Headliner question
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington VT
Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Hi!
My Jeep doesn't have the headliner or the backing piece that it attaches to.was thinking about some insulation and a piece of 1/4" white laminated board or fiberglass. Not looking for a show queen, just noise abatement and insulation without anything dangling.
Thank you!!
Shawn
My Jeep doesn't have the headliner or the backing piece that it attaches to.was thinking about some insulation and a piece of 1/4" white laminated board or fiberglass. Not looking for a show queen, just noise abatement and insulation without anything dangling.
Thank you!!
Shawn
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 560
Likes: 18
From: U.P. MI
Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
I'm sure you could make something work, but how about you get a replacement from the junkyard and recover it yourself?
It's a really simple job and a recovered headliner can really class up the joint.
It's a really simple job and a recovered headliner can really class up the joint.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington VT
Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I tried doing headliners back in the 1980s and never had good results. They either came out REALLY sticky or fell right off. Probably something I'm doing wrong though
CF Veteran
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,686
Likes: 6
From: Hudson, FL
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L Inline 6
+1 on junk yard.
If you don't have one at all, you can get any one out of a junk yard, and if you want new, let a shop re-upholster your headliner to the backing plate you get from the JY.
If you don't have one at all, you can get any one out of a junk yard, and if you want new, let a shop re-upholster your headliner to the backing plate you get from the JY.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Southern Maryland
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I have recovered a bunch of headliners over the last couple of years, and FWIW, here is my process (not including headliner removal and installation).
1) After peeling the old fabric off, scrub the headliner board with a dry nylon brush to get the old foam (usually orangy looking) off. Don't get overly aggressive with the brush but getting all that rotten old foam off is important.
2) If the headliner board is damaged, you can use some 5 minute epoxy or even fiberglass resin to repair it, but small creases or imperfection shouldn't be a big deal.
3) WASH YOUR HANDS AND MAKE SURE YOUR WORK AREA IS CLEAN.
4) Lay out the fabric on the headliner to make sure it fits with a couple inches of overhang all around, then fold the fabric halfway over on itself.
5) Spray the adhesive (in accordance with the adhesive directions) on the exposed half of the headliner board AND on the exposed half (the foam side) of the headliner material (be careful not to get any adhesive on the fabric side of the headliner material).
6) With CLEAN HANDS and a helper on one side and you on the other, slowly unfold the material onto the board, working it gently with your hands from the middle outward.
7) Fold the other half over onto the part you just completed and repeat steps 5 and 6.
8) Let it dry overnight, then flip it over, trim the edges to an inch or so, and spray them down and fold them over. Having a several new razor blades makes trimming the material much easier.
Here is how my headliner looked when I bought my XJ. Note the smoke halo; stinky...

There it is in the driveway after removing all those goofy push pins and peeling the material off. Note the orange foam still stuck to it. I don't have a photo of what it looked like after scrubbing that foam off, but you get the idea...

Here it is after following the above process.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington VT
Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Shawn I would encourage you to give it another try. A junk yard headliner, a couple yards of headliner fabric, and a couple cans of the correct headliner adhesive (I prefer the 3M Headliner Adhesive, but any legit headliner adhesive should work fine) and you will be a super-hero (as in Super Shawn Boy)...
I have recovered a bunch of headliners over the last couple of years, and FWIW, here is my process (not including headliner removal and installation).
1) After peeling the old fabric off, scrub the headliner board with a dry nylon brush to get the old foam (usually orangy looking) off. Don't get overly aggressive with the brush but getting all that rotten old foam off is important.
2) If the headliner board is damaged, you can use some 5 minute epoxy or even fiberglass resin to repair it, but small creases or imperfection shouldn't be a big deal.
3) WASH YOUR HANDS AND MAKE SURE YOUR WORK AREA IS CLEAN.
4) Lay out the fabric on the headliner to make sure it fits with a couple inches of overhang all around, then fold the fabric halfway over on itself.
5) Spray the adhesive (in accordance with the adhesive directions) on the exposed half of the headliner board AND on the exposed half (the foam side) of the headliner material (be careful not to get any adhesive on the fabric side of the headliner material).
6) With CLEAN HANDS and a helper on one side and you on the other, slowly unfold the material onto the board, working it gently with your hands from the middle outward.
7) Fold the other half over onto the part you just completed and repeat steps 5 and 6.
8) Let it dry overnight, then flip it over, trim the edges to an inch or so, and spray them down and fold them over. Having a several new razor blades makes trimming the material much easier.
Here is how my headliner looked when I bought my XJ. Note the smoke halo; stinky...

There it is in the driveway after removing all those goofy push pins and peeling the material off. Note the orange foam still stuck to it. I don't have a photo of what it looked like after scrubbing that foam off, but you get the idea...

Here it is after following the above process.

