Truck Headliner Coming Adrift

[bomber60015]

The subject line sez it all -- the headliner in the Little Truck That Could (Y2K Nissan Frontier) is coming adrift . . . . is there anything short of complete removal and re-installation (by a pro, I have no desire to add this particular skill to my repetoir) that will re-adhere the thing to the truck?

I'm about half an inch away from just removing it altogether . . . . .

thanks!

[speedracertdi]

Bunch of thumb tacks.

[mjydrafter]

Not just plain tacks, you want upholstery tacks. They kind of screw in. Check the fabric section at walmart.

They will make your headliner look like a quilt...

[ragtoplvr]

staples work just as good. Any upholsterer shop can fix you up, they do a lot of them.

Rod

[eepeqez]

Originally Posted by bomber60015

The subject line sez it all -- the headliner in the Little Truck That Could (Y2K Nissan Frontier) is coming adrift . . . . is there anything short of complete removal and re-installation (by a pro, I have no desire to add this particular skill to my repetoir) that will re-adhere the thing to the truck?

I'm about half an inch away from just removing it altogether . . . . .

thanks!

The headliner in my 1990 Nissan hatchback came unstuck from the foam backing and started drooping down.

Basically its an industrial strength cardboard/plastic panel with a thin layer of foam then vinyl or similar at the surface (the top? the bottom?!)

Replacing it involved removing the A pillar trims (two screws each), the interior light, easing back the edging around the door apertures and anything else around the edges that holds it in place, and lowering it and removing it from the vehicle. I replaced mine with a second hand liner from a wrecker, so I got to take two out and put one back in.

It's really not a difficult job, and even if you choose to try to fix yours, its much easier with it out of the car. Because the foam breaks down, if you try to add glue between the layers, you're just trying to stick bad foam to bad foam. Just put a second hand one from a wrecker in. Although a helper would have been useful, I managed everything alone, and in a single cab ute there's so little ceiling it would be a doddle.

[Snarky]

Spray adhesive, plastic scraper to smooth it.

[bomber60015]

all -- thanks for the tips . . . .this thing's got a sun roof, which may complicate things . . .. .I'll scope it out in a few days . . . .

thanks!

[Tmaximusv]

the nicotine in smoke will release the adhesive used in many headliners. no offense intended..

I had an old PU that the PO had used wood blocks secured to the roof with construction adhesive and screws. Yuck job since they all fell off anyway.

Spray adhesive and fresh material with a good foam backer that won't dissolve in the spray adhesive is my suggestion.

[bomber60015]

None taken -- I'm an ex-whore, er, smoker, but I think teh Original Owner was a non-smoker -- no scent discernable at all.

[GreaseMonkey]

Is the headliner attached to a firm backing like cardboard or is it bonded to a foam type of backing that is disintegrating?

If there is some sort of decomposing lining, the headliner needs to be removed and the falling apart stuff vacuumed off.

Otherwise, I've good luck reattaching headliner using 3M #77 spray adhesive. However, the problem is that when the headliner hangs down it sags and stretches and it is pretty much impossible to simply stick it back up and you not have ripples. I've done a fair amount of mechanic work in an area that flooded regularly for a while, and what seemed to happen was an interior would get wet and then direct sunlight would turn the inside into a steam bath, and the headliners would separate and sag. For older vehicles I found a quick and simple fix was to use #77 and replace the nozzle with one that you could fit a tube on, then remove the dome light fixture and spray it around using that opening, let it dry and stick it together. However, as I mentioned you would pretty much always get wrinkles. To attach a headliner in what I consider to be a professional manner it really needs to be removed and done on a workbench IMHO, but if you just want it stuck back up and look nice when given just a quick glance then the spray adhesive approach works acceptably IMHO.