truck, about 50 years ago. I'm not going to weld it shut (the plug is sealed with RTV and stands up nicely to our local hurricane-powered tidal wave of a car wash). I just bend the little fingers back against the roof of the cab.

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At this point, you have some choices. The roof is a big ol' expanse of metal and it has all the acoustic characteristics of a 55 gallon drum. It's also a lot like a giant heat sink. If you're OK with that, you can skip this step, but it's something that has bugged me ever since I got the truck. In this case, I bought a couple of sheets of Dynamat. It's a self-adhesive butyl rubber with an aluminum backing that deadens the metal and does a reasonable job of insulation. It's not the only game in town and it's probably the most expensive, so check other stuff out. You're looking for sound deadening material. Amazon is chock full of stuff. If you get the rubber/tar/asphalt material, I'd also recommend that you get some kind of seam tape (I used the Dynamat tape). When it's hot, that stuff will ooze a little bit and you don't want it staining your headliner.

Handle this stuff carefully. You can cut it with scissors, which is what I did, but beware that the rubber material will stick to anything and is a hassle to clean up, especially from porous material like fabric. And hair. Just be careful. Also, you do not need to run it under the edges of the headliner area. You can cut it a half inch or so short of the edges because the headliner material is going to go in there and fill things in nicely.

Also, and this is important, you need something to smooth out the Dynamat or whatever material you use. Dynamat sells a roller, but I had a wallpaper seam roller sitting around the worked just as well. It doesn't need to be perfectly flat (and you can see that mine isn't), but you especially don't want any seams sticking up or any bubbles poking out. Run the roller all over the roof, paying special attention to seams and the edges of the Dynamat. That will also make sure that everything will stick nice and tight to the roof.

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So now we're getting to the dramatic part. You see the headliner with the glue on it up there. Well, it's not time for that. First thing, get your tape measure and measure the headliner opening, front to back and left to right. Write the numbers down. Once you've done that, measure again. Compare the two measurements. If they don't match, keep measuring until they do. I know that it seems obvious, but you can't cut something longer. Make sure that you've measured correctly.

I cut my headliner a couple of inches larger in each direction. That gave me a little wiggle room in case I didn't get everything centered when I glued it in (and I didn't). You can cut it to fit after it's glued in.

So, with the headliner cut, do a quick test fit, just to give yourself a feel for what it's going to be like when you hoist it up over your head. Once you feel comfortable doing that, you can spray on the adhesive. I used 3M High Strength 90. There are plenty of others that will work just as well. Make sure that whatever you use, it's safe for fabric. Look for fabric as one of the applications or that it sprays as a web. Be sure to follow the directions on the can. In this case, both surfaces needed to be sprayed. Also, and this is important, make sure that you use spray adhesives in a well-ventilated area. Your driveway, with both doors open is the best. I sprayed the roof first because it took a little longer to set up than the fabric. The adhesive that I used was very easy to control where it went. I sprayed it up to the edge of the Dynamat, about a half inch short of the edge of the headliner area. Then I sprayed the underside of the headliner. Make sure that you spray the correct side of the fabric!

So now we've caught up to the picture.

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Start at either the center or at one end - whichever is easier for you, but be sure that you have the headliner reasonably centered and, if it has a pattern in it, square with the opening in the roof. Once the two surfaces contact each other, they're stuck, so start off carefully. Then slowly work your way along, making sure that there are no bubbles in the material. You don't need to stretch it, just kind of roll it up onto the roof. You can see in the picture that I oversprayed the headliner fabric a little bit - that's OK because the adhesive won't stick to anything but itself.

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Once the fabric is rolled out, smooth it with your hands or with the roller that you used on the Dynamat. That will get rid of the bumps that you see in the picture. You can see that there is quite a bit of extra material on the passenger side - there's not so much on the driver's side because I didn't do a great job of centering the headliner. That's why I cut it large.

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Now you can cut the excess material. Leave an inch or so extra. You'll tuck that into the space between the roof and the walls of the cab. It's OK if your trimming job is ragged - nobody is going to see the edges. Just be careful as you trim and make sure that you're leaving enough material to stuff in the gap. Better to cut two or three times than to leave yourself short!

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I used one of my wife's precious dinner knives to push the excess material into the gap between the roof and the walls. If it's serrated, use the smooth side so that you don't cut up the material. If your wife catches you sneaking out with her silverware, find something flat and round on the end. Gently push the excess material into the gap, trimming it if there's too much to easly slide in. The corners will be the most difficult area because the material will bunch up a bit and the metal is a bit stiffer there.

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Enjoy the fruits of your labor! Invite your neighbors over to look. Have a beer and relax.

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Hardcase
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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by Hardcase »

A little nota bene here: I said that the Dynamat (or whatever alternative you find) is optional, but I really, really recommend that you use it. It will seriously quiet down the noise in your cab. And I mean seriously. Unless you're deaf or your religion doesn't allow the use of butyl rubber next to aluminum, there's not a good reason to skip it. Just sayin'.

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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by Jims68 »

VERY NICE JOB!! That is exactly how I replaced my headliner too! YES, I used the "Duraliner" as well and you are right, it does quiet the cab down. :salut
Jim

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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by Txas2step »

Looks great! :Thumbsup
61 shorty 170/ 3spd 3:91(sold)
66 lwb 318 poly/727/4:10 (sold)
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wally426ci
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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by wally426ci »

Great work!!!

Is there any sound deadening material available at local auto parts stores?

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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by Cody100 »

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I was in tears trying not to laugh out loud at work when I was reading about the cancerous headliner blowing around in your cab :Thumbsup
Cody

1966 D-100 Custom

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Hardcase
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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by Hardcase »

wally426ci wrote:Great work!!!

Is there any sound deadening material available at local auto parts stores?
Wally, I'd look at a home improvement store - Lowes or Home Depot.

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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by WD »

Nice job.

I've been working on the headliner for my 69 since about 2005. Bought the truck in September 2004. I almost have all the wood cut for it (cherry and alder strips 3/16" thick). Still need to square up the trim ring around the opening, later models had a stainless steel J channel the textured (fake tuck and roll) cardboard liner rode in.
If I didn't build it, it ain't mine.

1949 Dodge B1B-108; 1969 D100-128; 72 Super Beetle; and a bunch of others...

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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by dodgeboykim »

WD wrote:Nice job.

later models had a stainless steel J channel the textured (fake tuck and roll) cardboard liner rode in.

The trim to hold full card board headliner is Aluminiumn, Not stainless. I know because I have a set of roof trim for headliner in stock.
My truck is younger than me.
66 W100. 70 D 500 , 69 Hiab Speed Loader. 96 Ram 3500 Club Cab Cummin's 5 spd. 97 Ram 1500 Club Cab 5.9 gas auto. 83 W200 LB Propane 360 auto 09 Yammy Rhino 700.

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WD
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Re: Headliner Installation

Post by WD »

Cheap magnetic stainless on mine. Same as the drip rail trim.
If I didn't build it, it ain't mine.

1949 Dodge B1B-108; 1969 D100-128; 72 Super Beetle; and a bunch of others...

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