I have recovered a bunch of headliners over the last couple of years, and FWIW, here is my process (not including headliner removal and installation).
1) After peeling the old fabric off, scrub the headliner board with a dry nylon brush to get the old foam (usually orangy looking) off. Don't get overly aggressive with the brush but getting all that rotten old foam off is important.
2) If the headliner board is damaged, you can use some 5 minute epoxy or even fiberglass resin to repair it, but small creases or imperfection shouldn't be a big deal.
3) WASH YOUR HANDS AND MAKE SURE YOUR WORK AREA IS CLEAN.
4) Lay out the fabric on the headliner to make sure it fits with a couple inches of overhang all around, then fold the fabric halfway over on itself.
5) Spray the adhesive (in accordance with the adhesive directions) on the exposed half of the headliner board AND on the exposed half (the foam side) of the headliner material (be careful not to get any adhesive on the fabric side of the headliner material).
6) With CLEAN HANDS and a helper on one side and you on the other, slowly unfold the material onto the board, working it gently with your hands from the middle outward.
7) Fold the other half over onto the part you just completed and repeat steps 5 and 6.
8) Let it dry overnight, then flip it over, trim the edges to an inch or so, and spray them down and fold them over. Having a several new razor blades makes trimming the material much easier.
Here is how my headliner looked when I bought my XJ. Note the smoke halo; stinky...

There it is in the driveway after removing all those goofy push pins and peeling the material off. Note the orange foam still stuck to it. I don't have a photo of what it looked like after scrubbing that foam off, but you get the idea...

Here it is after following the above process.

Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Southern Maryland
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
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CF Veteran
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,554
Likes: 17
From: Monett, MO.
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
It only cost me just over a $100 for a shop to do mine in the factory fabric and came out perfect and that removing and the install. If one was already out could be a lot cheaper.
CF Veteran
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,686
Likes: 6
From: Hudson, FL
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L Inline 6
Shawn I would encourage you to give it another try. A junk yard headliner, a couple yards of headliner fabric, and a couple cans of the correct headliner adhesive (I prefer the 3M Headliner Adhesive, but any legit headliner adhesive should work fine) and you will be a super-hero (as in Super Shawn Boy)...
I have recovered a bunch of headliners over the last couple of years, and FWIW, here is my process (not including headliner removal and installation).
1) After peeling the old fabric off, scrub the headliner board with a dry nylon brush to get the old foam (usually orangy looking) off. Don't get overly aggressive with the brush but getting all that rotten old foam off is important.
2) If the headliner board is damaged, you can use some 5 minute epoxy or even fiberglass resin to repair it, but small creases or imperfection shouldn't be a big deal.
3) WASH YOUR HANDS AND MAKE SURE YOUR WORK AREA IS CLEAN.
4) Lay out the fabric on the headliner to make sure it fits with a couple inches of overhang all around, then fold the fabric halfway over on itself.
5) Spray the adhesive (in accordance with the adhesive directions) on the exposed half of the headliner board AND on the exposed half (the foam side) of the headliner material (be careful not to get any adhesive on the fabric side of the headliner material).
6) With CLEAN HANDS and a helper on one side and you on the other, slowly unfold the material onto the board, working it gently with your hands from the middle outward.
7) Fold the other half over onto the part you just completed and repeat steps 5 and 6.
8) Let it dry overnight, then flip it over, trim the edges to an inch or so, and spray them down and fold them over. Having a several new razor blades makes trimming the material much easier.
Here is how my headliner looked when I bought my XJ. Note the smoke halo; stinky...

There it is in the driveway after removing all those goofy push pins and peeling the material off. Note the orange foam still stuck to it. I don't have a photo of what it looked like after scrubbing that foam off, but you get the idea...

Here it is after following the above process.

I have recovered a bunch of headliners over the last couple of years, and FWIW, here is my process (not including headliner removal and installation).
1) After peeling the old fabric off, scrub the headliner board with a dry nylon brush to get the old foam (usually orangy looking) off. Don't get overly aggressive with the brush but getting all that rotten old foam off is important.
2) If the headliner board is damaged, you can use some 5 minute epoxy or even fiberglass resin to repair it, but small creases or imperfection shouldn't be a big deal.
3) WASH YOUR HANDS AND MAKE SURE YOUR WORK AREA IS CLEAN.
4) Lay out the fabric on the headliner to make sure it fits with a couple inches of overhang all around, then fold the fabric halfway over on itself.
5) Spray the adhesive (in accordance with the adhesive directions) on the exposed half of the headliner board AND on the exposed half (the foam side) of the headliner material (be careful not to get any adhesive on the fabric side of the headliner material).
6) With CLEAN HANDS and a helper on one side and you on the other, slowly unfold the material onto the board, working it gently with your hands from the middle outward.
7) Fold the other half over onto the part you just completed and repeat steps 5 and 6.
8) Let it dry overnight, then flip it over, trim the edges to an inch or so, and spray them down and fold them over. Having a several new razor blades makes trimming the material much easier.
Here is how my headliner looked when I bought my XJ. Note the smoke halo; stinky...

There it is in the driveway after removing all those goofy push pins and peeling the material off. Note the orange foam still stuck to it. I don't have a photo of what it looked like after scrubbing that foam off, but you get the idea...

Here it is after following the above process.

I have no headliner any suggestions on doing it or getting one
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
From: Wilmington VT
Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
From: Southern Maryland
Year: 1993
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Based on the photo you posted, you do have a headliner but the fabric has come off of it...
As for suggestions, this thread contains several options including recovering the headliner yourself, taking it somewhere, or even painting it like this guy did.
Also, there are many videos on youtube that can show you how the job is done. You may consider watching one (or more). This could help you decide which option is best for you.
As for suggestions, this thread contains several options including recovering the headliner yourself, taking it somewhere, or even painting it like this guy did.
Also, there are many videos on youtube that can show you how the job is done. You may consider watching one (or more). This could help you decide which option is best for you.
I just do something basic


